The Crucible
by: Arthur Miller
English 10 H
Drama
(AKA play) a story that has been written
to be performed by actors for an audience
The story is told through the words and
actions of the characters.
Dialogue
The words that are spoken by the
characters.
DRAMA IS DRIVEN BY DIALOGUE!!!
Stage Directions
Instructions to help actors, directors, and
readers visualize what is happening
onstage.
Tell how characters should look, speak,
act, and move on the stage.
Protagonist & Antagonist
The protagonist is the character around
whom the action revolves.
The protagonist is usually in conflict with
one or more antagonists.
Tragedy vs. Comedy
Tragedy – a play in which the protagonist
usually comes to an unhappy end.
Comedy – a light, humorous play with a
happy ending.
Characters
A cast of characters is listed at the beginning of
a a play.
A short description of the characters may be
included.
The playwright may further describe the
character when he or she first appears in the
play.
The audience continues to learn about the
characters through their actions and through the
dialogue.
Setting
The time and place in which the events of a play
occur.
The setting often helps to create the mood of
the play.
Typically described at the beginning and
throughout as the setting changes (act and
scene changes)
Setting can also affect the views expressed by
characters.
Plot
The series of related events that revolve around a central
conflict.
Conflict may be a struggle involving:
People
Ideas
Forces
Plot typically develops in the following pattern:
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Resolution
Denouement
Dialogue
Conversation between the characters
Helps reveal the plot and character of the play.
The author must speak through the characters
As you read, decide which characters, if any, are
expressing the author’s real beliefs.
Acts & Scenes
They indicate a change in location or the
passage of time during a play.
“Real time” vs. “drama time.”
Action in a play may occur over a much
longer period of time than the performance
takes.
Key Features of Miller’s Literary
Techniques
Other than dialogue, how else does Miller
provide background information and character
descriptions?
Authorial Intrusion
In the Overture, he frequently interrupts the action in
order to give the audience extra information, often
information from Miller’s life or the audience’s current
social experience. For example: when Proctor is
introduced, Miller writes:
Authorial Intrusion
“But as we shall see, the steady
manner he displays does not spring from
an untroubled soul…These people had no
ritual for the washing away of sins. It is
another trait we inherited from them,
and it has helped to discipline us as
well as to breed hypocrisy among
us.”
Authorial Intrusion
In addition, Miller’s sidebars offer his
means of direct characterization.
“He was the kind of man—powerful of body,
even tempered, and not easily led—who
cannot support to partisans without drawing
their deepest resentment. In Proctor’s
presence, a fool felt his foolishness instantly—
and a Proctor is always marked for calumny
therefore.”
As You Read The Crucible
Who is the protagonist? Is there more
than one?
Who are the antagonists?
What is the central conflict?
Arthur Miller
Born – 1915
Death of a Salesman receives Pulitzer Prize.
The Red Scare, fear of the spread of communism, took
over the country. People in the entertainment industry
were targeted.
Miller’s friend Elia Kazan decides to confess and name
names during the McCarthy Trials.
Miller spends time in Salem, MA and writes The Crucible,
which showcased on Broadway in 1953. The U.S. State
Department refused to renew Miller’s passport in order
to attend the Belgian production of the play in late 1953.
In 1956 Miller is called before the House Un-American
Activities Committee but refuses to confess or name
names. He is charged with contempt, fined, and
sentenced to jail. In 1958 his sentence is reversed.
Focus Activity
Has your character ever been questioned?
Or has someone you know or have heard
about—perhaps even a character in a TV
show or movie—undergone a test of
character?
Create a flow chart to organize the details
of that person’s test of character.
Background
The Time and Place
The Crucible takes place in 1692 in and near Salem, a
small town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony that had
been founded in the early 1600’s by a group of
Christians called Puritans.
The Puritans had fled England for North America to
escape religious persecution and to establish a religious
community.
As industry grew in Salem, many people did not share
the religious beliefs of the Puritan founders.
Many Puritans felt they were losing hold of their ideals.
Insecurity, frustration, and loss of control helped create
a climate of guilt and blame.
In the winter of 1691-1692, several teenage girls began
behaving strangely. This led to accusations of witchcraft
and the execution of 20 people.
About the Title
Crucible – a pot or vessel made from highly
heat-resistant material.
Used for melting metals to test them for their
purity.
Used by chemists to conduct chemical reactions
that require high heat.
Has also come to mean – “a severe test,” or “a
place or situation in which concentrated forces
interact to cause or influence change or
development.”
Vocabulary: Act I
compromise – v. to endanger the reputation or
interests of; to expose to suspicion
contention – n. verbal argument or struggle;
quarreling
subservient – adj. useful, in an inferior capacity,
to promote an end; submissive
naïve – adj. lacking knowledge of the ways of
the world; unsophisticated; innocent
pretense – n. a false show or appearance,
especially for the purpose of deceiving; falseness
evade – v. to escape or avoid, as by cleverness
An Overture
What is an overture?
An overture is a prelude, preview, or
introduction to a large, dramatic musical
work. It can suggest actions to come
later.
Why is Act I called “An Overture?”
Literary Elements: Atmosphere
What nouns describe the atmosphere at
the very beginning?
fear
terror
superstition
mystery
Drawing Conclusions
What does the phrase “an endless
capacity for dissembling” tell us about
Abigail?
We should recognize that Abigail deceives
others.
We have to always question her reliability
and search for a hidden motive in her
words.
Dancing is BAD
The Puritans forbade activities that they
considered “vain” entertainment.
Dancing
Theater
Literary Elements:
Setting
What function does the forest serve?
The girls go there to hide their dancing.
It also serves as an atmospherical
function.
To the Puritans, the forest was a wild,
dark place—the abode of heathens and
evil spirits.
Theme
The idea of a person’s good name will be
a central theme to the play.
Abigail: My name is good in the village! I
will not have it said my name is soiled?
Enter the Putnams
What adjectives would you use to describe
Parris’s attitude toward the Putnams.
He seems fearful, fawning, submissive,
and groveling.
The Putnams seem to have influence over
people in Salem.
Thomas Putnam
Miller considered Thomas Putnam one of
the play’s principal villains.
He was vindictive, had many grievances
against his neighbors, and was involves in
disputes ownership of land.
Seems to have played a key role in the
accusations of witchcraft.
Reference,
“the Devil’s touch is heavier than sick. It’s
death, y’know, it’s death drivin’ into them.
Forked and hoofed.”
These are references to the traditional
Puritan view that represents the devil as a
creature with a forked tail and cloven
hoofs.
Cultural Note
Superstition holds that sneezing might
indicate that a possessed person was
expelling demons through the nose.
This might be the origin of the practice of
saying “God bless you!”
Abigail
Describe the change in Abigail’s behavior
after the adults leave.
She reveals a cruel side to her nature in
the way she treats the other girls. With
the adults gone, Abigail is able to become
the dominant personality and reveal her
true nature.
Is her attitude here believable? Why or
why not?
Literary Elements:
Figurative Language
“What a grand peeping courage you
have!”
Double meaning:
The act of looking cautiously or sneakily.
The weak sound of a newborn bird,
especially a chicken.
This is an example of scorn for Mary
Warren’s courage.
PREDICT
“You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s
wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody
Proctor.”
Why might Abigail want John Proctor’s
wife dead?
Revenge over being fired.
Revenge about rumors being spread.
Romantic notions towards John Proctor.
Literary Elements:
Characterization
“Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of
a word, about the other things, and I will come
to you in the black of some terrible night and I
will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder
you.”
What do Abigail’s threats toward the other girls
reveal about her character?
She has witnessed the brutal murder of her
parents and suggests that she is, herself,
capable of violence.
Dialogue
Notice the difference in what names are
used in the dialogue.
Mr. Proctor vs. John
Abigail vs. Abby
What does this reveal about relationships
in the play?
Evaluate
Evaluate the offhand way Abigail describes
events to Proctor in light of what we know about
her character.
She illustrates her ability to adapt her manner to
suit a situation. With her uncle, she feigns
concern and righteous indignation. With the
girls, she is domineering and cruel. With
Proctor, she is coy and seductive.
Plot
What is revealed about the central conflict in the
conversation between Abigail and John Proctor?
The conflict between Abigail and Mrs. Proctor:
Abigail’s motivation is now known. There was a
romantic link between her and John, which is
why Mrs. Proctor dismissed her. Abigail believes
John loves her. Mrs. Proctor’s death would clear
the way for marriage between them.
The conflict between Abigail and John: He
denies that he ever gave her reason to believe
there was hope for marriage.
Literary Elements
Character
Analyze how the Putnams differ from Proctor
and Rebecca on the issue of witchcraft. Tell
them to support their conclusions with specific
dialogue references.
The Putnams seem determined to prove that
witchcraft is afoot. Proctor and Rebecca believe
there is a natural explanation for the children’s
behavior.
Think Critically
Why might Ann Putnam hate Rebecca
Nurse?
Ann already has mentioned that she has
lost seven babies in infancy. Now her only
surviving child is behaving strangely and is
ill. Rebecca has 11 children and 26
grandchildren, all of whom seem to be
healthy.
Characterization
Notice how Proctor is very vocal about his
displeasure with Parris’s actions, but allows
Rebecca to silence him. What does this show
about Proctor’s character? Rebecca Nurse?
Proctor does not defer to fools. His reaction
clearly reveals that he respects her.
The fact that a man like Proctor will defer to her
is testament to her wisdom and strength of
character.
Rebecca is the “voice of reason” in the play.
Irony
Parris: I do not preach for children, Rebecca. It
is not the children who are unmindful of their
obligation toward this ministry.
Parris has little understanding of children and
sees no reason to instruct them, yet it is the
young girls who are trying to commune with the
devil. In an effort to conceal their misbehavior,
they set in motion events that will wreak havoc
on Salem.
Summary
Summarize the argument between Parris and
Proctor.
Parris argues that the authority of the church is
supreme. Church members must obey the
pastor or chaos will ensue. Proctor argues that
individual conscience is the final authority.
Every church member has the right to say what
he believes.
Acts & Scenes
In the absence of scenes, the appearance of a
new character may indicate a shift in focus.
Predict what Mr. Hale’s arrival means.
From previous references to this character, we
should recognize that he is an expert on
witchcraft. His arrival signals a shift from the
arguments over practical matters to the subject
of witchcraft.
Confession of Witchcraft
Who is guilty in the play?
Ann Putnam actually is the one responsible for
her daughter’s trying to conjure spirits. She has
just confessed to the crime of which others will
be accused. Rebecca Nurse is appalled,
especially by the fact that Ann sent a child to do
this.
Why is she not charged???
Irony
Parris: “Why would he choose my house to strike? We
have all manner of licentious people in the village!”
Hale: “It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better
than the minister?”
What is ironic here?
Parris asks why the devil would choose his house when
there are so many less worthy people in Salem. He does
not recognize this own lack of good character. Hale’s
question assumes that the minister must be the best
person in the village, an assumption at odds with the
facts.
Thinking Critically
Who is the first person to name specific
individuals? What can you infer from this?
Thomas Putnam is the first. Sarah Good
and Osburn are people whom the
Putnams do not like or against whom the
Putnams have grievances.
Irony
Hale: You are God’s instrument put in our
hands to discover the Devil’s agents among us.
You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help
us cleanse our village.
Identify the irony.
He tells Tituba that she is God’s instrument
doing his work and helping cleanse the village.
In reality, he is persuading her to make false
accusations of witchcraft against innocent
people.
Responding to Literature
Question #1
What is Reverend Parris praying about at
the beginning of act 1? What else might
explain why he is praying so desperately?
Reverend Parris is praying for the recovery
of his daughter. He also might be praying
because of his fears of an accusation of
witchcraft.
Responding to Literature
Question #2
What reasons does Abigail give Parris for her
discharge as the Proctors’ servant? What might
be another reason? What can you infer about
Abigail’s character from her words?
Abigail says that Mrs. Proctor is a cold, lying
woman and Abigail refused to be her slave.
Another reason might be that Mrs. Proctor
suspected a romantic involvement between
Abigail and her husband. We can infer that
Abigail does not always tell the truth and that
she seems to be a vindictive person.
Responding to Literature
Question #3
Describe the feelings the characters have toward each
other: the Putnams toward John Proctor and Rebecca
Nurse, Proctor toward the Putnams and Parris, and
Parris toward the congregation. What effect might these
feelings have on the future action of the play?
Putnams’ feelings might include hatred, fear,
resentment, and jealousy. Proctor’s feelings toward the
Putnams and Parris might include contempt, distrust,
and dislike. Parris’s feelings toward the congregation
might include resentment, anger, and fear. These
feelings could create a dispute with Proctor and Nurse
against the Putnams and Parris, or lead to accusations
against Proctor and Nurse.
Responding to Literature
Question #4
How does Tituba first respond to Hale’s
accusation of witchcraft? How does she change
her response? Why might she, as well as Abigail
and Betty, make accusations at the end of act 1?
At first Tituba denies any dealings with the devil.
She later says that the devil tempted her and
showed her others who were in his service.
They might hope to avoid punishment by
accusing others.
Responding to Literature
Question #5
Which character or characters arouse your
sympathy most? Explain.
Proctor?
Parris?
Abigail?
Mrs. Proctor?
Ann Putnam?
Betty?
Tituba?
Responding to Literature
Question #6
What is the overall atmosphere, or
prevailing mood, of act 1? How does
Miller create this atmosphere?
Terror, suspense, mystery, tension.
Miller creates the atmosphere through the
fears expressed by the characters or
through the underlying tension and
mistrust that runs through the dialogue.
Responding to Literature
Question #7
Is Miller’s portrayal of the teenage girls
and their behavior believable? Why or
why not?
Responding to Literature
Question #8
What similarities do you see between the
interactions among the Salemites of 1692
and interactions among people today?
Literature Groups
In a group, work together to create
character webs that profile each character
in act 1. Include the character’s age,
personality traits, standing in the
community, and conflicts with others.
Then, as a group, predict the role each
character will play in this drama. Share
your predictions with the class.
Literature Groups Continued
Imagine the play begins seven months
earlier. Write an original scene describing
Abigail’s dismissal from the Proctor farm.
Try to include a private conversation
between John and Elizabeth prior to the
confrontation between Elizabeth and
Abigail.
BONUS POINTS: Perform the scene for
the class.