English 1B
Seminars 7 and 8
Pick two of the topics listed below and write a 3-5 paragraph mini-essay in response to each question. Include quotes from the play in your response.
- Sex: What is the role of sexual repression in the phenomenon of the witch trials? How is sex as a driving force in the accusations of innocent people?
- Greed: Discuss how greed might have fueled the fire in the witch hysteria. Who stands to gain economically from the trials?
- Generation Gap: Analyze the conflict between generations in this play. What are some of the sources of conflict between the older and younger generations, and how might those conflicts have added to the hysteria?
- Power: Analyze the power structure of Salem at the time the play is set. Who has the power in this society? How do they wield that power? Who challenges that power, and how do they do it? How does this incident fundamentally change the power structure of this community? What do you think Miller was trying to say about power and human nature?
- Motivation: The people who cry out against one another in this book seem to have varied reasons for doing so. What motivates people to accuse each other in this book? Do they achieve their goals or desires as a result of their actions? What do you think Miller was trying to demonstrate by including all these examples?
- History Repeats Itself: What historical parallels do you see between Miller’s time and 1692 Salem? What further parallels can you see in our own time? What parallels does Miller emphasize in the play, and how do these parallels illustrate Miller's larger conclusions about human nature?
- Dramatic Hero? Do you think John Proctor is a tragic hero in the tradition of Aristotle? Consider Proctor's character and choices in relation to Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero.
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Extra Credit options for The Crucible: (up to 30 points)
- Pick a third topic from the list above and write another 3-5 paragraph mini-essay, using quotes from the play to back up your ideas.
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