Elements of Plot in Drama
-Exposition: setting; background that sets up a story
-Rising Action: events that provide an ascent toward the climax
-Climax: the high point of a story; the major turning point
-Falling Action: events that provide a descent toward the resolution
-Resolution: the end of a story; the "resolved" outcome of a story
-Foil: minor character whose traits contrast sharply with those of the main character
-Monologue: a long speech spoken by a single character to himself or herself, or to the audience.
-Soliloquy: a monologue in which a character speaks his/her private thoughts aloud and appears to be unaware of the audience.
-Aside: a short speech or comment that is delivered by a character to the audience, but that is beyond the hearing of other characters who are present.
-Spectral Evidence: a church member could just say/accuse someone of being a witch and the accused would/could die for it. IT was as easy as that.
-The testimony of a church member who claimed to have seen a person's spirit performing witchcraft was enough to sentence the accused to death.
The Crucible-Act One
Reverend Parris-a widower, thought children should follow rules and speak when spoken to, has a daughter who is 10 years old named Betty
Salem was a fairly new town, about 40 years old
Europe viewed Salem as a land inhabited by fanatics (very/excessively religious folks)
No novelists/writers existed and even if there had been, no books would have been allowed except the bible
Very uptight and strict community of people-no vain enjoyment allowed really. A holiday was considered a time for more prayer.
The community would share food and help each other build buildings and such. Hard work and prayer was heavily relied upon to keep peoples’ morals intact.
In the small town, everyone knew everyone else’s business, and that foreshadows the upcoming spread of lies and accusations.
People were stuck up towards the Indians because they failed to convert them to their religion. In failing to convert the Indians, the Puritans believed the Indians’ forests to be “the devil’s last preserve.”
Puritans believed they held the light that brightened the world, and this belief helped to discipline them.
The first Jamestown settlers arrived to the “New World” hoping to harvest riches and return to England very wealthy people.
The Salem tragedy developed form a paradox (a contradictive statement that is true). “For good purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy (a combination of state and religious power) which was supposed to keep everyone together.”
The witch hunt was a manifestation of the panic that was settling in due to the peoples’ individual freedom increasing.
Townspeople began accusing others to make themselves feel better or to justify their own guilty thoughts or actions. For example, a man that may want to have sexual relations with another woman aside from his wife may accuse the “other woman” of coming into his bed and “suffocating” him although no such instance has ever taken place.
Land lust and hate against others could now be resolved by the accusation of witchcraft without guilt. It basically went like this: “Give me your land, or I’ll tell people you’re a witch!”
The reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty, will not wake up and is lying in bed.
Tituba- Parris’ Negro slave, in her 40’s, brought from Barbados
Abigail Williams- 17 years old, beautiful, reverend’s niece, an orphan
Susanna- doctor Grigg’s helper, younger than Abigail
Mrs. Ann Putnam- a twisted soul, 45 years old, death-ridden woman who is haunted by dreams
Mr. Putnam- landowner, near 50 years old; has a vengeful nature and wants to redeem his “name” in the village however he can after it had a not so great history. His name has dirt, therefore, he wants revenge by accusation of witchcraft.
Mercy Lewis- fat, sly, merciless girl, 18 years old
Mary Warren- 17 years old, servant-like girl for the Proctors, lonely and naïve.
John Proctor-fierce yet gentle, hard-working, loyal to god, a lecher-- but a good man at heart.
Elizabeth Proctor-quiet tempered, religious woman, loyal to her husband and loving mother to her children
Parris' daughter Betty is lying sick in bed and won't move. Abigail and Parris argue about the dancing in the woods that he caught Tituba and the girls doing. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam's daughter Ruth is also sick in bed. The town begins talking of witchcraft. After Reverend Hale arrives, Parris and he, convinced Tituba has "walked with the devil" whip her until she confesses and is "saved" by God for it. But then she must tell them who she saw walking with the devil. She tells them she saw Goody Osborn and Goody Good. After this, all the girls including Abigail begin shouting the names of the people they supposedly "saw with the devil." In this act we also learn of Abigail and Proctor's affair, although he has put a stop to it and confessed it to his wife, Elizabeth.
Act 2
Almost the whole town of women have been accused of witchcraft, everyday more and more women are accused and tried. If they confess to it, they may live. If not, they are hanged. John Proctor's wife is taken on account of Abigail accusing her of witchcraft and other wives are taken away from their husbands and families. Mary Warren has become part of the court and has been helping the girls with their cases. She knows it is pretend, she just got caught up in all the commotion of it. John Proctor makes her go to court and confess this to the judges.
Act 3
Mary Warren and John go to court to confess that she knows the other girls to be pretending and making everything up. Mary confesses it, cautiously, and the other girls claim that she is lying. Abigail and the other girls begin to act crazy and accuse Mary of "sending her spirit out on them." John is beyond anger at this point and tells the judges of his affair with Abigail. The judges bring in Elizabeth to confirm any truth in the matter. She lies for the first time in her life for John to save his name because she does not know that he already confessed it. She says that he did not have an affair. Mary then begins to go along with the other girls' act and says that "she loves God!" John is arrested.
Act 4
Abigail runs away after robbing Parris. john is to hang if he does not confess "seeing the devil." The court summons Elizabeth to try and convince him to confess and save his life. He confesses and signs a paper that confirms his confession, but he does not want his name to be ruined in the town because, as he proclaims, "My name is all I have!" He rips up the signed paper and changes his mind. He decides not to lie and live, but rather die with an honest and honorable heart. John, Goody Nurse, and Corey die at the end. Elizabeth states, after John's decision, that, "He has his goodness now."
Crucible
1) A ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.
2) A place or occasion of severe test or trial
3) A place or situation in which different elements interact to produce something new.
Origin: late Middle English, from Medieval Latin “crucibulum-night lamp, crucible”
(Perhaps originally a lamp hanging in front of a crucifix)
