The Crucible Character Analysis Essay
This assignment is a character analysis essay in which you will analyze a character’s journey
through the Salem Witch Trials as Arthur Miller portrays them in his play The Crucible. You
will include a thesis statement that makes an overall observation about your character’s
motivation, choices, and change. Your essay should follow this format:
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Introduction:
o Grabber
o Commentary on the grabber
o Summary of the play including TAG (title, author, genre)
o Thesis statement which shows the motivation and changes in the character
during the play
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1 body paragraph – What motivates this character’s behavior?
2nd body paragraph – What choices does the character make that affect the outcome
of his or her situation?
3rd body paragraph – How does he or she change by the end of the play?
Conclusion:
o Rephrase thesis
o Reflection on the lessons that were learned
o Apply this knowledge to the present (Consider if “witch hunts” are still present
today. Give specific examples. Don’t just say if they are or they aren’t.)
o Transition and tie clincher back to your grabber.
Through analysis and documentation (finding quotes and providing commentary), you will
prove your thesis statement by answering the questions. Throughout the play, the characters
and their personalities change through their motivations, their choices, and their actions. You
will need to look back through the play to find significant quotes that reveal these changes in
order to fully support your paper.
REQUIREMENTS:
 The characters you may choose from are: Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor,
Abigail Williams, or Reverend Jonathan Hale.
 You must include parenthetical citations (quotes) in every paragraph.
 Follow MLA format for quotes: Act number and line number(s)
For example, when Reverend Hale suggests to Danforth that those who are condemned
are respected citizens and would never be involved with witchcraft, Danforth counters,
“I tell you straight, Mister –I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked
before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have
until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving
me” (3. 235 – 240).
You will be completing the outline in class on ___________________________________________
You will be completing the timed writing in class on ____________________________________
INTRODUCTION:
Grabber: Begin with a quote from The Crucible that is representative of the play.
Commentary: Follow with commentary on this quote – how does it apply to the play?
Summary: Give a brief summary of the play using TAG (title, author, genere)
Thesis Statement: Characters name + motiviation + how he/she changes
BODY PARAGRAPHS:
Body paragraph 1:
What motivates the characters behavior?
Topic Sentence: Character + motivations
SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
Transition + SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
Body paragraph 2:
What choices does the character make that affect the outcome of his or her situation?
Topic Sentence: Character + choices
SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
Transition + SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
Body paragraph 3:
How does he or she change by the end of the play?
Topic Sentence: Character + how he/she changes by the end of the play
SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
Transition + SS(Q)S: Set up quote, quote, and analysis (significance)
The Crucible Character Analysis Outline
INTRODUCTION
Grabber + commentary: Begin with a hook to get your reader’s attention. A quote which is
representative of the play is a good place to start. Then add commentary on how the quote applies to
the play.
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Summary: Give a summary of the play (remember to use TAG – title, author, genre).
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Thesis statement:
Since _____________________ is motivated by _________________________, his/her decision to
___________________________ creates ____________________________ by the end of the play.
Re-read your introduction and make sure you have not done the following:
a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).
b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).
c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1 answers this question: What motivates this character’s behavior?
Topic Sentence: character + motivation
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Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the time of the
quote and who says the quote) with citation
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Significance: (how the quote proves the motivation of the character)
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Transition + Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the
time of the quote and who says the quote) with citation
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)
Significance: (how the quote proves the motivation of the character)
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BODY PARAGRAPH 2 answers this question: What choices does the character make that affect the
outcome of his/her situation?
Topic Sentence: character + choices + outcome of his/her situation
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Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the time of the
quote and who says the quote) with citations
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)
Significance (how the quote proves the choice the character makes and how it affects the outcome of
his/her situation)
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Transition + Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the
time of the quote and who says the quote) with citations
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)
Significance: (how the quote proves the choice the character makes and how it affects the outcome
of his/her situation)
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BODY PARAGRAPH 3 answers this question: How does he/she change by the end of the play?
Topic Sentence: character + how he/she changes by the end of the play
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Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the time of the
quote and who says the quote) with citation
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___________________________________________________________________________________________(
)
Significance: (how the quote proves that he/she changes by the end of the play)
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Transition + Speaker and situation + quote: (set up quote – what is going on in the play at the
time of the quote and who says the quote) with citation
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)
Significance (how the quote proves how he/she changes by the end of the play)
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Re-read your body paragraphs and make sure you have not done the following:
a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).
b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).
c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.
d. Forgot to give cite your quote (with act and line numbers)
CONCLUSION
Re-state thesis
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Spend one sentence to remind reader what you discussed
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Universalize (compare to other situations – apply knowledge to the present)
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Re-read your conclusion and make sure you have not done the following:
a. Use first or second person (I, you, me, your).
b. Use contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.).
c. Use past or future tenses. Why? Because you need to write in present tense.
d. Not re-stated your thesis.
e. Not spend one sentence/example reminding reader what you discussed.
f. Wrap-up the paper.