Higher Crucible Critical Essay
In-depth plan with exemplars
Drama – to complete:
• TASK:
• Choose from a play a scene which significantly
changes your view of a character.
• Explain how the scene prompts this
reappraisal and discuss how important it is to
your understanding of the character in the
play as a whole.
You should be able to split the question into 2…
• The first part allows you to choose what your
essay will be about
• The second part allows you to show off your
understanding of the play!
• For this question I’m going to focus on the
character who I believe changes in a certain
scene: Elizabeth Proctor.
Ask yourself
• What is the most sensible approach for this
question?
• Asked about when and HOW Elizabeth CHANGES
– I need to show understanding of what she was
like BEFORE and AFTER…
• So I know that in my plan I can have a simple
• 1. Act 2 Eliz 2. Act 3 Eliz 3. Act 4 Eliz
• Most of my points will be about her relationship
with John showing an understanding of how she
has changed
Introduction
• You know the key points expected of you in an
intro…
• As the question is focusing on a scene where a
character changes I must give an indication in
my intro what that scene is and who I will be
discussing.
Example 1
• Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ is a play in which there are
many complex and developed relationships, an important
one being between the central character John Proctor and
his wife, Elizabeth. The play follows the Salem witch trials in
1692 where a group of young girls become hysterical and
accuse many people in the town of making compacts with
the devil. A select few see the trials as what they really are:
corruption and lies snowballing out of control. The
Proctor’s relationship develops throughout the play as the
audience are aware of the thaw of Elizabeth’s distrust
towards John following his affair with Abigail Williams.
Miller uses the turning point in the court scene in Act 3 to
highlight Elizabeth’s change from being cold and unwilling
to trust her husband to understanding his nature and
forgiving him. Her love for her husband is most clearly seen
as she attempts to save his reputation within the town.
Example 2
• ‘The Crucible’ written by Arthur Miller is an interesting
play based on the Salem witch trials of 1692. Miller
conveys his themes of judgement and reputation
through the central character’s relationship with his
wife Elizabeth. As Proctor had confessed to an affair
with Abigail Williams, who continued the witch trials
with the motive of replacing Elizabeth at John’s side,
the Proctors relationship has been strained. The
audience are aware of Elizabeth’s changing character
as although she has difficulty trusting her husband
when we first see them together it is clear from the
court scene in Act 3 that she loves him and wants to
save his reputation within their community rather than
save herself.
Which is better? Why?
• Read through the two choices (I am not saying
that either is perfect…) and decide which you
like best and why.
• What would you do to IMPROVE the
introduction you have chosen?
To discuss
• Two introductions taken from class jotters
• Both are very good but very different…what
do you think?
Pupil A
• ‘The Crucible’, a play by Arthur Miller, deals with
the themes of reputation and corruption through
his dramatisation of the Salem witch trials in
1692. The protagonist, John Proctor, commits
adultery with his then maid, Abigail Williams.
This makes his relationship with Elizabeth, his
wife, strained as she judges and mistrusts him. In
the court scene in Act 3, however, she lies to
protect his reputation. This causes the audience
to realise Elizabeth does love him and wants to
support him. Her change from coldness and
mistrust to forgiveness shows she is a loyal wife
who can forgive and support her husband.
Pupil B
• Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, based on the
1692 Salem witch trials, contains many
complex characters. Elizabeth Proctor, the
protagonist’s wife, is one such character. The
audience’s first encounter with Elizabeth
shows she does not trust John following his
affair with Abigail Williams, but the court
scene in Act 3 reveals her to be a loving, loyal
wife who’s greatest aim is to uphold her
husband’s reputation.
Main issues with class introductions
• 1. Too vague – a lot of statements that were not
entirely relevant to task. Your introduction is to
tell your marker what your essay is going to be
about and to show that you understand HOW you
are going to answer.
• 2. Theme is not a technique. Theme does not
show me anything. Techniques show the theme.
Relationships highlight the theme. Do not
confuse this.
Technical accuracy
• Basic spelling – words that were on the sheet
in front of you?
• Sentencing
• Making sense??
• At this stage you should be able to write in
sentences. Some of you cannot. You need to
practise – English is a skills based subject and
skills need to be practised.
Para 1
• Topic sentence (task based!!)
• (task + focus of the paragraph)
• Eg.
• Prior to the courtroom scene Elizabeth Proctor is seen
by the audience as a cold and withdrawn woman.
• I am mentioning the task in here but I am also showing
the FOCUS of this paragraph…what she was like
BEFORE the scene.
Integrating quotations effectively
• Main ways of laying out quotations? Rule of
thumb?
• Embedded
• Stand-alone
• What are the different rules for each?
Embedded quotations
• When you are able, you should use an embedded
quotation in preference to the stand-alone
quotation.
• The quotation must be short and fit in with the
grammar of the sentence.
• Example: By calling her lover “beloved
sweetheart bastard”, Havisham gives the reader
the impression that she retains an ambivalent
attitude towards him.
• The quotation is SHORT and fits grammatically
into the sentence.
Stand-alone quotations
• This is used where the quotation will not fit
grammatically into the sentence.
• The quotation should be written in a paragraph of its
own, indented on both left and right-hand sides.
•
•
I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep
and put knowledge in my heart!
• If it is stand-alone quotation marks are not needed (do
not panic if you cannot help yourself and have to put
them in – you will not be penalised)
Analysing evidence
• Analysing evidence in drama and prose is very
different to poetry.
• In poetry you are allowed to micro-analyse
actual words and language devices but in
drama and prose you have to explain how the
quotation helps make your point.
For example
• I look for John Proctor that took me from my
sleep and put knowledge in my heart!
• Abigail’s use of the personal pronoun shows that
she is a selfish character who is only interested in
the power she has achieved by denouncing
innocent citizens of Salem. The word choice of
“knowledge” effectively conveys her opinion that
Proctor has increased her prospects as she is now
aware of how the world really works.
When you are reading this analysis
what question do you think this might
be trying to answer?
I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put
knowledge in my heart!
In Abigail’s desperate attempt to remind Proctor of their
relationship she manages to achieve the opposite of her
intention and angers the man she loves. Her rationalisation
for John’s distance is that his “cold, snivelling” wife has
poisoned Abigail’s name instead of understanding his own
guilt ridden reasons. John’s internal conflict is obvious as
although he “thinks kindly” on the memory of Abigail, he
wants to be faithful to his wife and be the good man that he is
expected to be.
When thinking about setting out your
paragraph
• Topic sentence – DONE
• What do you want to say? Brief context +
quote.
• What does this quote show us? Why have you
mentioned it? How does it help demonstrate
your point?
Main points to focus on in paragraph
1?
• Elizabeth’s relationship with John at start of Act 2.
How I know this?
• QUOTE to support
• Why the relationship is in this state? Quote to
support? Explain what this shows us about her?
• What is my opinion of Elizabeth as we lead up to her
being accused of witchcraft in Act 2 – why is this?
• Remember you want Act 3 to be the turn-around scene
so you should make some negative statements about
the Proctors relationship at this stage.
For example
• Prior to the courtroom scene Elizabeth Proctor is seen by the audience as
a cold and withdrawn woman. At the start of Act 2 the result of John’s
affair is seen as he is still convincing his wife the he “mean[s] to please
[her]”Miller’s stage directions imply the distance that exists between the
couple:
He gets up, goes to her, kisses her. She receives it.
Miller instructions show John trying to close the gap between himself and
Elizabeth implying that all effort to heal the rift comes from John. Elizabeth’s
passive response shows she does not offer any encouragement. Miller
continues to portray their uneasy relationship as he suggests John does not
feel good enough for his wife and her high ideals. Following an argument
about John’s adultery Elizabeth tries to appease her husband remarking “I do
not judge you” however John’s “bitter” response suggests that the opposite is
true.
To finish this paragraph – how do I feel about Eliz as she is accused of
witchcraft? Why do I feel this way?
• As you can see my version of paragraph one is
NOT heavy on techniques however through
my descriptions I am covering:
• Characterisation
• Conflict
• Theme
• Staging
To maintain my clear structure I will
now look into the key scene that
changes my view of Elizabeth. If you
read the question again you need to
ensure you are discussing the
importance of this change!
For me, it is important that she
changes to show how she really feels
about her husband therefore making
her an admirable character.
Paragraph 2
• Topic sentence:
• Miller surprises his audience in Act 3 when
Elizabeth lies to the court in order to save her
husband.
• REMEMBER my task is to say how the scene
changes the audience’s view of a character
and how important this is to the whole play.
Where do we go from here?
• Building tension – HOW? Expectation from what
we know of Elizabeth’s characterisation so far?
• Stage directions – building tension in the
audience?
• WHY does she do it? What does this show about
her character? The relationship? How does this
link to the themes?
• How can it be seen as admirable yet
disappointing?
Final paragraph
• Keeping us on task – I’ve written about
BEFORE the scene and DURING the scene –
how my opinion of Elizabeth has altered. Now
I need to address the next part of the task –
how important is this in my understanding of
the play as a whole?
• I think it would be wrong to write an essay on
Elizabeth’s softer side and not discuss Act 4.
Act 4
• Why John committed lechery – why does she
admit this?
• Their relationship now? As a result of the
turning point?
• Why she utters that final line? How does this
add to your understanding of the character in
the play? Why is she there?
• Try to weave your central concerns in here –
importance of reputation etc.
Conclusion
• You know what to do here. If I can give one
point of support it would be to ensure that
you are answering BOTH parts of the task that
you identified at the start!