The Crucible
"No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack up on this village. There is too much evidence now to deny it” (Hale, Act 2, p. 61).
^^Click on the book above for the audiobook recording of the overture (pgs 3-7)^^
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Drama: The CrucibleThroughout this unit we will be studying the drama/ play genre. A play is a form of literature written by a playwright. It is different from a novel or short story in a few ways. Firstly, a play consists of dialogue between characters. Secondly, a play is broken down by acts and scenes- not chapters. Thirdly, a play is written to be preformed. Although plays are little different than the short stories and novels, they are similar in the sense that they also have protagonists, rising action, etc... so we can use all of the literary terms that we have learned to help us discuss Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
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As we are preparing to read and while we are reading The Crucible, we answer the following questions. There are links to articles below each question to help you research, form, and evaluate your ideas.
1. Who was Authur Miller?
Authur Miller Biography 2.Who were the Puritans? Who Were The Puritans? Puritans vs.Pilgrims Drawn History: The Founding of the 13 Colonies 3. What were The Salem Witch Trials? The Salem Witch Trials 4. What is McCarthyism? What is the connection between the Salem Witch Trials and the political climate of the the US following the end of WWI? Background information, political context, and affect on US society. 5.What is the significance of the title The Crucible? Why might Miller have chosen this period of history to write about? |
The PuritansPossible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials
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Reading Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Allegory- is a piece of text or art that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
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Imagery- the use of figurative language to represent objects and concepts that appeals to our physical senses. Read more about imagery and other literary devices at the Literary Devices Blog.
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Tone- According to the blog, Writing Explained:
-in literature, tone is the speaker’s attitude toward his/ her subject. -In fiction, this is the narrator’s attitude toward the text. In non-fiction, this is the writer/speaker’s attitude toward his subject. -Tone describes an attitude. Therefore, adjectives are used to describe tone. *Some examples of tone words include:
For more information on tone and mood, go to The Writing Explained Blog.. Dramatic irony- when the reader or audience know more than the character in a story, and the reader or audience can therefore foresee something that the characters cannot. Situational irony-when the audience expects one outcome but something very different or opposite happens. Verbal irony-when the speaker says one thing but really means the opposite. Allusion- a reference to someone of something commonly known from literature, history, or religion in order to make a comparison in the reader's mind.
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What is a Compare/ Contrast Essay? |
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Compare & Contrast Worksheets |
The Crucible Compare & Contrast Project |