The Crucible | Drama | Literary Terms
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Plot:
Structure:
A play is divided into acts, and acts usually have several scenes in them. Although Miller does not
specifically identify scenes for the acts in The Crucible, by thinking about the plot and the characters as
they appear in an act we can divide it into scenes.
Act I
How many scenes would you say divide Act I? Which characters appear in the scenes? How does the
act end?
Act II
How many scenes would you say divide Act II? Which characters appear in the scenes? How does the
act end?
Act III
How many scenes would you say divide Act IV? Which characters appear in the scenes? How does the
act end?
Act IV
How many scenes would you say divide Act IV? Which characters appear in the scenes? How does the
act end?
Thematic questions
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Are people basically good, or do we all have a dark side? | What makes a person good?
How are people influenced by religious and social values? | How do Puritan religious and social
values fuel the mass hysteria that led to the witch hunts and trials?
Is the crucible a tragedy or a comedy? Why?