YOUR VERY OWN UNIT PACKET FOR
ARTHUR MILLER’S
THE
CRUCIBLE
NAME:
CLASS PERIOD:
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STARTING THIS UNIT?
Unit Overview:
2
○Vocabulary study: students are responsible for defining vocabulary terms and
providing sentence examples for each.
○Background notes: students are expected to take notes in the space given
○Character study: for the main characters, tell as much as you can about each.
Write one fact and one quote for each character listed. A character map will be
completed in class as well.
○Study questions: answer as we read; these are due when the entire packet is
due.
○Dramatic readings: It is expected that each student participate in the reading of
this play. There are twenty-two roles, but we will share large roles so everyone
has a part.
Unit Packet: 100 points, Due March 22 (AP) and March 26 (Regular)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Students are to answer the following questions and take notes in the
space provided.
1. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play about ____________________ and
it takes place in ____________________.
2. Puritans believed:
○1:
○2:
○3:
○4
4. Describe what a Puritan household may have been like.
5. What were the different motivations behind the witch trials? What
does this say about the justification behind the executions and trials?
3
Inside Arthur Miller’s World
Students are to answer the following questions and take notes in the
space provided.
1. Describe what is meant by the term “Red Scare.”
2. What were the McCarthy hearings and when did they take place?
3. What particular groups did McCarthy target? Why?
4. Define “allegory.” Describe how you think The Crucible might serve as
an allegory for the McCarthy era.
For this exercise, students must read Arthur Miller’s “Why I wrote
The Crucible” individually. Afterword, they will work in groups of
three to answer the following questions. Each group is responsible
for answering the questions aloud in class.
1. What does Miller mean when he says: “I remember those years—they
formed The Crucible’s skeleton”? What does this indicate about The
Crucible’s purpose or role in that society?
2. What do you think Miller means by saying: “Fear doesn’t travel well;
just as it can warp judgment, its absence can diminish memory’s truth”?
4
What would be problematic about forgetting fear? At the same time, how
can fear push people to do irrational things?
3. What other events inspired The Crucible? Do you think this affects the
play’s historical accuracy? Does it matter?
The Crucible: ACT ONE
AFTER THE READING: Please write a brief summary of the main
events in this Act.
Please take notes on the following themes as we work through
them in class:
1. Hysteria/ Fear of Unknown:
5
2. Motivation:
Please answer the following discussion questions on your own,
and then share with one partner. We will work through them
together as a class.
1. What do you think of Abigail and what would you have said to her if
you had been present at the end of Act One? Be appropriate (I know,
it’s hard in this situation )!
2. How would you explain the “illnesses” of Betty and Ruth? Do you
think this is a real affliction?
3. How would you describe Abigail’s relationship to the other girls in
comparison to her relationship to Proctor?
4. What does Hale see as his duty in Salem? What does he mean when
he says that the Devil is “precise”?
6
5. When Tituba is frightened and says “trouble in this house eventually
lands on [her] back,” what does she mean? Are her fears justified? In
other words, is she always a scapegoat for Abigail and the girls or
does she share some of the responsibility for the trials?
6. What is Abigail’s motivation at the end of the play? Why does she
decide to name names?
Define the following terms and write one example of the term
used in a sentence. Turn them in on a separate sheet (to be turned
in to me).
crucible
conjure
licentious
incubi/ succubi
midwife
iniquity
HOMEWORK: Please answer the following prompt on a separate
sheet of paper (to be turned in to me).
A static character changes little or not at all during a story. A
dynamic character changes a lot as the result of the story’s action.
Judging from this Act we’ve read in class, who do you think will
become static and dynamic characters? Infer about how the dynamic
characters might change. You must provide rationale that can be
found in the text.
____________________________________________________________
___________
7
The Crucible ACT TWO:
AFTER THE READING: Write a brief summary of the main events in
this Act.
Please take notes on the following themes as we work through
them in class.
1. Reputation:
2. Showing Charity:
Please answer the following discussion questions on your own,
and then share with one partner. We will work through them
together as a class.
1.
What would you do if you were John Proctor at this point in the
play?
8
2. Describe the relationship between John and Elizabeth and explain
the metaphor of the “everlasting funeral” that John mentions in
Elizabeth’s heart.
3. Based on Mary’s statements and actions, why do you think she gave
Elizabeth the poppet?
4. What is the irony in Hale’s urging Proctor to “show charity”?
5. Identify at least three external conflicts (problems coming from the
outside world) and three internal conflicts (problems within the
person) that Proctor faces. Be sure to mention his personal struggle
with private reality versus public appearances/ reputation.
Define the following terms and write one example of the term
used in a sentence. Turn them in on a separate sheet (to be turned
in to me).
malign
bemused
theocracy
adultery
covenanted
Pontius Pilate*
9
HOMEWORK: Respond to the following prompt in a brief, persuasive
essay. To be turned in on a separate sheet of paper.
In Act Two, Reverend Hale tells Proctor: “Theology, sir, is like a
fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small.” What does
he mean by this allusion and do you agree or disagree? Provide
examples from literary references to theocracy (within The Crucible
or any other references you can think of) as well as world examples
to support your position.
The Crucible ACT THREE:
AFTER THE READING: List the major events in this Act.
Please take notes on the following themes as we go over them in
class.
1. Mob Mentality/ Hysteria:
2. Justice vs. Injustice
3. Motivation/ “Signing One’s Name” Away:
10
Please answer the following discussion questions on your own,
and then share with one partner. We will work through them
together as a class.
1. Locate one phrase or expression in Act Three that made a strong
impression on you. Why did it affect you?
2. Danforth believes that he is living in a “sharp time” where the line
between good and evil is clear and not blurred. Do you agree? Why or
why not?
3. How has Hale changed by the end of this Act? How do you know and
what motivated his change?
4. At one point during the trial, Hale exclaims: “Is every defense an
attack on the court?” What does he mean by this statement? What is
Judge Hathorne doing to provoke this reaction?
11
5. When John reveals his affair with Abigail, what do you think he
reveals about his character and his motivation?
Define the following terms and write one example of the term
used in a sentence. Turn them in on a separate sheet (to be turned
in to me).
ipso facto
malevolence
affidavit
lechery
harlot
perjury
HOMEWORK: Students will write a creative piece from the POV of
Elizabeth, Abigail, or John after they return from the court. Students
have the choice of writing a journal entry or a poem. They may also
create an illustration (accompanied by an explanation) so long as
they center on one of these three characters and their reactions to the
trial.
THE CRUCIBLE: ACT FOUR
AFTER READING: List the main events in this Act.
12
Please take notes on the following themes as we go over them in
class.
1. Redemption/ Preserving Character:
2. “Signing the black book”
Please answer the following discussion questions on your own,
and then share with one partner. We will work through them
together as a class.
1. Which character did you most identify with and why?
2.
Why does Hale say that he has come “to do the Devil’s work”? What
motivates his actions?
3.
What events in this act reveal the true nature of the characters?
13
4. What motivations does Proctor have for confessing? Why is this
confession deeply ironic?
5. In the play’s climax, Proctor tears up his confession. Why does he
ultimately choose his own “goodness”?
HOMEWORK: Continue to work on either your persuasive essay or
your creative piece. Both items are due on the exam date, along with
the packet work (NEXT CLASS).
CHARACTER MAP
Complete the following character map before you hand in your
packet. Keep up with these notes as we discuss the characters in
class. You should have two facts and two quotes for each character
listed. The quotes should be insightful to the character’s qualities
and motivation.
14
Character
John Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
Abigail Williams
Betty Parris
Rev. Parris
Judge Hathorne
Deputy Danforth
Giles Corey
Rebecca Nurse
Mary Warren
Rev. Hale
Facts
Quotes