"The Crucible" Classroom Activities
"The Crucible," by American playwright Arthur Miller (1915-2005), was written in 1953. On the surface, it was a dramatization of what occurred during the Salem, Massachusetts, Witch Trials in 1692-1693. Upon deeper analytical interpretation, it is said to be a commentary on the mass hysteria and "witch" hunting that went on in the United States during the McCarthy era. Today's secondary education students study "The Crucible" in order to comprehend the events of the present and possible future in light of those that have occurred in the past. "The Crucible" deals, in fact, with elements of human nature that are universal--such as the power of fear.
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Thematic Quick Writes
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Students should activate prior knowledge about fear and actions people take when they are afraid. Two column notes or quick writes where students respond to situations that would create fear or hysteria are useful to activate prior knowledge of the play's central themes. Another way to do this same activity is to provide historical scenarios in which people have been persuaded to act self-destructively (e.g., cult mass suicides) and have students analyze the events leading up to such events.
Character Analysis
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Instruct students in how to conduct research into the actual witch trials and then match each character from "The Crucible" with actual historical figures. Students might also write short character studies in which they analyze the motivation, actions and outcome for each character in terms of the play's central themes of hysteria and fear.
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Historical Context
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Compare the events of the Salem witch trials to the hearings held during the McCarthy era. Compare them in terms of the judicial process that occurred and the role the media or gossip may have had in constructing and destroying the truth. Students might work in small groups to report to the class on hearings of famous people that were held during the McCarthy era and what their outcomes were.
Vocabulary Activities
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Students might make vocabulary mobiles, keep a personal dictionary or make short reports on key vocabulary words from the play. The terms "allegory" and "McCarthyism" are of specific importance in relation to the play. Students should delve deeper into these terms, perhaps providing examples or writing two-column notes with quoted examples defending the play's classification as an allegory and commentary on McCarthyism.
Assessment
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An essay topic frequently used asks students to analyze "The Crucible" as a commentary on the consequences of mass hysteria or the human tendency to give up power in the face of fear. Students can write an analytical essay or do a project analyzing the play as a work of art, historical record and social commentary. For the project, students might create a presentation or reenact part of the play or one of the McCarthy hearings and follow up with a class discussion and analysis questions.
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References
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