Introduction
Often in literature characters are influenced by the religious and
social customs of the period in which they live. By researching
various aspects of Puritan life during the seventeenth century in
America you will develop insight into the behavior of particular
literary characters in The Crucible. You will also see the parallels to
modern day life that makes these works of literature so timeless.
The Task
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In preparation for reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible you
will be expected to research various information about the
Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s. You will also explore the
authors' biographies and relate them to the literary themes to
be studied.
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You will use the Web to obtain information on the following
topics:
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Witchcraft
Witch-hunts (both 17th century and 1950)
Witch trials of 1692
McCarthyism
Biography of Arthur Miller
The Process
The following questions are related to the McCarthy era of the 1950’s; the author, Arthur Miller,
wrote The Crucible as an allegory to his own experience in the McCarthy trials. In order to gain
deeper insight into this period of American History, answer the each question from the
information provided on the websites below.
Please Answer in your JOURNALS.
The Salem Witch Trials
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Give an example of evidence that proved someone was a witch.
List two causes for the hysteria over witches
Which do you believe caused the hysteria, Tituba or Science? And why?
Describe a what a witch looked like in 1692.
How were the witches executed?
How many died due to the accusations?
Why did the trials end?
Find your own fact about the Salem Witch trials.
McCarthy Era
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Define witch-hunt.
Who was Joseph McCarthy and what did he investigate? Why was his
investigation considered a Witch Hunt?
What was the House Un-American Activities Committee HUAC?
What practice(s) exists today that is similar to the HUAC?
Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible
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How was Arthur Miller affected by McCarthyism?
Describe the effects of the investigation on Miller's writing of The Crucible.
What themes appear in his works? Explain one of the themes.
The Crucible, written about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, is an
ALLEGORY for McCarthy’s investigations in the 1950’s. Explain what an
ALLEGORY is, and why The Crucible is considered an allegory.
Evaluation
Your answers will be graded as follows:
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All the questions have been answered accurately and completely in your
JOURNALS.