GHSGWT / The Crucible
Prompts
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Writing Situation:
Hollywood movie icon Marilyn Monroe was married to Arthur Miller, writer of The Crucible,
for five years. Imagine you were Miller during this time and want to adapt the play into a movie
starring your wife, but you have to pitch your idea to big studio executive first. Deciding which
character she should play will be your biggest selling point.
Directions for Writing:
Write a letter to convince a studio executive to hire Marilyn Monroe to star in a movie
adaptation of The Crucible. Choose the character she should play and provide several reasons
why she would be a good choice for the role.
Writing Situation:
The play The Crucible takes place during the Puritan Period of American history. The Puritans,
who had left England to escape religious persecution, had extremely strict morals and values.
They dressed very modestly, worked very hard, and were very superstitious. Despite the
Puritans’ devotion to God, however, some people—then and now—dislike them. Do you
respect the Puritans?
Directions for Writing:
Write a persuasive essay on the Puritans. State your opinion about them and provide reasons to
support your opinion.
Writing Situation:
The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism. Arthur Miller wrote the play to criticize the brutal
interrogations of suspected Communists that took place by Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1950.
Instead of writing a play literally about the McCarthy hearings, however, Miller retells them in
the disguise of a story about the Salem Witch trials. Miller, like many other liberal Hollywood
insiders during this time, strongly opposed McCarthy. You agree.
Directions for Writing:
Write a letter Senator McCarthy against him. Using specific reasons, try to persuade him to stop
his wrongful interrogations.
Writing Situation:
A major motif in The Crucible is mass hysteria. This is when many people panic about
something all at the same time, like the townspeople who panicked about witches. There are
many instances of mass hysteria in today’s world. What is one example and what should be
done about it?
Directions for Writing:
Choose an example of hysteria in the modern world and give your opinion on what should be
done to solve it.
Writing Situation:
In The Crucible, the main character, John Proctor, has had an affair with his former housekeeper,
Abigail; Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, forgives him. If you were in this situation, could you forgive
this person?
Directions for Writing:
Write an essay to persuade others why they should or should not forgive a person who has
cheated on them. State your opinion and give three specific reasons to support it.
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Writing Situation:
Some people like the play The Crucible; others dislike it. What is your opinion of the play?
Directions for Writing:
Write a review of the play. State whether you like or dislike it, and give reasons to support
yourself.
Writing Situation:
Many people during the Puritan Period believed in witchcraft. Do you?
Directions for Writing:
Write an essay in which your explain your viewpoint with specific reasons.
Writing Situation:
An allusion is a reference to something famous, and a writer uses allusions to embellish the
descriptions and details of people, places, things, and events that occur in a work of literature.
Biblical allusions are references to famous things from the Bible. To say, “Bob’s fart cleared the
hallway quicker than Moses parted the Red Sea” is an biblical allusion because it evokes the
story of something famous from the Bible to add art and style to a description about a fart. One
work of literature that uses a lot of biblical allusions is The Crucible. Since separation of church
and state is a very sensitive issue, especially in schools, should you be able to discuss biblical
allusions in English class?
Directions for Writing:
Write a letter to your English teacher for or against discussing biblical allusions in class. State
your opinion and provide specific reasons in support of your viewpoint.
Writing Situation:
The kinds of authors students read in English class tend to use a variety of literary devices in
their writing. Arthur Miller is no exception. He uses allusions, similes, metaphors,
personification, and a range of other literary devices to enhance the art and style of his dialogue.
Do you think literary devices are necessary?
Directions for Writing:
Write an essay that states your opinion about literary devices.
Writing Situation:
Teenagers often grapple with difficult decisions. Peer pressure is a common factor
in many of these decisions. Like Betty, Ruth, Mary Warren, and Susana Wolcott, who caved to
pressure from Abigail to continue lying, so are teens today pressured. The issue of peer pressure
reminds you of an article you are preparing for your school’s literary magazine. You decide to
support the statement: “Do what you believe is right rather than what those around you approve
of. ”
Directions for Writing:
Write an article for the literary magazine persuading people to support your view.
Writing Situation:
At the end of The Crucible, John Proctor is in jail. He faces a decision: confess to witchcraft
(even thought he’s innocent) or die. You are his friend. What would you advise him to do?
Directions for Writing:
Write a letter to John Proctor in prison advising him what to do.
*If you have a good, play-related idea about an alternative topic for a persuasive essay, you may propose it
to the teacher. Serious proposals only.