During ancient times, the great philosopher Aristotle believed that all poetry and drama had three parts, the beginning, middle, and end. This belief was refined by the Romans and evolved into Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe. Much later, in Shakespearean times, the five-act play structure was developed and frequently used in tragedies. Although only four acts, the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, reflects the five act play structure in terms of plot division: an exposition, a rising…
When he made his choice, it became apparent that John Proctor, of all of the characters introduced in The Crucible, had truly changed the most. Proctor’s most pivotal change came upon when he unwillingly became involved with the trials and the witch hunts. In the beginning of the play, it shows in Proctor’s character that he isn’t one for direct and consequential confrontations. By way of example, he openly expresses his opinion on the town reverend, Mr. Parris, to anyone who inquires, but never…
When researching what could have been wrong with these girls, Maia Szalavitz stated “stretch back to the middle ages and early Renaissance, when outbreaks of twitching and tics lead to witch hunts and persecution of those who were thought to have caused the problem”, but then later mentions that there had been recent incidents like these having to do with the same symptoms as these girls and had been diagnosed with conversion disorder. Showing…
Just about everyone is guilty of committing a white lie. The reasoning behind white lies will vary. These white lies never seem like a big deal until the white lie turns into catastrophe. The play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller is a unique piece of work. Many themes can be found in the work. One significant theme that is prevalent throughout the play is lies and deceit. Miller applies the theme of lies and deceit throughout the play which plays a hefty role in the plot. A large factor…
The Crucible Plot Spot The daughter of Reverend Parris, Betty, is in a coma-like state after being found in the forest. She finally wakes up after the other girls that were also in the woods, confess to conjuring spirits. They also tell everyone about all the people they saw with the devil. This leads to the trials and hangings of many innocent people. About a week later John and Elizabeth Proctor are at home discussing the many trials happening in the town. Elizabeth tries to get John to go…
One theme is that sin must be confessed or it will grow and fester like a disease and will eventually consume the sinner from the inside, out. This theme is expanded upon throughout The Scarlet Letter, and especially during the events leading up to the second scaffold scene. Dimmesdale "kept vigils...sometimes viewing his own face in a looking glass...tortured" (Hawthorne 152). His visions of an unforgiving god and of what that god will do to him because of his sin drive him to a…
itself. Wicked is a retelling of The Wizard of Oz the story focuses on The Wicked Witch of…
during one of the most historical witch trials ever to be recorded. Mather was in charge of recording the historical data that occurred in the settlement. From the recordings of Mather came his work titled “The Wonders of the Invisible World” which included two excerpts “A People of God in the Devil’s Territories” and “The Trial of Martha Carrier”. In his work Mather discusses the outbreak of Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts and describes the trial of an accused witch, Martha Carrier. The…
For many teachers, the following scene may sound all too familiar: on the day a major assignment is due, students enter the classroom in a flurry, toting half unzipped backpacks and the invisible weight of the emotional, social, and personal baggage that all people, particularly teenagers, must balance along with life’s many other requirements—in this case, a dreaded non-fiction reading comprehension task. Some students immediately sit down and hurriedly press pencil to paper, capitalizing on…
same principles did not escape the Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts in the late Seventeenth Century, and these causes of the Salem Witch Trials are indistinctly presented by Arthur Miller through her historic drama, The Crucible. Greed is a dangerous nature and is one of the driving elements that motivated the murders of a few of the innocent victims of the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller reveals to us the importance of how greed took a roll in the accusations through the character Thomas…