from The
Crucible
Drama by Arthur Miller
Introducing the Drama
with VIDEO TRAILER
Literary Analysis: Conventions of Drama
Reading Skill: Draw Conclusions About Characters
Vocabulary in Context
from The Crucible
INTRODUCING THE DRAMA
What fuels a MOB?
Visualize a mob of people rampaging through the streets,
whipped into a frenzy by hysteria.
The fear, anger, and panic produced by hysteria can make
otherwise reasonable people do irrational things.
from The Crucible
INTRODUCING THE DRAMA
What fuels a MOB?
In The Crucible, for example, the
hysteria created by the Salem witch
trials makes neighbor turn against
neighbor.
from The Crucible
INTRODUCING THE DRAMA
What fuels a MOB?
DISCUSS
What makes people act as
a mob? What are some of
the results of mob action?
Mob marching, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1959
Think about news reports
or historical accounts of
mobs that you’ve come
across.
In a small group, discuss
what caused these mobs
to form and how they
behaved.
from The Crucible
Click on the title to play the trailer.
from The
Crucible
from The Crucible
Conventions of Drama
Drama is literature in play form. It
is meant to be performed and seen.
However, an understanding of
dramatic conventions can help you
picture the performance when you
read a script.
from The Crucible
Conventions of Drama
As you read The Crucible, be aware of these drama conventions:
• Stage directions, which Miller uses not only to describe settings
and characters but also to provide historical background in the
form of expository mini-essays
• Dialogue, the lifeblood of drama, which moves the plot forward
and reveals character traits
from The Crucible
Conventions of Drama
• Types of characters—heroes, villains,
and foils—which Miller uses to heighten
the tension of his drama
• Plot, which is driven by conflict that
builds throughout each act
from The Crucible
Draw Conclusions About Characters
Characters in drama reveal
their personality traits through
their words and actions.
The descriptions in the stage
directions can also provide
insight into these characters.
from The Crucible
Draw Conclusions About Characters
As you read The Crucible, draw conclusions about the play’s main
characters. Record important traits and the evidence that reveals
these traits in a chart like the one shown. Be sure to add characters
to the chart as you encounter them.
Traits
Abigail
Williams
John
Proctor
proud
assertive
resentment
pride
Evidence
Motivation
Reverend
John Hale
from The Crucible
adamant
Arthur Miller uses the vocabulary words in the box on
the right to help convey the atmosphere of the Salem
witch trials. Place them in the following categories:
words that describe character traits, words that
describe actions, and words that are concepts.
Describe
character traits
Describe
actions
Are
concepts
anarchy
contentious
corroborate
deference
immaculate
imperceptible
iniquity
subservient
from The Crucible
adamant adj. immovable, especially in opposing something
anarchy n. condition of lawlessness and disorder, often due
to lack of governmental authority
contentious adj. quarrelsome
corroborate v. to support with evidence
deference n. respect and honor due to a superior or elder
immaculate adj. without stain; pure
from The Crucible
imperceptible adj. extremely slight; barely noticeable
iniquity n. wickedness
subservient adj. acting like a servant