The Crucible

Introduction

Remember playing "Telephone" when you were little? The first person would start a phrase and by the end the words, meaning, and truth of it all were turned inside out, around and upside down. In the play "The Crucible," by Arthur Miller, gossip, deception, fear and lust take hold of a Salem society in much the same way they do today. Lives are ruined and lost becaause of the firey tounge of a few who set ablaze an entire community where justice is a mockery and a sense of self challenged. This play will really leave you 'hanging'! 

  Miller's purpose for creating this play was in response to Mcarthyism of the 1950's. During this webquest you will come to understand more about 1692 Salem and its correlation to Mcarthysim and society today. The ultimate goal is to draw comparisions from the similarities in both situations and apply them to the "witch hunts" of today that occur at a classroom, school, community, state, national and global level. Happy Hunting!

Task

Focus Areas for this Web Quest

  • Puritanism and 1692 Salem
  • McCarthyism 
  • "The Crucible"

Process

If any of the links do not work, try copying and pasting them into your Url.

In groups of 3-4 you will need to gather information from the links below in order to answere the questions for each section. Upon completion of your independent research collaborate with your group to: Compare findings, determine strongest contributions, return to research if needed.

Begin here : http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem in order to garner a deeper understanding of the term "witch hunt" and what it really entailed.

Answer: How does it go beyond accusing someone of witch craft? What is really at the heart of the accusastions? Feel the futility of it all here. In your group answer this questions independently and collectively: "How far would you be willing to go to save your reputaion?


1692 Salem & Puritanism

http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/chronology.shtml - A Series of Unfortunate Events (copy and paste this link. It WILL NOT work if you click on it)

http://www.17thc.us/docs/fact-fiction.shtml - Fiction or Fact?

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM - Historical account

http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/ - A "grave" situation (copy and paste this link. It WILL NOT work if you click on it)

http://www.salemweb.com/guide/witches.shtml - See Salem!

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

  1. Describe Puritan life
  2. Explain the changes/artistic liberties Miller took with his telling of the story.
  3. How did his changing parts of what happened affect the outcome of the play? 
  4. Who or what is the major cause of the trials, which characters hold the most responsiblity and why?
  5. Could the trials have been avoided? Chose a position and defend.

McCarthyism

 McCarthyism- http://www.shmoop.com/mccarthyism-red-scare/joseph-mccarthy.html

http://www.apl.org/community/hist/mccarthy - McCarthy Bio

http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/congcomms.html - Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses


http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/schrecker-legacy.html - Legacy of McCarthyism

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

  1.  What events and accusations started the hysteria that led up to McCarthyism?
  2. Give examples of discrimination. What role did discrimination play in causing "The Red Scare"? 
  3. What do you believe caused McCarthy to do what he did? 
  4. How did this hysteria impact those accused?
  5. How did the public respond when somone was a accused? 

The Crucible 

Here are quick links to use for defending your answers

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/the-crucible/play-summary.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/

                                                                                 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. What motivates Abigail and Paris to continue with their accusations.

2. Why do you think Danforth and Hawthorne so unwilling to rethink their position?

CONCLUSION

Conclusions and Comparison (to be done all together)

After all of that research, what do all of the situations have in common?

  1.  What similarities does John Proctor Share with Arthur Miller?
  2.  In the play and real life what factors and fallacies cause the situation to spin out of control?
  3.  What are the similarities between those accused in 1692 and those accused during the Red Scare?
  4. What traits do the accusers during both periods of history share? 
  5. Are there similarities in how both situations could have been avoided/
  6. What "witch hunts" occur today at the school level, community level, national level and global level?