Arthur Miller’s The Crucible Logical Fallacy Assignment
Letitia Hughes- Barren County High School, AP Language and Composition
There are a number of fallacies (faulty logical claims) that many of the characters in the
play make in their attempts to persuade each other to think one way or another about the
probability of witches in Salem and the likelihood that someone is or is not telling the
truth.
You will be given a worksheet with a type of logical fallacy on it. Using the fallacy
definitions in your Chp. 9 of your AP Reader, study guide books available for check out
from me, and from credible online resources, gain an understanding of your fallacy, and
then as we read the play find examples of the logical fallacies made by any of the
characters in the play.
As you read the play, record any examples you see of the fallacy on your worksheet for a
daily grade. Be sure to record the speaker’s name, act and page number of each fallacy so
that you can easily access it again. Once the class reading of play is completed, you will
work with other members of your group who have the same fallacy to develop a class
power point on fallacies in The Crucible.
Requirements of Class Power Point:
Step I. Definition Slides:
Slide 1: Define your fallacy in a succinct manner so that the power point could also be
used as a review of fallacy terms closer to the exam date.
*Include a background or picture that we can associate with the fallacy term.
Slide 2: A universal example(s) not tied to The Crucible that demonstrates your fallacy.
Include MLA citations of original sources. You may also link video clips that
demonstrate your fallacy.
Step 2: Fallacies as demonstrated in The Crucible
Slides 3 and on… Exact quotes from The Crucible
Set up your fallacy in the following format for each example slide:
Each example slide(s) must contain all of these….
1. Type of fallacy committed
2. Character committing fallacy
3. Statement of fallacy (Quote the passage from the play with Act and page number)
4. Explain the problem with the argument
Fallacy List:
Begging the Question/ Circular Reasoning
Appeal to Fear/ Scare Tactics
Ad Hominem/ Poisoning the Well
False Dilemma/ Either-Or/ False Dichotomy
Argument from Authority/ False Authority
Ad Populum/ Appeal to Popularity/ Bandwagon
Post Hoc/ Faulty Causality/ Non-Sequitur
Appeal to Ridicule
Hasty Generalization
Slippery Slope
Appeal to Ignorance
Straw Man
Red Herring
Dogmatism
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible Fallacy Tracking Sheet
Name: ________________
Name of Fallacy:
Definition with Source Citation:
Pop Culture Examples with Source Citations:
Fallacy Tracking:
Act #
Speaker:
Contents/ Topic
Page #