The Crucible
Learning Goal:
To be able to break down an essay question and effectively plan a response
Breaking Down An Essay
Question
Practice Questions:
‘The play demonstrates the destructive
nature of power.’ Do you agree?
To what extent is John Proctor justified
in choosing to die for his principles?
‘The play demonstrates the destructive
nature of power.’ Do you agree?
• What do you need to do to fully explore this idea?
• What are you being asked to agree or disagree with?
• That the play demonstrates the destructive nature of
power?
• That power is destructive?
Evidence For and Against
Who has power at any point in the play?
Does this power lead to destruction? How?
Does this power ever not lead to destruction? How?
Who does not have power at any point in the play?
Is that destructive? How?
Is it not destructive? How?
Or Complete Table:
People with Power
How it Leads to
Destruction
How it does not lead to
destruction
People without Power
How it Leads to
Destruction
How it does not lead to
destruction
Possible Paragraphs:
1. How those with power create destruction
2. How those without power create destruction (possibly to get
power)
3. The argument against – how power does not necessarily
lead to destruction, how other things lead to destruction.
Or
• How Character A’s power leads to destruction
• How Character B’s power leads to destruction
• How Minor Character’s Power leads to destruction
Introduction
B – Book – one sentence introducing the Book or the central
theme of the Book that you are focusing on
I – Idea – One sentence explaining the central idea or
contention of your essay (your major point)
P- Paragraphs – One sentence for each paragraph explaining
what you will argue in that paragraph
• Do not use “in this essay” or “in this paragraph”
• You can use:
• “Miller demonstrates this by firstly… secondly
… thirdly”
• “This is shown when, firstly…. Secondly …
thirdly”
Homework
Write an introduction for the practice essay
question, ‘The play demonstrates the
destructive nature of power.’ Do you agree?
Use the BIP structure!