The crucible annotations. The Crucible Study Guide 2022-12-19
The crucible annotations Rating:
7,8/10
313
reviews
The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It is set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, during the Salem witch trials. The play is a fictionalized portrayal of the events that took place during this time, but it is based on historical events.
One of the main themes of The Crucible is the dangers of mass hysteria and the power of groupthink. Throughout the play, the characters become increasingly paranoid and fearful of witches, leading to the unjust persecution of innocent people. The play shows how fear and suspicion can be used to manipulate and control a community, and how this can lead to disastrous consequences.
Another theme in The Crucible is the importance of individual integrity and the dangers of compromising one's beliefs. The character of John Proctor, in particular, struggles with this as he is torn between confessing to a crime he did not commit and standing up for his principles. Ultimately, he chooses to stand up for what he believes in, even at the cost of his own life.
The Crucible is also a commentary on the McCarthyism of the 1950s, during which the United States government accused and persecuted many people of being communists. Miller wrote the play as a metaphor for this time period, and the characters in the play represent various groups in society that were targeted during the McCarthy era.
Overall, The Crucible is a powerful and thought-provoking play that explores themes of mass hysteria, individual integrity, and the dangers of compromising one's beliefs. Its relevance and message remain relevant even today, as we continue to see instances of mass hysteria and the power of groupthink in our own society.
Annotations
I don't hate that man, I don't want to kill that man. A ruined reputation could mean a ruined life in Salem. Parris and Hale try to get the people convicted of witchcraft to confess in order to save their lives, because Danforth refuses to stop or postpone the executions, saying it would not be fair to those already hanged. They have a BA in English with a focus in Secondary Education from Texas State University and an MA in English Literature with a certificate in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Provide evidence, indicating the page number and passage in the text. The Crucible Quotes on Witchcraft When Abby, Betty, and other girls from Salem sense the danger of their actions, Mary Warren warns her peers that they must deny any involvement with witchcraft out of fear.
Proctor views the affair with Abigail as a moral failing, but this quotation shows that she is willing to set aside ''whatever sin it is'' to resume her relationship with Proctor. This quotation also contains a bit of foreshadowing, or a hint of events that occur later in the story, for John Proctor will soon experience firsthand Salem's lack of ''sensible'' residents when he is made a scapegoat by the community. Proctor has recommitted himself to his relationship with his wife and ended his affair with Abigail, but she still longs for him and begs him to come back to her. . Hale thoughtfully considers the information and concludes that they will have to discuss the matter later. In the 1950s, during the first years of the Cold War, a Senator named Joseph McCarthy rose to power by whipping the nation into a terror of Communists.
He is called to Salem to seek out the witches. . Danforth asks Proctor if he's seen Rebecca with the devil. The nurses fought with the Proctors. Abigail tells Parris that all they did was dance. Proctor has recommitted himself to his relationship with his wife and ended his affair with Abigail, but she still longs for him and begs him to come back to her.
Putnam asks: was it Sarah Good, or maybe Mrs. There is an episode of Sabrina The Teenage Witch haha, oh dear where her class tours Salem and reenacts a witch trial. Arthur Miller was not a star the way writers are stars today. It's death, y'know, it's death drivin' into them, forked and hoofed. Abigail identifies some who dabble in witchcraft, as well. Parris threatens to whip her to death unless she confesses.
As a religious leader, the potential harm this could do to his reputation is not lost on Parris. This doll has a needle stuck in her, and this needle matches up with her pledged attack on Abigail by her spirit. Rebecca says this is just an example of children being children, and adds that she hopes Parris isn't really going to claim "loose spirits" were the cause. The Crucible Riley Rossi p. McCarthy led the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which sought to find Communists in America. Blaming others before she herself can be blamed gives her a sense of power over others as they begin to fear her, and the women she accuses at the end of Act 1 are vulnerable women with no societal power: "Abigail: 'I want to open myself! Abigail says Elizabeth dismissed her because she refused to act like a slave, and that other women haven't hired her for the same reason. Parris asks Abigail why Elizabeth Proctor dismissed her from her job as an assistant in the Proctor household six months earlier.
Parris also expresses concern that since Elizabeth dismissed Abigail, no other family has hired her. Abigail demands them to stay quiet. . Putnam, because it's rumored that she has the ability to contact the dead, and Mrs. Puritanism was a very strict and specific facet of Christianity with a stringent adherence to the Bible, specifically focusing on the 10 Commandments, but they also believed the Devil was capable of harming people through the use of witchcraft.
Rumors of witchcraft spread through the town and a crowd gathers at Parris's house while Parris, nervous about his reputation, questions Abigail about what the girls were doing in the forest. . . There could, of course, be any number of explanations for the girls' illness, but the Salem citizens' propensity for mixing theology and gossip make a supernatural cause preferable to some natural or psychological cause for the girls' behavior. John and Reverend Parris have a strained relationship as Proctor lacks respect for Reverend Parris as a religious leader: "Proctor: 'Then let you come out and call them wrong.
Act IV: Tituba and Sarah tell a man moving them that they are going to fly to Barbados with the Devil. Putnam says they're not sick: they're being attacked by the devil. When he ends the relationship, she seeks the aid of witchcraft to win him back. Putnam is particularly interested in communicating with her seven deceased infants. Summary Points: Act 1: It all begins when Parris finds his daughter Betty and niece Abigail dancing naked with his slave, Tartuba, in the woods. They learn from their servant Mary Warren, one of the girls accusing people in the town of witchcraft, that Elizabeth is herself accused. .
. Now that Ruth is afflicted too, Mrs. Abigail smacks her across the face. After she is questioned, Tituba begins to name others in the village who are friendly with the devil. . Abigail says she saw Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, and Bridget Bishop with the devil, Betty rises up and chants with them. This is significant because of how powerful it is.
What does Giles clarify about his statement? Putnam, Rebecca Nurse, and Parris about town politics and grievances. Eight days later, Proctor and his wife Elizabeth discuss the many people who have been charged with witchcraft by a court presided over by the deputy governor of the province. . The Salem community takes pleasure in suspicion and gossip, so when Reverend Parris' daughter and others are thought to have participated in witchcraft, the worst of the villagers' character is displayed. Act II: Proctor vows he will confront Abigail. If witchcraft is charged Parris fears he may lose his ministry.
