Monday, September 21, 2009

Do Now in your journal: Understanding setting.
Describe the mood or feeling this setting gives you. Who lives in this setting? What type of story could you imagine happening in this setting?

Welcome to "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller: 
At the end of today's class you will be able to
1. understand the Puritans' guiding rules and how they might have led to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
1. define setting and analyze Miller's austere setting in "The Crucible"
2. define indirect and direct characterization and begin to fill out the characterization graphic organizer for play's main characters.
Act One: An Overture ( p. 6 - 8 )
The Puritan Connection:
1. The problem: the rules that were established to keep the community together became so restrictive and extreme that the community became violently divided.
2. Where's the fun?
     No celebration of Christmas - no plays or theater- holidays were spent in church - work, work work everyday but Sunday- two-man patrols to report on people slacking off or drinking, tendency to mind other people's business, children never played, jealousy of those with land and who seemed happy, guilt, the fear of going to Hell

The Historical Connection:
The true story: On January 20th 1692, Elizabeth Parris ( daughter of Reverend Parris ) and Abigail Williams ( His niece ) started acting strangely and screamed that they were being tortured. Since doctors couldn't find a cause for their behavior, they concluded the girls were bewitched. Soon, other girls exhibited the same weird behavior. They cried out the names of Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn as being witches. Thus, the Salem Witch Hunts began. The period was marked by hysteria. During the next eight months 150 people were jailed. BY the time the court was dismissed, 27 people had been convicted of witchcraft, 19 were hung, one pressed to death, 50 confessed, and more than 100 were awaiting trial.

Definition of Terms:
Drama is intended to portray life, people, or to tell a story through actions and dialogue. It involves conflicts and emotions. It is designed to be performed in the theater.
Setting is a literary element that indicates the time period and physical location where a piece of literature takes place.
Direct Characterization - the author tells us about the character or person
Indirect Characterization - we infer what the character is like through his actions, appearance, words, and other characters' reactions to him.
The Play:
 Read the set direction and Paragraph 1.
Purpose questions? What does the room look like? What do you know about Reverend Parris through direct characterization?
SO WHAT'S A YOUNG KID SUPPOSED TO DO FOR FUN?

Homework: Given everything you've found out today about the history of the play and Puritan beliefs, what do you think will start people accusing their neighbors of being witches?