Now that you have read The Crucible for understanding, think more critically about the play and push beyond your initial thoughts
Activity 18: Thinking Critically – Act 4
Now that you have read The Crucible for understanding, think more critically about the play and push beyond your initial thoughts about what is going on in the drama. These questions should facilitate such thinking.
Take notes for each of these questions during/after the reading and respond to the prompt at the bottom of the assignment:
Arthur Miller sets act 4 in the fall, half a year after the events in the play began, and three months after the dramatic courtroom scene at the end of act 3. The audience learns about the events during this three-month gap through characters retelling in act 4 rather than by seeing the events directly. What is the effect of this shift in time for you as a reader/viewer of the play? Why do you think Miller made this choice?
How would you describe Reverend Hale’s changing perspective on the crisis in Salem over the course of the play? What motivates his perspective?
Compare Hale’s and Parris’s perspectives toward those accused of witchcraft who await execution. What motivates their perspectives toward the accused?
How would you evaluate Giles Corey’s fate? How is Giles able to wield power even in the end?
How is John Proctor’s response to the request that he sign his confession both a loss and a victory? How does his decision enable him to exert power?
Looking at questions 4 & 5 choose one of these characters, Giles Corey or John Proctor, and explain how he was able to show his use of power in this final act of the play. Why do YOU think it was important for that character to use this type of power despite the consequences? Explain your answer and provide evidence from the text to support your analysis of the character (your opinion of the character).
Answer preview to now that you have read The Crucible for understanding, think more critically about the play and push beyond your initial thoughts
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