Intro Notes

AUTHOR:Arthur Miller

DATE:1952

GENRE:Drama (Play)Historical

Fiction POINT OF VIEW:

3rd person

1500’s in England Religious group – felt

the English church wasn’t “pure” enough

Attacked for their beliefs in England

Why did they come to America?

Plymouth – 1620 Boston, Salem - 1630

1. THEOCRACY

No Separation of CHURCH and STATE

“Theo” = ___________; “-ocracy” = ___________

2. Belief in “Predestination”

3. Emphasis on HARD WORK and SACRIFICE

4. Forced Religious PracticeHow is this IRONIC?IRONY: The difference between _____________ and ___________________________.

STRANGE BEHAVIORS Screaming, seizures, trance-like states Unexplained behaviors Superstitious – believed Devil was involved

PEOPLE INVOLVED Low-lifes accused of being witches Old grudges between families

Results of Witch Trials 150 people jailed for suspicion of witchcraft No confession = Execution 20 people executed (19 hanged)

310 Essex Street, Salem, MAHome of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin

Mass hysteria, moral panic, mob lynching

Prosecution of any and all “enemies”

Guilty unless proven innocent

Salem “McCarthyism”

1950’s Post-9/11

“McCarthyism” – Sen. Joseph McCarthy 1950’s – Investigated Communism Accused actors, politicians of being

Communists Arthur Miller was accused and asked to testify

– refused to name names

Wrote The Crucible to criticize McCarthy Saw witch-hunts as dangerous to America Most famous work besides Crucible =

Death of a Salesman

“TRAGEDY OF THE COMMON MAN”

JOHN PROCTOR ABIGAIL WILLIAMS ELIZABETH

PROCTOR REVEREND PARRIS TITUBA THOMAS PUTNAM GILES COREY REVEREND HALE

Ann Putnam Mary Warren Rebecca Nurse Other girls Townspeople Ezekiel Cheever Judge Danforth

Salem Town Hall Salem = “Witch

City” House of the Seven

Gables Pioneer Village

Salem Witch Museum

Custom House

Pickering WharfSalem Marketplace

EXPOSITION

RISING ACTION

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

Sets the scene, characters, conflict(s)

Tension rises in story

High point in the story

Tension lessens

Conflicts resolves

TRAGEDYGreek: Gods decide a hero’s fate

English: Great heroes/kings(Shakespeare)

American: Ordinary people cause

their own downfallUsually because of too

much PRIDE

TRAGIC HERO

Main character of a tragedy

DYNAMIC character – has both good and bad traits

TRAGIC FLAW

Character’s greatest strength is also greatest weakness

STAGE DIRECTIONS

Not spoken dialogue, but tells actors what to do or how to say lines