...Cornered in the Roundhouse “Irony is wasted on the stupid,” Oscar Wilde once said. This quote certainly applies to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, because by carelessly reading this play, you might miss some of its genius. The author uses irony in many different ways to create different poignant emotions. Sometimes he makes a humorous little remark that might fly right over an unsuspecting head. Other times he puts his readers through pure agony as character’s fates are sealed before their eyes. True to form as a skilled author, Miller uses dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. In The Crucible, dramatic irony is used to create suspense in various situations. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that a character in the play does not know. When used correctly, it will significantly raise the tension of any given moment. This is exemplified by the following dialogue: ”Danforth: Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! Elizabeth: No, sir.” (Act III). The audience knows that if Elizabeth just tells the truth, it will save her husband. However, without...
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...In The Crucible, Arthur Miller carefully describes a society which has plummeted into a pit of hysteria, with citizens hurling desperate accusations and lies at one another. In the midst of the chaos, Rebecca Nurse emerges as one of the rare rational characters who represents hope and strength in the face of her community’s growing disharmony. In return for her sensible advice to her fellow citizens, they turn and accuse Rebecca of witchcraft and cause her execution: within this blatant abuse of the justice system lies the greatest injustice in the play. Arthur Miller establishes situational irony surrounding Rebecca Nurse’s execution. Throughout the play, Rebecca Nurse acts as the moral compass to which Miller compares all the other characters....
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...“A man may be aware that there is something...hollow in his own way of life, but still lack the power to express it in memorable language.” (Prudhoe). In the Crucible, several people notice the obvious corruption that lies in the Salem witch trials, but are unable to fight it due to lack of power. In Act three of The Crucible (1953), Arthur Miller expresses his frustration at the perpetual power grab under the façade of justice. Miller uses juxtaposition, dramatic irony, and selective dialogue in order to show how when struggling to clear one’s name, cold-hard facts are often overlooked in exchange for the promise of influence. The purpose of the act is to demonstrate that in every play for power, there must be pawns to manipulate and facts...
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...John Proctor is a man of high individual honesty who battles with blame. Proctor's view of an ethically noble individual is one who is "right with God". The fundamental objectives of the general population in the town is that you are to go to church, comply with the standards, and pray a specific measure of times each day. Proctor knows that he could escape with lying, yet he couldn't on account that God knew the reality. This influences his choice to admit on the grounds that it would have been a lie. Proctor's association with God would have finished in the event if he didn't come clean tell the truth. Proctor's open-minded personality is present by his peers and this tendency to speak his mind is respected in the village, but his righteousness rebounds when he is also accused by them. He had trusted that the general population in the town would not deceive somebody as solid and direct as himself, however, he had mis-understood this. His issue with Abigail fills him with self-hatred since he expects trustworthiness and honesty in others. His mistake in his own inability to stay devoted to Elizabeth fills him with blame due to his selling out to her. He declines to admit to his infidelity at to begin with, until he understands that attempting to spare his trustworthiness won't have much effect if he dies either way. He trusted that he would pick up God's pardoning for his wrongdoing and his honesty was a test that his heart was pure. Proctor is more worried about his association...
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...Lindsey Sibille Ms. Gonzales AP English III, 1 16 October 2015 The Crucible Book Card Assignment Authorial Background Arthur Miller is the award-winning playwright of The Crucible along with many other famous plays such as Death Of a Salesman and All My Sons. Born in Manhattan in 1915, Miller experienced the pressing and devastating times of the Great Depression and both World Wars. His first two plays were The Man Who Had All the Luck and All My Sons, with the latter being performed on Broadway in 1949. His next play, Death of A Salesman, received a Tony award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer prize. These awards allowed him to rise to fame and helped his career skyrocket. Despite his successful playwriting...
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...The Crucible Act Three Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Describe one piece of evidence that Giles, Francis, or Proctor bring before the court to show that the girls are lying. 2. What does Abigail do to distract Danforth from Hale’s accusations that she is lying? 3. How does Hale show that he believes that the court is not doing the right thing? Use three details from the text in your response. 4. Danforth explains that “. . . a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.” What conclusion can you draw about Danforth’s character from this line? 5. How does Hale excuse Elizabeth’s lie about Abigail’s affair with Proctor? 6. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. How does his philosophy flame the hysteria? Use details from the drama to support your response. 7. How do Hale and Parris try to thwart each other, or act as foils, in regards to Danforth and the court? Use details from the drama to support your response. 8. Describe the point at which you think the plot reaches its highest intensity, or climax. 9. After the outbreak in court, Mr. Danforth makes the following short statement to Mr. Hale: I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! In your own words, describe what Mr. Hale has said or done to instigate Mr. Danforth’s...
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...Thematic Questions 1. What is a crucible and how is it used? Justify Miller’s choice of title for his play. A crucible is a ceramic container that can withstand very high temperature and is used for metal, glass and pigment production as well as a number of modern laboratory processes. Miller’s choice of the title “The Crucible” is due to the same reason as the courtroom being referred to as a crucible: using the heat of questioning and scrutiny, they burned away all the impurities, i.e. lies and half-truths, to get the purified product the “truth”. 2. How do Hale’s preconceptions influence his interpretation of events? How does his interpretation change? What are the implications of his conversion? Hale’s preconceptions has influenced his interpretation of events in that he initially thought that he had the authority over the town due to his extensive knowledge of witchcraft. He expected to find witches, however his interpretation changes throughout the play as he realises that innocent townspeople are being falsely accused, such as John Proctor. The implications of his conversion are when he encourages the accused to confess, i.e. the good people to lie, even though he believes that he is doing the “Devil’s work”. 3. Proctor calls Hale “Pontius Pilate.” Explain the allusion. Do you agree or disagree? The allusion is that Pontius Pilate was the ruler in Bethlehem who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the order of the Jewish leadership, despite the...
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...Arthur Miller gives us this play, which represents many things. He shows us people we can relate to and understand. We see trials and tribulations that these characters go through which helps us seem them as raw and unperfect people. Through these effects he establishes the foundations of The Crucible: courage, truth , and weakness which are represented by many characters throughout the play. Elizabeth Proctor, one of the plays most important characters, resembles truth like no other in the play. The part where she reveals her honesty and character is when she is called in front of the court to testify against Abigail Williams for comiting adultery with her husband. In this moment, she lies to protect her husband. Here she is honest to her husband and to her marriage. She is honest and tries to the bigger person in times of trial which is something we can all admire her for. John Proctor, like his wife, has not only superior morals and character, but more courage than the average man. Proctor shows us multiple times that he is more than willing to stand up for...
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...According to The Crucible, lying is a constant factor in the play, and it always ends in destruction. Take Elizabeth Proctor, for example. In the beginning, she found lying a horrid thing to do; however, when the play starts to develop into the witch trials, she results in lying and basically kills her husband in the process. Although Elizabeth Proctor doesn’t change as much as other characters, her refinement did show the reader how lying is never the way to go as well as the beginning of John’s destruction. Prior to the story, one of the main conflicts is the affair between John Proctor and Abigail Williams. As his wife, Elizabeth knows of his affair: “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John, only somewhat bewildered” (Miller 18). Even when Proctor cheats on her, she does not sully his good name. Her actions are not immoral; therefore, it presents her as a rightful woman. Nevertheless, her reputable standard foreshadowed the inevitable....
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...Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” is a fictional account of the real life Salem witch trials, but the play has far deeper meanings than just a dramatic interpretation of the event. While it does provide an entertaining experience at face value, the true literary genius behind the work is Miller’s insight on human nature and the depravity of man. He uses the story of the witch trials to touch on hypocrisy, tendency to turn to revenge, and human weakness. Firstly, the theme of hypocrisy is found amongst the town of Salem as a whole, especially those who support the witch trials. They are supposed to have strong Christian values, yet they are extremely vindictive. More specifically, Mary Warren says that she is doing the Lord’s work, when in fact she is contributing to the deaths of people who know and love God. “I must tell you, sir, I will be gone every day now. I am amazed you do not see what weighty work we do,” (56) she says in act II. Another example is the hypocrisy within the Salem court system. Judge Danforth claims that his court reveals all truth when he says, “We burn a hot fire here:...
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... 29 November 2014 Power of Guilt In modern society, concealing guilt is often given a negative connotation, however, the implications that are associated with guilt and sins are human creations. Guilt, the result of shameful mistakes, is associated with infirmity, cowardice, and self-centeredness due to the fear of exposure. These three mesmerizing works, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Pie” by Gary Soto and, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, address the theme of guilt and the consequences of concealing one’s guilt. The Scarlet Letter considered one of the most famous of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, is set in the1850s in Boston, Massachusetts. The plot revolves around a Puritan community and a woman named Hester. “The Pie”, written in Fresno, California in 1991, is an autobiographical narrative that illustrates Soto’s sin when he steals a pie from the grocery store and experiences the feeling of guilt along with a few other consequences. “The Crucible” was written in 1953 and exposes the truths about the Salem Witchcraft trials, in Massachusetts. Ultimately, through their respective protagonists’ acts of aggression and violations of boundaries, authors Hawthorne, Soto, and Miller illustrate that the guilt derived from sin itself, especially if concealed from society, can cause emotional and mental torture, leading to everlasting internal punishment, and an increase in remorseful feelings. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne...
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...LC Plays and Performance – Formative Assesment To what extent are the plays you have studied on this module concerned with issues of gender? Both The Crucible by Arthur Miller and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare are highly evocative pieces of theatre that have transcended the category of brilliance and have had a profound effect on the course of Western literature and culture. Both plays explore a broad range of themes, from the supernatural to comments on the power of religion in society. However, I have chosen to explore the ways in which they portray the theme of gender. Firstly I will examine the issues regarding gender in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in particular the oppression of the female characters. I will explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of Titania and Hermia and his ability to disguise the deeper feminist consciousness that is at work. I will then look at the way in which gender is presented in Miller’s The Crucible, ranging from the heroic depiction of John Proctor to the oppositional presentations of Abigail and Elizabeth. William Shakespeare is a famously suggestive author in terms of highlighting issues regarding gender ideology. Although in some works, such as Othello, he reflects and arguably supports the stereotyping of men and women, he is also seen to challenge such representations. A Midsummer Night’s Dream dramatizes tensions between genders, from a young woman quarrelling with her father for the right to choose her own husband, to Theseus...
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...Nwobi 1 Odera Nwobi AP Language & composition September 21, 2014 CRR #1- The Crucible I. Author/Introduction Arthur Miller; an American playwright, born in the early 1900’s, 1915 to be precise. He was born into a very wealthy family. He was not very wealthy for a very long time, after the stock market crash in 1929. He had to do odd job to be able to pay for his college. After college, he career was a little rocky after his first play The Man Who Had All the Luck closed after four performances. After a while, his show All my Son earned him his first award. He wrote over 50 different works ranging from plays, novels, articles. His best play was Death of a Salesman which earned him a lot of fame. Another popular play he wrote was The Crucible. This play was a reflection of the Salem witch trial back in 1692. He was considered a communist because he advocated principles of equality among the classes, and social justice. He was married three times. He was once married to the popular actress Marilyn Monroe. Arthur Miller died in 2005 at the age of 89. II. Vocabulary Gibberish- meaningless or unintelligent talk. Trepidation- trembling or quivering movement. Subservient- serving or acting in a subordinate capacity. Shudder- to tremble with a sudden convulsive movement as from horror, fear, or cold. Calumny- a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something. Titillated- to excite or arouse agreeably. Sniveling- to weep...
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...The Black Money Bill-During the Budget Session, Parliament passed the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Bill, 2015 -30% tax on undisclosed income or the value of an undisclosed asset held abroad by a resident assessee, starting from assessment year 2016–17 (tax year 2015–16) -tough penalties and jail terms on Indian residents’ unaccounted incomes and wealth holding in foreign locations that have avoided the taxman’s scrutiny - it applies only to illegal money held or earned abroad, though there is the promise of a separate bill for unaccounted/unreported incomes held in different forms within the country. -Implementing the law, of course, requires identifying undisclosed income stashed or invested in a foreign location. That, as past experience reveals, is neither easy nor rigorously pursued -the Black Money Bill seems to be just another headline-grabbing effort at making a show that the NDA government is keeping to its campaign promise of bringing back black money held abroad by Indians -it is not the weakness of the law that results in the accumulation of the black money, but the failure of the monitoring and prosecuting mechanism to prevent the generation of illegal incomes and identify tax evasion even on legally earned incomes -In fact, the way the tax laws and the system are structured, merely unearthing what is black and making it white would not, in itself, make much difference to the nature and the outcome of India’s...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH LINDA NEAL UNDERWOOD S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. The politically ambitious character of Macbeth is as timely today as he was to Shakespeare's audience. Mary McCarthy says in her essay about Macbeth, "It is a troubling thought that Macbeth, of all Shakespeare's characters, should seem the most 'modern,' the only one you could transpose into contemporary battle dress or a sport shirt and slacks." (Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed...
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