Jack

Topic 1

Stage directions are a tool often disregarded by play writes. It helps to gain an overall understanding of the play and can help set the tone of a play. The tone which I adopt towards the subject of witch trials and witch-hunts, and towards the characters that perpetuate them, is unequivocally critical. The tone in the first act was one of suspicion and hysteria. All the town folk wonder what the girls were doing out in the woods, while the girls wonder what they can do or say to not get caught. The tone comes out through the characters dialogue but I believe it can be enhanced by the stage directions. I chose to use adverbs often to describe how something is done, and really help the actor or actress convey their character to the best of their ability.

Topic 2

Many believe that Abigail's quick temper and personal vendetta over Elizabeth proctor to be the catalyst behind the witch hunts of Salem in 1692, however, I beg to differ. The trials in //The Crucible// take place against the backdrop of a deeply religious and superstitious society, and most of the characters in the play seem to believe that rooting out witches from their community is God’s work. However, there are plenty of simmering feuds and rivalries in the small town that have nothing to do with religion, and many Salem residents take advantage of the trials to express long-held grudges and exact revenge on their enemies. Abigail, the original source of the hysteria, has a grudge against Elizabeth Proctor because Elizabeth fired her after she discovered that Abigail was having an affair with her husband, John Proctor. As the ringleader of the girls whose “visions” prompt the witch craze, Abigail happily uses the situation to accuse Elizabeth and have her sent to jail. Meanwhile, Reverend Parris, a paranoid and insecure figure, begins the play with a precarious hold on his office, and the trials enable him to strengthen his position within the village by making scapegoats of people like Proctor who question his authority. Among the minor characters, the wealthy, ambitious Thomas Putnam has a bitter grudge against Francis Nurse for a number of reasons: Nurse prevented Putnam’s brother-in-law from being elected to the Salem ministry, and Nurse is also engaged in a bitter land dispute with one of Putnam’s relatives. In the end, Rebecca, Francis’s virtuous wife, is convicted of the supernatural murders of Ann Putnam’s dead babies. Thus, the Putnams not only strike a blow against the Nurse family but also gain some measure of twisted satisfaction for the tragedy. This bizarre pursuit of “justice” typifies the way that many of the inhabitants approach the witch trials as an opportunity to gain ultimate satisfaction for simmering resentments by convincing themselves that their rivals are beyond wrong, that they are in league with the devil. Topic 3 During pages 132 and 133, Danforth and Hathorne’s treatment of Proctor reveals an obsessive need to preserve the appearance of order and justify their actions as well as a hypocritical attitude about honesty. They want Proctor to sign a confession that admits his own status as a witch, testifies to the effect that he saw the other six prisoners in the company of the devil, and completely corroborates the court’s findings. While they seek to take advantage of Proctor’s reputation for honesty in order to support their claims of having conducted themselves justly, Danforth and Hathorne are wholly unwilling to believe Proctor when he says that he has conducted himself justly. The dialogue over the two pages turns into a hysterical stand form Proctor as he defies death and refuses to sign his confession. To convey this scene of hysteria and panic, I would suggest that Proctor be wild eyed and bedraggled after spending weeks in prison. There should be constant looks between Proctor and Elizabeth to reinforce their love for each other and make this already frantic scene that little bit more poignant.

Topic 4 Reputation is the way that other people perceive you. Integrity is the way you perceive yourself. Several characters in The Crucible face a tough decision: to protect their reputation or their integrity. Parris, Abigail, and others to protect their reputations. Rebecca Nurse and, eventually, John Proctor, choose to protect their integrity. In rigid communities like Salem, a bad reputation can result in social or even physical punishment. The Crucible argues that those most concerned with reputation, like Parris, are dangerous to society: to protect themselves, they’re willing to let others be harmed and fuel hysteria in the process. In contrast, The Crucible shows that those who favour integrity by admitting mistakes and refusing to lie just to save their own lives help defy hysteria. Willing to die for what they believe in, they put a stop to the baseless fear that feeds hysteria. Towards the end of the play Danforth is forces Proctor into signing a confession and in doing so Proctor was coerced into telling the names of all practising witches. Proctor, however refuses Danforth's request, “Because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life. Because I lie and sign my name to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of those that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!!” These few lines show the value of one's name in a community such as Salem's, however, Proctor's blind refusal to taint his name leads to his inevitable death. Topic 5 The Crucible is set in a small town based on strict religious morals, a rarity in contemporary society. The church has seen its power wane over the past few centuries and its hold over individuals is less pronounced but this idea of mass hysteria is still relevant to the present world. The parallel of McCarthyism which many view as the inspiration for the play, is just one of many. Perhaps the severity and the implications of mass hysteria today has tempered but this act to be caught up in excitement or paranoia is part of human nature. For example, fads, the very negation of reason. Thousands of people all expectant for a new beauty product is absurd, but it is of now doubt a form of mass hysteria. There are obviously more harrowing examples of mass hysteria, such as in 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas, 34 people were sent to the hospital after they complained about having symptoms when they mistakenly thought they had been exposed to carbon monoxide. This ability though of one event or person to cause an outbreak of madness is strangely unnerving, however, as aforementioned it is within our nature to believe what we have been told. So even though The Crucible was written 50 years ago as a mirror of the 'red hunts' it is all very applicable today.

Rather unsupported points at time although you show a decent knowledge of the play as a whole. Topic 4 and 5 are dealt with in depth but the earier paragraphs are rather light. Remember to use close textual refecernce when referring to the play. The organisation of your paragraphs becomes a little disjointed when yopu split the paragraphs up into seperate parts - they should be one cohesive whole.

K&U - 3 Lit Features - 3 Interpretation - 4

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