How do people’s beliefs impact their behavior?

Explain your reasoning…

Arthur Miller is a famous playwright/author who wrote “All of my Sons” (1947), Death of a Salesman” (1949) and our new piece, “The Crucible.

   Miller was known for “understanding the depth of the United States.”

He was a student at the University of Michigan. (This is where he began his career.)

He was born in New York City on October 17, 1915.

Fun Fact- He was married to Marilyn Monroe!

The play “The Crucible” stems from his own work with the Salem Witch trials of the 1600’s. › Who can expand on

this time period?

What year did the trials happen?

What do historians believed that these “trails” stemmed from?

Does anyone remember the characteristics that defined a witch?

Does anyone know the historical event that paralleled to the Salem Witch Trials?

What other historical events were happening in the US that gave people a sense of hysteria?

Why might the events of more current history be important to “The Crucible”?

In an odd way, then, The Crucible is best read outside its historical context—not as a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, but as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apart. In John Proctor, Miller gives the reader a marvelous tragic hero for any time—a flawed figure who finds his moral center just as everything is falling to pieces around him.

Look at the pre reading questions that preface the story…› What do they make you think about?

For Homework: Please PRE-READ ACT I for class Thursday. The play is intense so use your time at home effectively.

Have fun on the College Fair Trip

Complete your journal History/Miller Recap Character Selection

› Who would like to sign up for parts to play?› I need a character keeper. You will keep the

list of characters for your class.

Define the word “Crucible” and provide an example.

Think about a time when you or someone you know tried but failed to change someone’s opinion; How might it feel to have your argument rejected and to know that the other person continues to hold a view that you do not?

John Proctor Rev. John Hale Elizabeth Proctor Rebecca Nurse Reverend Parris Thomas Putnam Giles Corey Ann Putnam  Tituba

Mary Warren Ruth Putnam Herrick  Mercy Lewis Mary Warren Betty Parris  Martha Corey  Ezekiel Cheever   Judge Hathorne

Complete Journal Character Update

› Does anyone want to change/update their character? I made a mistake yesterday so we will run through everything again.

Let’s Play a game…. Oral Reading (if there is time)

What role do you think that rumor has in the creation of hysteria?› Explain

We are going to play a game.

Get into teams and get ready. You have 5 minutes to review your

notes.

Ready… Set… Go!

So… We need to learn the elements of drama to effectively “pull the story” apart.

So here is what I found, http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/