Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lesson Ideas The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes OVERVIEW These learning materials do not require the teacher or learner to have read The Crucible or to have seen the Birmingham Rep Theatre production. Each activity comprises several short tasks related to the English Reading Programme of Study at Key Stage 3 and 4 and where relevant, video clips from the production . The materials include: o o o o o o Lesson Introduction Aims and Learning Outcomes Plot Synopsis Curriculum Context Extending the Topic Worksheets Activities: 1. 2. 3. 4. Witches and Outsiders Staging the Play Extended Oral and Drama Work Developing Written Responses GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THESE LESSON IDEAS Aims and Learning Outcome s What students can expect to learn and achieve. Plot Synopsis A synopsis of the plot and background to The Crucible. Curriculum Context How the materials relate to the Programmes of Study for English at Key Stages 3 and 4. Extending The Topic Ideas for taking the activities further. Documents to Download Word & PDF. Page: URL: 1 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lesson Introduction The Crucible is a fabulously rich play, and one which can be explored by students in many ways. The activities here are therefore bound to be selective, but they are designed to offer the chance for students to engage with some of the key ideas in the play, whilst keeping an emphasis on the play as performance. There is a stress on active teaching approaches promoting collaborative group oral work throughout. Aims and Learning Outcome s Each of the four activities consists of a series of related ideas which enable students to explore a particular aspect of the play. Activity 1 offers students the opportunity to explore some of the play’s central ideas related to witches and witch hunts in both literal and metaphorical senses. Activities 2 and 3 explore the text in performance, initially considering staging and directorial decisions, then contrasting aspects of stage and film interpretation, before offering the opportunity to script and perform an extra scene. Activity 4 looks at supporting two extended written responses to the play; these could be used as a means of summative assessment, perhaps as part of GCSE coursework. Each activity is discrete, offering perhaps a sequence of two or three lessons’ work. Plot Synopsis The play is set in the fiercely religious community of Salem, Massachusetts and dramatises the horrifying witchcraft trials that took place there in 1692. Arthur Miller, the playwright, has taken the bare bones of archive fact and fleshed them with a tale which shows the extremes to which the members of a society gripped by fear will go to protect themselves. Central to the plot is the story of Abigail Williams who exploits the hysteria generated in the community to seek her own vengeance, following her rejection by John Proctor, an essentially good, but flawed, family man. As events unfold, and fear and suspicion take hold of the village and its inhabitants, Proctor himself is faced with a question of conscience, the answer to which will determine his very existence. Many choose to read Miller’s story, written in 1953, as an allegory relating to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist persecutions which took place in the United States in the early 1950s. While such a perspective brings another dimension to interpretation, the power of the tragedy and the universal emotions on which it draws, mean that the play is rightly regarded as more than simply a commentary on contemporary events. Curriculum Context As a text, The Crucible directly addresses requirements in the Key Stage 3 and 4 Reading Programme of Study for students to study a range of literature including drama by major writers from different cultures and traditions. Study of the play, and use of the activities here, will address a range of strands within the National Curriculum, including those relating to Drama and group work in the Speaking and Listening Programme. If studied at Key Stage 3, Reading and Drama Objectives from the Key Stage 3 Framework are explicitly covered, while the extended oral and written activities are designed to fulfil assessment criteria at Key Stage 4, should the play be used as a GCSE text. groups. Extending The Topic There are clear ways that each of the first three activities can be taken further. Activity 1, for example, can be broadened out to go beyond the play and further consider the idea of outsiders (be they individuals or groups) being marginalized or demonised and held responsible for society’s ills. Page: URL: 2 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Activity 2, focusing on the staging of the play and alternative interpretations, offers the opportunity to explore more of the web-based material relating to the recent production, including interviews with actors, directors and technical crew. Also, more extended consideration of questions of interpretation and adaptation to different media are opened up by work on the two versions of the bedroom scene. Activity 3, though here intended as a piece of scripted classroom drama, could easily be extended into a piece of media production work – a radio or video version of the scene. Activity 1: Witches and Outsiders These activities are designed to encourage students to explore myths and legends about witches and witchcraft, to get some sense of the kinds of superstitions held by people at the time the play is set. This ta kes students into the play, considering what sorts of characters become the object of suspicion and why, and deeper issues about why communities ‘turn on’ outsiders. As a pre-reading activity, brainstorm in groups around the idea of ‘witches/witchcraft’ to activate students’ existing knowledge. This is a topic they will know lots about, perhaps from areas as diverse as film, history lessons or reading of Shakespeare or Harry Potter. Group oral work, organised perhaps as a jigsaw activity, can lead to whole class feedback to share ideas, relating to traditional and contemporary notions of witches and typical representations. Asking students to reflect on why there is a fascination with witchcraft is a way to develop discussion further. Next, students read a range of traditional witch myths/legends. Summaries of the tales are provided in Worksheet 1, but t he complete stories can be accessed from the following web site: http://www.shanmonster.com/witch/folklore/index.html Link to Witch Tale Summaries (Worksheet 1) This reading can be done in groups, with each group having two or three stories to read, and then ‘jigsawing’ the groups so that information from all the stories is shared. For each story, students should record information, perhaps on a grid like the following: Link to Witch Story Grid (Worksheet 2) After sharing information within groups, whole class feedback/plenary can draw out any common ideas about witches/witchcraft: are they any particular types of places where such stories come from? Are there particular types of people who are represented as witches? Are there typical victims of witches? What might the answers to these questions suggest? This work on myths can then be followed up by the non-fiction work on the ‘History of Witches’ worksheet. The information and questions here direct students to consider the ‘reality’ of witches and witch hunting, and develop ideas about the questions raised from the story reading. Link to History of Witches (Worksheet 3) The outcomes of the work on fiction and non-fiction can then form a backdrop to work on the opening Act of the pla y. After/during reading of Act 1, encourage students to explore the nature of the community and the characters, relating back to the work done on witch myths, and begin to uncover how it is Page: URL: 3 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the ‘fever’ begins to grip the town and how characters begin to u se the situation to protect themselves. Particular areas of focus might be: What actually happened in the night prior to the opening of the play? How does this relate to ‘traditional’ ideas and images of witchcraft? On the surface, the society is a strict, god-fearing community, but what evidence is there of individuals or groups or people with things to hide, or with fears or suspicions? The way in which the finger is pointed at Tituba – look closely at her interrogation by Hale: how ready is he to believe she is the cause? How does Tituba respond? Why do Abigail and the other girls join Tituba in naming other villagers? These questions should lead to some consideration of Tituba as an outsider in the community. Thinking back to the earlier work on witch myths can generate discussion as to how far Tituba ‘fits’ the profile of those blamed for witchcraft. Specific work here could focus on issues of race, but further plenary/extended work could grow from this work, to consider notions of how a community’s problems and fears can be ‘taken out on’ outsiders and vulnerable groups. There are many historical and contemporary examples that cold be drawn on – current controversies over refugees or travellers, perhaps, or ‘classic’ cases such as the origins of the Holocaust. Activity 2: Staging the Play The sequence here encourages students to explore the text in performance, looking specifically at the scene with the girls in Betty Parris’ bedroom in Act 1. Begin by giving students pictures (or roughly drawing on board) main types of stage construction – i.e. proscenium arch, ‘in the round’. Re-read with students the stage set description at the beginning of Act 1. ask them to highlight, or quickly jot down the a list of the contexts of the bedroom. In books/on paper, students to choose a type of stage, and then draw a quick labelled sketch of their own idea of a set design for this opening scene. Students should also offer some idea about how they think the stage should be lit. Written or oral feedback can offer explanations as to decisions made. Next, provide students with the section of Act 1 from Abigail’s line ‘How is Ruth sick?’ to the entrance of John Proctor. Provide this section but with all stage directions removed. Link to extract from play, with stage directions removed (Worksheet 4) In pairs, students read through the scene and work to provide stage directions to create the scene. They should be aiming to think about how to use movement and tone of voice to create/add to the tension in the scene. Once completed, pairs can join up to form fours and compare the differences in the directions they are giving to the actors. The groups of four could then be asked to produce an agreed final version of the scene. Different groups could then walk through/present their scenes to the class. A plenary could ask students to reflect in writing on the decisions they made, and what key ideas they had for creating tension in the scene. Following these activities, students could then watch/listen to the comments of those responsible for the recent production, and discuss as a group how these decisions differ from their own ideas: Page: URL: 4 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Link to video clips on Set Design and Act 1 - Lighting Next students should watch the clip from the production inside Betty Parris’ bedroom Link to video clip of final performance In Betty Parris’ Bedroom A set of prompt questions should encourage students to reflect on the effectiveness of this interpretation of the scene, e.g.: what did they notice about the stage set? Did the lighting help to create the setting? How? To extend this work, and to reinforce the idea of different interpretations, students could watch the corresponding clip from the recent film version of The Crucible (starring Daniel DayLewis and Winona Ryder). Students should identify key ways in which the film and stage version differ. This could lead them to consider ways in which the medium can influence production – e.g. looking at the film version, they could note down which elements of this would prove very difficult to produce on stage, look at how camera techniques (e.g. close -ups) help create tension, examine how editing techniques (e.g. cutting from one character to another) create effects/pace. This could lead to some quite high level work on the media adapta tion of the text. Activity 3: Extended Oral and Drama Work This sequence of activities allows students to script and perform an additional scene for the play, based on Mary Warren’s recounting of events, in the courthouse in Act 2. This kind of extended oral/drama work would be ideal to use as Speaking and Listening coursework in Key Stage 4. Begin by reading with students the section of Act 2 beginning with Mary’s line ‘Goody Osburn – will hang!’ to Proctor’s line ‘You will not go to court again, Mary W arren.’ After reading as a group, divide students into groups of 4, 5 or 6. In groups, students reread this extract, and create a simple set of bullet points, or a flow chart to clearly record the events that occur as Goody Osburn is interrogated. Using the task sheet, explain the group oral/drama task they have to complete Link to The Trial of Goody Osburn (Worksheet 5) The group might be given preparation time of 1 –2 lessons, depending on the nature of the final product. The final presentation could be recorded as a ‘radio adaptation’ of the play (in which case less time is needed to practice elements of performance) or performed for the class as a whole – in which case more extended time might be needed for practice/learning of lines. Following performance/recording of the scene, class as a whole can offer some peer evaluation of each other’s work, before individuals write their own evaluation/reflection of the activity, their input into it, and the success of the finished piece. Page: URL: 5 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Activity 4: Developing Written Responses This activity describes the approach and support for two different extended writing tasks. Extended Writing Task 1: ‘Why did events in Salem spiral out of control and lead to so much tragedy?’ In order to tackle this extended discursive essay, students begin by completing the group discussion activity using the statements on the ‘Reasons’ worksheet. This worksheet has fourteen statements offering possible answers to the central question. Link to Reasons (Worksheet 6) These s tatements should be cut up and students’ first task is to read and discuss the statements and then place them in ranking order from one to fourteen, with one being what they feel is the most important reason, and fourteen the least. They can remove any reason they feel is not relevant. Class feedback can share ideas and prompt discussion about the question. Students can then be asked to read the statements again and to group them into categories. Ideally they should decide on categories themselves – though these can be given (e.g. a group of ‘long term’ causes and a group of ‘short term’ causes; a group relating to ‘individual responsibility’ a group relating to ‘community responsibility’, etc….). Alternatively, students can put the question in the middle of the table, and position the other statements at a distance depending on how important they are (i.e. near to the centre for very relevant, further away for less relevant). These ideas are inspired by work on writing discursively in history by Christine Counsell. At the end of a period of time discussing and arguing about the statements and how to group them, students should begin to see different ways to structure an essay answer to the central question, and have had the chance to refine their views on the issues of the play. To extend the work and support essay writing, students should be asked to find one or two quotations from the play to support the statement on each card. This textual evidence will be used in their extended writing. Extended Writing Task 2 This task, perhaps better suited to GCSE with its focus on dramatic impact, asks students to analyse the climax of Act 3 in the play, from the moment Elizabeth is taken away to the end of the Act. Students work through the activities on the ‘End of Act 3’ worksheet, which encourage a close reading of the episode, from the point of view of different characters in the scene. Link to ‘Act 3’ worksheet. The title for the final written piece (possibly coursework) is: Consider the climax of Act 3. Write an analysis of this part of the play, thinking about: What we learn about key characters in this scene The dramatic impact of the scene The importance of the scene to the play as a whole. Page: URL: 6 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Worksheet 1 Witch Tale Summaries A Tale from the Shetlands A traditional tale in which a witch, taking the form of a dog, attempts to injure a neighbour but suffers as a result. A Traditional Tale from Bremen Hill A miner makes the fatal mistake of mocking a witches’ tradition. He pays for his impudence during a dreadful night, but ultimate ly achieves his revenge. The Witches’ Revenge A young man pays the price for courting two sisters whilst never seriously intending to marry either one. A Witch is Recognised A traditional tale of witchery, relying on the traditional association of the witch and the black cat. Two Eyes Too Many A witch is helped in the kitchen by the devil, but a suspicious servant hides and observes what goes on. The devil punishes the witch as she failed to heed his warnings. Traditional Tale from Germany A mill hand offers to help the local miller out, as several men have died in mysterious circumstances whilst working for him. Investigating the mill at night, the new recruit is confronted by three black cats. He severs the leg of one of the beasts, but the injury is in fact visible on the miller’s wife in the morning. The Miller Boy and The Cat A traditional tale from Austria, sharing many of the features of the German version. Traditional Tale of the Witch and the Trows A girl is under the mystic care of the supernatural trows, but a witch envies her gifts and cuts off her long golden hair, killing the girl as a result. The trows take revenge by suitably punishing the witch for her d eed. Rapunzel The traditional Grimm fairytale of the beautiful woman locked in the tower by the evil witch. A passing Prince falls for the beauty, but their happiness seems to have been destroyed by the witch, before the final conclusion. The Trip to the Brocken A young bridegroom-to -be is suspicious of his future wife and mother in law, and discovers they are witches after drinking some of their secret potion. As punishment, he is turned into a donkey, and suffers a miserable existence. Finally, his bride-to -be takes pity on him and tells him how to be returned to his former self. Amazingly, the couple then marry! Hansel and Gretel The classic fairytale. Dumped in the woods by their stepmother, Hansel and Gretel are imprisoned by an old woman; Hansel is fattened up for the table, whilst Gretel is made a servant. They finally escape the woman’s clutches by pushing her into the pot, and return to their now deserted father, taking home candy from the old woman’s house to sell at the market. Traditional Tale from Germany Another variation on the tale of the miller’s hired help who is attacked by cats in the night. Page: URL: 7 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Traditional Tale A husband doubts the powers his wife claims to have, until he sets her the challenge of travelling five miles in half an hour to fetch meat for the table. He watches amazed as his wife transforms herself into a hare to run the distance in the time. A few years later, the woman dies, and her funeral is disrupted by the reappearance of the hare. A Tale from Treneglwys A shepherd’s wife is convinced that her twins have been stolen and swapped. A wise man offers the mother a test to carry out to see if the children are hers. The test shows the babies have been swapped, and she is forced to take the drastic action of throwing the children into the lake – at which point her own children are returned. The Blacksmith’s Wife of Yarrowfoot Two brothers are apprenticed to a blacksmith, whose wife is a witch, Each night she transform the younger brother into a horse and rides him to and from her witches’ gatherings. Horrified, the elder brother takes his place, and manages to turn the table on the witch, transforming her into a grey mare with an evil bridle. All is made clear, and the blacksmith’s wife is punished. Edmund Robinson Edmu nd Robinson is an imaginative boy who, when caught avoiding chores for his family, constructs an amazing tale as an excuse. Again, witches transform into hares, in this traditional Scottish tale. The Dark Daughter of the Norse King A traditional tale abo ut the Norse invasions into Scotland. The invading Norse king wants to take steps to control the Scottish forests, and sends his daughter, who has knowledge of the black arts, to tame the woodland. Using supernatural means she sets about burning the wood, but the locals, acting under instructions from a wise man, put a stop to the destruction by shooting at her with a silver bullet. Concerned by the extended absence of his daughter, the Norse king sends a succession of ships to find her, but the spells of the local Scots women cause the ships to sink. After the third attempt, the Norse King gives up, beaten. Traditional Tale from Germany A young woman transforms herself into a hare to taunt a local forester. He finally shoots her with a coffin nail, but she returns to her old ways as soon as she has healed, this time taunting her fiancé. When he strikes her, she returns to human form, but the man, understandably, doesn’t want to marry a witch. Frau Trude, the Brothers Grimm A strong-willed young girl insists on visiting a local woman known for her evil acts. Seeing that the old woman is a witch with the head of a devil doesn’t help the girl, as she is promptly turned into a wooden log and thrown onto the fire. Page: URL: 8 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Worksheet 2 Witch Tales Grid Witch Tales Story Title Page: URL: Setting 9 http://www.stagework.org.uk Brief Plotline Description of witch Other comments Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Workshe et 3 History of Witches The events of The Crucible are based in genuine historical fact…. but how did the belief in witches come to be so strong in the New World of the 17th Century? The following background information and questions invite you to trace some of the key ideas….. Some General Background Throughout history people have talked, written, and represented creatures of the supernatural world including goblins, daemons, angels, sprites, ghosts, and, of course, witches. Although ideas about witches in some stories often seem totally unbelievable, the truth about the real life historical hunting of so-called witches is shocking. Between 1400 and 1700 the Christian Church in Europe set about widespread hunting and killing of people, mostly women, thought to be witches. At this time, the Church was a very powerful institution, but many of its leaders feared it was losing its power as people began to question church teachings. Some historians have suggested that witch hunts were a way for the Church to ensure continuing loyalty- since anyone who questioned the Church or its teachings ran the risk of being branded a witch. The vast majority (about 90%-) of those tried for witchcraft were women. Women were an easy target, few except the very rich had any power, independence, or influence, and many of those men who were high up in the church thought women a lesser species. . The Church first started targeting witches around the 1300s and around this time the familiar ‘stereotype’ image of the witch appeared. The fist picture of a witch on a broomstick was painted in 1280, and all the connections to the Devil and evil were created around this time. A witch was presented as being the Devil’s slave on earth, doing the devil’s work, a creature to be equally feared and loathed. Questions: 1. What type of people were mostly likely to be accused of witchcraft and what reasons can you think of for these people being ‘easy targets’? 2. Up to about 1200 the Christian Church said witches did not exist. By 1400 they said it was a crime to say they didn’t exist. What reasons can you give for their change of mind, and how did it benefit the Church to try to make people believe in witches? Witches in England When James I (who was also James VI of Scotland) became King of England in 1603 the subject of witchcraft assumed a higher profile in this country. James was already King of Scotland, and had long held an interest –some called it an obsession – in witches. He believed that his wife had been prevented from coming from Denmark to Scotland by witches creating a storm at sea. He also believed Scottish witches had done the same to him when he attempted to return to his homeland, and those accused of this crime were executed. In 1597 he published a book on witchcraft, Demon ology, and his first act as King was to tighten laws against witches in England. The law he passed in 1604 meant that all acts of witchcraft, not just those resulting in death, were to be punishable by hanging. Under the previous queen, Elizabeth 1st, some ‘less serious’ acts of witchcraft only carried a sentence of a year’s imprisonment. James’ law also broadened the definition of witchcraft to include people entering into ‘a pact with the devil’. James I’s obsession with witches is seen by many to have influenced Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which was probably written around 1605. Clearly there are witches in the play, but specific details of their words and actions – for example the use of the cauldron, the story of the shipwreck and the carrying of the ‘pilot’s thumb’ – seem to have particular reference to Scottish witch legends that James would have brought with him to England. Page: URL: 10 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Questions 1. What changes did James bring to England in terms of the treatment of witchcraft? 2. Why might Shakespeare have used James’ interests and beliefs in his play? Witchcraft and the Salem Community At first glance, what happened in the Salem farming community at the end of the 17 th century can appear fantastical, but when considered in the light of previous events it begins to become clear exactly how the events got so quickly out of control. Salem was first settled in 1629. The Puritan community that set up the town brought with them the beliefs about witches that were generally held in England at that time, notably those of James I, who had died in 1625. It is documented that during the Salem witchcraft trials, James’ 1604 Witchcraft laws were used as the basis by which those accused were tried, found guilty and executed. Having a very strict moral code and a deeply held belief in the reality of Satan might have meant that Puritans were quick to accept the presence of witches. At the time of the events in Salem in 1692, the community was divided by personal differences, felt threatened by real or imagined danger from native Americans, and were still in the wake of a smallpox epidemic. Given their beliefs, some may have viewed their problems as the work of evil amongst them, or punishment by God for their sins. In these circumstances an already fragile Puritan community, previously the victim of persecution in England, might have been especially quick to seize on witchcraft as a way to rid their town of evil and feel ‘cleansed’. Additionally, the witchhunts may have provided a way for the town’s church leaders to reassert their authority – as you will see in the play those questioning the court quickly find themselves accused. Questions 1. What do you learn here about the beliefs and context of the Salem community in 1692. Do these help to explain why a witchhunt may have occurred? How? 2. What links can you make between the Salem witchhunts and the original European ones? Page: URL: 11 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Worksheet 4 Page: URL: 12 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Worksheet 5 The Trial of Goody Osburn You have recorded the sequence of events that went on in the courtroom when Goody Osburn was found guilty of witchcraft (as described by Mary Warren). You are going to use this work as the starting point for an extended piece of group oral/drama work. For this work, you need to do the following things: 1. In your group, use the sequence of events as the basis of a script for the scene that takes place in the courthouse. You need to think about how many members are in your group, and therefore how many speaking parts you can have. Think about the possible characters – Goody Osburn, Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, Danforth, Hathorne, Hale - and decide who it is most appropriate to write in to your scene. 2. The script need only be short – for performance you will need to know the lines, so don’t ‘overwrite’. Look for quality not quantity, and try to create a scene of real drama and tension. 3. Once written, work with your group to practice the presentation of the scene. When performing, you can assume that the rest of the class will play the role of the audience in the courthouse. 4. After you have performed your work, you will be asked to think about how well you did, what was effective and what could have been improved, so think about your work as the activity progresses. Additional Information (if used as GCSE Speaking and Listening Coursework). After the lesson in which we see each group’s scene, your speaking and listening will be graded. The following things are taken into account when grading this oral work: - how well you work with the rest of your group- listening to the suggestions of others, coming up with ideas yourself, trying to reach agreements. how much understanding of the play, the characters and dramatic impact you show in your script and use of stage directions how well your group as a whole presents the scene (this is the least important bit - you are not really graded for your acting talent). As part of this oral assessment you will need to hand in: A copy of your group’s script A short written report of what the activity involved and what part you played in the group preparation and performance (this has to be done individually). These elements will be taken into account in the final mark. Page: URL: 13 http://www.stagework.org.uk Title: The Crucible: Exploring Key Themes Created: 31.01.2005 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Worksheet 6 Reasons Q. Why did events in The Crucible get out of control and lead to so much tragedy? Abigail Williams is a bitter and jealous woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants The witchcraft trials allowed citizens of Salem to voice long held resentments and arguments Hale is too weak to stop the events even when he knows them to be wrong Fear of punishment made Tituba and the other girls co nstruct the lies Danforth’s pride will not allow him to accept that he may be wrong Anyone named as a witch is guilty until proven innocent John Proctor is not honest until too much damage has already been done The events are the inevitable result of what happens in communities that are too strict The natural wish to save one’s own skin means characters are only too ready to point the finger at others Elizabeth Proctor makes the mistake of lying to protect her husband’s name The ‘goodness’ of Salem is only on the surface – beneath the surface many characters are trying to hide secrets Mary Warren is too weak to stand alone against the rest of the girls The town is full of superstitious characters who fear the unknown John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey are too proud to lie to save themselves Page: URL: 14 http://www.stagework.org.uk