The Crucible
By: Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller's The Crucible, illustrates how innocent people can be
accused of crimes and sins they did not necessarily commit.
Throughout history, society has been blinded to similar occurrences,
or "witch hunts." A witch hunt occurs any time a group of people
persecutes another group unfairly, usually blaming that group for
larger problems. Can you think of any modern day “witch hunts”?
Miller wrote The Crucible in response to one of those "witch hunts"
that took place in America during the 1950’s. You will learn about this
soon.
As we commence this project, remember to constantly think about the
guiding question to the right as you do your research. Your research
will become the foundation of your first formal analytical essay of the
year.
Can a society
be honorable
and just if the
individuals who make
decisions in a society
are not themselves
honorable and just?
Activity #1: KWL Chart What do you already know? What might you learn?
Questions to consider
 When did they occur?
 How long did the trials last?
 Who was responsible for the accusations?
 What happened to the victims?
 Why were certain people accused?
 What was the age and gender of the accused witches?
 What was the evidence used to convict the accused?
 What brought an end to the trials?
Activity #2: Web Exploration Please take notes in your notebooks as you research.
Witch Hunt: “The Story of the Witch Hunt” Movie (whole class)
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/story/story.html
 Take notes while listening and watching.
 Write down the events and dates that you learn about.
 Create a timeline of events from your movie notes.
o Your timeline needs to be a full page in your notebooks
o Must have color, drawings or symbols, and text.
o EACH student needs a timeline; however, you may collaborate with another student to
help each other.
Life in 1692 Salem (independent) – You must research life, religion, economics and children
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/life/
Questions to consider and to help guide your research – the goal is to be able to answer these but do
not limit yourself to these questions.
 What were some of the challenges and fears the Puritans faced every day?
 What was it like to be a child in Puritan New England?
 What did Puritans see as the cause for misfortune?
 What do they think the main cause of the hysteria may have been?
Activity #3: Additional Research that will help you to define the following four words:
Honor – Truth – Justice
This activity will be needed for when your write your essay. Within that essay, you will need to define
and analyze the words. Remember, EVERY bit of information you obtain from outside sources must
be properly MLA formatted. Keep track of your sites and research locations as you go



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Look up each word in a dictionary (dictionaries also must be cited). Do not use the Longman
Dictionaries – use a more advanced dictionary please.
Research further in order to fully understand the depth of the meaning of the word. To further
research a word you simply need to google the word. Be sure to use reliable sites and to site
your sources. I’m available Mondays and Wednesdays after school if you need research help.
Try something like this, I’ll use the word LOVE for the example:
o “meaning of love”
o “define love”
o “symbolism of love”
o “what does love mean”
What you learn will be crucial in helping you to write your first essay, your research will be your
textual evidence (quotes).
You MUST site EVERY source you plan on using in proper MLA Format.
Activity #4: Literary Analysis Essay (AFTER we read “The Crucible”)
Think of what you believe these words to truly mean: “honor,” “truth,” “justice,” or “courage.”
Choose one character from “The Crucible” that exemplifies your idea of one of these ideals and
explain how he/she lives up to your standards (or do the reverse: fails to live up to your standards).
Include how these traits ensure that all people are treated to a fair and equitable society.
More info on writing the essay will be given to you as we finish the play. Some things to remember is
that your essay is NOT written in first person so you will need to sound like you are the expert on your
topic. In order to do this, you will need textual evidence (quotes).