The Crucible
Literary Elements
Allegory
Allegory—A narrative in which the
characters and settings stand for abstract
ideas or moral qualities. In addition to the
literal meaning of the story, an allegory
contains a symbolic, or allegorical,
meaning.
Allegory
Allegory is a form of extended metaphor,
in which objects, persons, and actions in a
narrative, stand for some greater idea.
The underlying meaning has moral, social,
religious, or political significance, and
characters are often personifications of
abstract ideas such as evil, greed, or envy.
Ex: Jack and his tribe represent the potential for
evil inside of all men.
Allegory
Thus, an allegory is a story with two
meanings, a literal meaning and a
symbolic meaning.
The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a
story that has characters, setting, etc. that
have both literal and figurative meanings.
The Crucible and Communism
Allegory: work of literature
that tells one story on the
surface while referring to
another sub textually
Comparing the play to the
Red Scare
Can you see how these
historical events are similar
to those of the Salem
Witch Trials?
Allusion
A reference to another work of
literature/art/music, an historical event or
figure, or stories/people from the Bible.
All the girls hope that the new student becomes
their Romeo.
 A reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Foil
 Where the author creates a character whose
primary purpose is to create a contrast to
another character by laying emphasis or drawing
attention to the latter’s traits and characteristics
through the former’s obviously contradictory
ones
Examples:
Proctor/Hale
Elizabeth/Abigail
Tragic Hero
 A “good” character with a tragic
flaw who is doomed to fail despite
his/her good intentions & best
efforts.
John Proctor is the tragic hero as he
has many positive traits about him,
such as his noble characteristics and
his honorable and righteous qualities.
He however also had a darker side to
his otherwise pure nature, his affair
with Abigail Williams, leading to his
eventual fatal downfall and the
downfall of others as a result of one
action.
Tragic Flaw
The character defect that causes the
downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy.
Comic Relief
The inclusion of a humorous character,
scene, or witty dialogue in
an otherwise serious work, often to relieve
tension.
Giles’s bragging about going to court dozens of
times and his use of the word “fart” in court
offers a little comic relief.
Elements of Drama Review
 Soliloquy: An act of speaking one's
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thoughts aloud when by oneself or
regardless of any hearers, esp. by a
character in a play
Aside: A remark or passage by a
character in a play that is intended to be
heard by the audience but unheard by the
other characters in the play
Monologue: A long speech by one actor
in a play or movie, or as part of a
theatrical or broadcast program
Dialogue: Conversation between two or
more people as a feature of a book, play,
or movie
Stage Directions: An instruction in the
text of a play, esp. one indicating the
movement, position, or tone of an actor,
or the sound effects and lighting
Irony Review
Dramatic
Situational
Verbal
Characterization Review
Direct vs. Indirect
Flat
Round
Static
Dynamic