The Crucible: Context. Early in the year 1692, in the small Massachusetts village of Salem, a collection of girls fell ill, falling victim to hallucinations and seizures.
In extremely religious Puritan New England, frightening or surprising occurrences were often attributed to the devil or his cohorts. The unfathomable sickness spurred fears of witchcraft, and it was not long before the girls, and then many other residents of Salem, began to accuse other villagers of consorting with devils and casting spells. Old grudges and jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the atmosphere of hysteria. The Massachusetts government and judicial system, heavily influenced by religion, rolled into action. Within a few weeks, dozens of people were in jail on charges of witchcraft.
More than two centuries later, Arthur Miller was born in New York City on October 17, 1915. Drawing on research on the witch trials he had conducted while an undergraduate, Miller composed The Crucible in the early 1950s. Teaching The Crucible: How to Make it More Effective for High Sc. Written by: Trent Lorcher • edited by: SForsyth • updated: 1/17/2012 Few plays make you want to hop in a time machine, hunt down an historical figure, and punch her in the face.
The Crucible is one such play (no, I have not found Abigail Williams, yet). A Short Summary of the CrucibleThe town of Salem is rocked by scandal as young girls are caught dancing in the woods with a local slave woman. When one of the girls takes sick, witchcraft is rumored. Townspeople see this as an opportunity for revenge as old grudges are settled by a witch craft accusation. The Crucible: Literature Guide. By Arthur Miller Page 1 of 6 The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was written during the early 1950s.
This was the time of Senator Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on the infiltration of Communism in the United States and the loyalty to democracy of many prominent U.S. citizens. The McCarthy hearings pitted artists and performers against each other as they were called to testify about their own loyalty and what they knew about the loyalty of others. Although some critics have suggested that The Crucible is an historical allegory for the McCarthy period, it can be examined more fruitfully as a play about the human condition.
The Crucible is set in another politically charged period in U.S. history. The Crucible is extremely appropriate for use in the high school or college classroom. The guide will star (*) those activities which are most appropriate for advanced students. Today's Most Popular Study Guides. The Crucible Salem and Puritanism.
The Crucible begins at daybreak in the house of the Reverend Samuel Parris, who is praying at the bed of his motionless daughter, Betty.
Her apparently incurable illness sets in motion the action of the play, which centers on the historic Salem witch trials. In quick succession, key characters enter; the first is slave Tituba, on whose exit follows Parris’ ward, the seventeen-year-old Abigail Williams. Interrogating her sparks off Parris’ fear that “unnatural things” may be going on, occult practices that could wreck his career; he has already been shocked to discover the “sinful” dance of Tituba and the girls in the forest. Ann and Thomas Putnam enter, two characters who have strong motivations for crying “witch”: Ann has no living children and envies happier mothers, while land-rich Thomas stands to gain still more if some of his neighbors are indicted. When her girlfriends leave, Abigail attempts to seduce Proctor, who refuses and threatens her with the whip.
The Crucible and Belonging basic notes. The Crucible: Unit Plan [English Online California] Mind42.com - Collaborative mind mapping in your browser.
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