Sample Essay
The following question appeared in the
2002 Higher critical essay paper
Choose a play in which a character
struggles with his / her conscience.
 Outline briefly the reasons for the
character’s dilemma and go on to discuss
how successfully the dramatist engages
your sympathy for him or her.
 In your answer you must refer closely to
the text and to at least two of
characterisation, conflict, theme, resolution
or any other appropriate feature.

What is this asking you to do?
1)Choose a play in
which a character
struggles with his
/ her conscience.
The first part of the
question allows you to
decide whether the
question is suitable for
the text you want to
write about.
Obviously, John Proctor
struggles with his
conscience, so this
question is suitable for
‘The Crucible’.
2)Outline briefly the
The second part of the
reasons for the
question is the part
character’s dilemma
which you have to
and go on to discuss
actually answer.
how successfully the
Note the key words
dramatist engages
from the question:
your sympathy for
him or her.
‘engages your sympathy’ means the way in
which the author makes us identify emotionally
with a character.
‘how successfully’ means that you have to
evaluate how well the author makes us feel
these emotions.
3) In your answer you
must refer closely to
the text and to at
least two of
characterisation,
conflict, theme,
resolution or any
other appropriate
feature.
The third part of the
question gives you
suggestions of aspects
of the text to write about
in your essay.
Note:
‘refer closely to’ means
you have to quote from
the play.
‘any other appropriate
feature’ means you are
not limited to those
aspects of the text
which are listed.
3) In your answer you
must refer closely to
the text and to at
least two of
characterisation,
conflict, theme,
resolution or any
other appropriate
feature.
Important point!
The questions in the
exam no longer take the
same form. Only the
first two parts are
present, and the third
part is replaced by a
general list at the start
of each genre section
(i.e. prose, poetry,
drama) of aspects of
texts which you could
discuss in your essay.
How to use the question to write your
introduction
Here is the essay’s
introduction:
In the play ‘The Crucible’
by Arthur Miller, the
character John Proctor
struggles with his
conscience. By use of
characterisations, stage
directions and conflict
Miller engages me in this
play and makes me feel
sympathy for Proctor.
Note the key words
from the question which
are used in the
introduction.
How to use the question to write your
introduction
In the play ‘The
Crucible’ by Arthur
Miller, the character
John Proctor
struggles with his
conscience.
The first part of the
introduction refers to the
first part of the
question:
1) Choose a play in
which a character
struggles with his / her
conscience.
How to use the question to write your
introduction
By use of
characterisations,
stage directions and
conflict Miller
engages me in this
play and makes me
feel sympathy for
Proctor.
The second part of the
introduction refers to the
second part of the
question:
2) Outline briefly the
reasons for the
character’s dilemma
and go on to discuss
how successfully the
dramatist engages your
sympathy for him or her.
How to use the question to write your
introduction
By use of
characterisations,
stage directions and
conflict Miller
engages me in this
play and makes me
feel sympathy for
Proctor.
The second part of the
introduction also
outlines the points
which will be referred to
in the essay.
This helps to create a
clear structure for the
essay.
This play is based on
true happenings in
Salem during the mass
witchhunts. It describes
how Proctor has to
choose between life and
death, dishonesty and
honesty considering all
factors like how this will
affect his family. By the
end he has lost all his
pride by admitting his
affair with Abigail but still
decides to choose
honesty and decides not
to sign to being a witch
just to save his life.
The next part of the
essay sums up the play,
answering the first half
of the second part of
the question:
2) Outline briefly the
reasons for the
character’s dilemma…
Note that this section is
brief and does not retell
the whole plot of the
play.
Conflict is a key
technique used to
show Proctor’s
struggle. Throughout
the play Proctor
suffers from an inner
conflict as he does
not know whether to
be honest or to save
his life.
Firstly, he realises he
cannot leave his wife
as he truly does love
her:
“I want my life”.
The topic sentence tells
us what this paragraph
is going to be about and
refers back to the
introduction.
The use of ‘firstly’
shows that several
examples of conflict are
going to be analysed.
The point is backed up
with a quote as
evidence.
This shows how
Proctor cannot admit
to being a witch but
will do anything to
stay with his wife and
children.
Being full of pride
Proctor does not
want to have his
name displayed on
the church showing
that he is a witch:
“I have given you
my soul! Leave
me my name!”
The essay then
comments on the
point made.
This shows his
anguish at admitting
he is guilty and the
inner conflict is again
shown by his
indecision between
honesty and
dishonesty. This
makes me pity
Proctor as he is in so
much distress and is
struggling to make
the right decision.
There is another
comment made on the
previous point.
The essay then gives a
personal response, with
explanation, showing
how successfully the
essay writer feels Miller
has engaged sympathy
for Proctor.
The stage directions
capture the moment
when Proctor becomes
decisive:
“He rips up the
paper”
This clearly shows
Proctor realising that his
conscience is telling him
to choose honesty. With
this choice comes more
pain. Proctor has to
leave his wife which he
struggles to do. This
moment is also
effectively shown in the
stage directions:
“He kisses her now
with great passion”
The topic sentence
again indicates what
this section will be
about and refers back to
the introduction.
The essay writer uses
evaluation to show how
well Miller has created
sympathy in the reader.
This creates
sympathy not only for
Proctor but for his
wife Elizabeth.
Neither of them
deserve what is
happening to them
and I wish that
Proctor would lie to
keep his life even
though I do not agree
with dishonesty.
The essay gives a clear
personal response
evaluating how the
dramatist’s techniques
affected them at this
point.
Note – you should avoid
the use of first person
(‘I’) in critical essays
Conflict between other
characters and Proctor
also show how he
struggles with his
conscience. One such
example is between him
and Abigail, with whom
he once had an affair.
Abigail is convinced that
Proctor still wants her:
“You loved me then
and you do now”
Nothing Proctor says can
persuade her otherwise:
“I will not be coming
for you, Abi”
The next topic sentence
refers back to the
introduction and to the
first part of the
question, highlighting
that the essay is on
task.
This affair haunts Proctor
later in the play when he is
forced to choose between
honesty and pride.
Abigail tries to seek revenge
on the Proctors, especially
Elizabeth:
“She is blackening my
name in the village”
Proctor knows this is untrue
but does not want to lose his
pride and admit their affair.
Once again Proctor is split
between honesty to save his
wife or his own pride and
once again his conscience
tells him to choose honesty:
“I have known her sir!, I
have known her!”
The essay again
refers back to the
points referred to in
the introduction
and topic
sentence, but uses
‘split between’
instead of ‘conflict’.
The use of exclamation
marks shows how much
he is struggling to admit
this and the repetition is
used to show the torture
he is experiencing in
losing his pride. I do not
feel Proctor should have
to admit this as it is a
mistake in his life that he
feels guilty about and
should not have to feel
tormented about the
past. The way he admits
this fills me with respect
for him.
The essay analyses the
techniques used and
evaluates their effect.
The clever use of
characterisation
developed by Miller
successfully shows
Proctor’s struggle
and engages your
sympathy for him.
As a character
Elizabeth is honest:
“That woman will
never lie, sir”
The topic sentence
includes evaluation and
again refers back to the
introduction and the
second part of the
question.
This causes Proctor
pain as he wants to lie
so he will not have to
die and cause his wife
pain but by lying he is
going against her
morals. This ironically
shows Proctor’s
struggle and he full
heartedly receives my
sympathy as I know I
could not make that
decision.
The essay writer
analyses Miller’s
technique and
evaluates the
effect that this has
on them.
Remember to
avoid using the
first person
Proctor’s conscience
gets the better of him
and he asks Elizabeth to
decide what he should
do but she is unable to
do that:
“I cannot judge you”
In my opinion this is the
climax to his conscious
struggle but I am glad he
chose honesty in the end
as it is always the best
answer even if it does
cause suffering to others.
For me the main theme
of honesty being the best
way creates sympathy
for Proctor as it causes
him great pain in
deciding his fate and
those of the ones whom
he loves.
The essay contains
more evaluation and
personal response
towards the end, and
refers back to the
second part of the
question as it begins to
sum up the essay
writer’s opinion.
In conclusion, by use
of conflict,
characterisation and
stage directions,
Arthur Miller
successfully engages
my sympathy for
Proctor’s struggle
between honesty and
dishonesty, life and
death, in the play
‘The Crucible’.
The essay contains a
clear conclusion which
sums up the essay
writer’s argument and
opinion and refers back
to the points outlined in
the introduction which
have been discussed
during the essay, and to
the first and second part
of the question.
Intermediate 2 Performance Criteria
Understanding
As appropriate to task, the response demonstrates
understanding of key elements, central concerns and
significant details of the text(s)
Analysis
The response explains in some detail ways in which aspects
of structure / style / language contribute to meaning / effect /
impact
Evaluation
The response reveals engagement with the text(s) or aspects
of the text(s) and stated or implied evaluation of
effectiveness, substantiated by some relevant evidence from
the text(s)
Expression
Structure, style and language, including use of some
appropriate critical terminology, are deployed to communicate
meaning clearly and develop a line of thought which is
generally relevant to purpose, spelling, grammar and
punctuation are sufficiently accurate
Higher Performance Criteria
Understanding
As appropriate to task, the response demonstrates secure
understanding of key elements, central concerns and
significant details of the text(s)
Analysis
The response explains accurately and in detail ways in which
aspects of structure / style / language contribute to meaning /
effect / impact
Evaluation
The response reveals clear engagement with the text(s) or
aspects of the text(s) and stated or implied evaluation of
effectiveness, substantiated with detailed and relevant
evidence from the text(s)
Expression
Structure, style and language, including appropriate critical
terminology, are deployed to communicate meaning clearly
and develop a line of thought which is sustainedly relevant to
purpose, spelling, grammar and punctuation are sufficiently
accurate