THE CRUCIBLE
WRITTEN BY ARTHUR MILLER
You will need your notebook (or a piece of paper)
for Bell Work today.
Bell Work
Why is it easier to relinquish
responsibility for your
actions when you are part of
a group?
15 minute journal entry
WIDE VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Word, Illustrate, Define, Example Sentence (original)
1. Adamant
2. Anarchy
3. Contentious
4. Corroborate
5. Deference
6. Immaculate
7. Imperceptible
8. Iniquity
9. Subservient
The Salem Witch Trials
HTTP://WWW.HIS
TORY.COM/TOPIC
S/SALEM-WITCHTRIALS
MEET THE AUTHOR:
ARTHUR MILLER
Page 238
BACKGROUND
The Crucible is based on the witch trials that took place in the
Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. At
these trials, spectral evidence—the testimony of a church
member who claimed to have seen a person’s spirit
performing witchcraft—was enough to sentence the accused
to death. Miller studied the court records of the trials to gain
insight into his characters—all of whom were real people—
and get a feel for the Puritan way of speaking. Above all, he
wanted to capture the mood of a time when no one was safe.
READERS NEEDED:
Tituba
Parris
Abigail
Susanna
Mrs. Putnam
Putnam
Narrator/Stage Directions
BEGIN ACT I OF THE CRUCIBLE
HONORS 11 BELL WORK
Text Analysis Workshop
Read and take notes
on pages 236-237. This
information will show
up on a future quiz!
WHAT FUELS A MOB?
Begin thinking about this
question as we read through
Act I of The Crucible. Can you
make any connections to
modern society or current
events?
Homework: Complete Act I
(and questions) by our next
class meeting. Be ready for a
quiz!
ACT I QUESTIONS
1. How might comments like the ones that Mrs. Putnam makes in
lines 158-166 contribute to a sense of hysteria among the
townsfolk?
2. According to the stage directions in lines 206-208, why does
Putnam continue to talk about witches?
3. Why might Abigail resist Proctor’s decision to end their affair?
4. As Proctor responds to Abigail’s insults about Elizabeth in
lines 457-463, what do his words and stage directions suggest
about his view of his marriage?
5. How might Parris’s attitude harm his ability to deal effectively
with the witchcraft scare?