Intro to the crucible quiz

who is Arthur Miller?

He is the American playwrite who wrote The Crucible in 1953 which is a play about the Salem Witch Trials

Allegory

a story in which characters, events, and actions are used to convey ulterior concepts and meanings, which are often political,

social, or moral in nature.

McCarthyism

The political practice of making baseless, indiscriminate allegations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason—specifically accusing people of being communists

what is McCarthyism

When Senator McCarthy made people accuse each other for being Communists.

How was McCarthyism Fueled?

Fear of Communism spreading, Post World War II:

Fear of nuclear war - Soviet Union

developed atomic bomb in 1949

-1949, China became communist nation

-Suspected Communist spies in U.S.

Government

How was McCarthyism Fueled? pt. 2

-Suspected Communists in the 1950s were encouraged to confess and identify other Communists

-To escape punishment

-Encouraged many false confessions

-To outsiders, it looked as if the U.S. was overrun with Communists

-Contributed to Communist hysteria

Famously Accused

Albert Einstein

Arthur Miller

Communism: In Theory

-Classless society (no upper or

lower class)

-All people hold all land, factories,

and goods

-State provides housing, jobs, set

pay, and controls production,

wages, and prices

Communism in practice

-Authoritarian government, cares little for working class

-Political opposition was often restricted or suppressed.

-Seeks above all else to preserve

power

Outcomes of McCarthyism

-House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated suspected communists

-Many authors and actors were brought before committee

-Senate held hearings, which were televised

-Many lost jobs/reputations, left the country, and some even committed suicide

How did McCarthyism End?

-McCarthy could never prove any of the

charges, so people stopped believing him

-Ed Murrow (radio/ TV journalist) exposed

him for a fraud

Who was Tituba?

-Tituba was an enslaved Indigenous American

woman owned by Reverend Samuel Parris in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts.

-She was the very first person accused of

witchcraft during the infamous Salem Witch

Trials in 1692

Who was Tituba? pt.2

-Historians believe she was likely of Indigenous Caribbean and/or African descent.

-After several young girls in Salem began

experiencing strange symptoms, Tituba was

accused of using witchcraft.

-Under intense questioning and pressure, she

confessed to witchcraft and described

encounters with the Devil.

Why was Tituba important?

-She was the first target of the Salem Witch Trials.

-As an enslaved woman and outsider in Puritan society, she had little power to defend herself.

-Her story shows how fear, prejudice, and social status influenced who became accused.

Drama

A written work that tells a story through action

and speech. Meant to be acted on a stage.

Script

The overall text of the play.

Act

The major unit of action, similar to a chapter.

Stage Directions

Describes details about characters, setting,

props,costumes, lighting, and mood. Usually italicized.

Scene

A subdivision of an act in a play

Dialogue

Conversation characters have with each other

Protagonist

The central character, undergoes a change from the beginning to the end

Direct Characterization

Specific details about a character are stated explicitly

Indirect Characterization

Readers infer what a character is like based on clues in the text

Dramatic Irony

Contrast between appearance and reality in

which the reader knows more about a situation

or character than the characters do

Antagonist

Opposes the protagonist, giving rise to the conflict