Act One: An Overture
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.
Vocabulary:
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?
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? ( one paragraph )
I think that they accuse them of being witches because the way they act towards each other. Their behavior will change.The neighbors would be alone like the picture thats shown. Everyone will be evil and probably think they cast spells on others to make them act the same way they are.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbors will change if I believe they are witches. They'll act different from other and maybe even me.The witches might cast a spell on me and I might be a witch just like them.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone act indiffrencely and having a strange behaviour as far as doing things such as lighting candles,all over your house, eating or killing animals,keeping your childern away from others,and being evil all the time, would make me think they are witches. FROM:Zacchaeus Shavers
ReplyDelete