Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the play, and support their choices with details from the text. For best practices, see our article with specific lesson plan steps on setting up your classroom and activities for themes, symbols, and motifs.
Fear and suspicion can cause normal and peaceful people, neighbors and friends, to turn on one another. Throughout the play, it is fear that drives the lies and deceit and ultimately cause the downfall of many.
When people make judgments, it is often irreversible. This is why prejudices are so lethal. In the play, each condemned person is only offered their freedom after they sell someone else out. For some, this is easy and for others, they know that what they are doing is wrong. Those who are different become easy targets. Naming people becomes an effective way to get revenge. Many people were seen giving false testimony about their neighbor, just to inherit their neighbors' land once they were hanged.
Throughout the play, each person's reputation in town is mentioned. On several occasions, the people act a certain way solely to keep the up appearances. For example, Parris often is worried that Abigail will tarnish his reputation and with the antics in the woods, he begins to fear for his job. He attempts to protect his reputation by choosing to believe that Abigail has seen people consorting with the Devil. By helping to point the finger, no one is pointing it at him. Parris's reputation is exactly the opposite of John Proctor's. Proctor's reputation in town is fair. However, he is willing to tarnish it by exposing his adultery to ultimately save all in town who are accused. In the end, he refuses to confess to witchcraft; he asks Judge Danforth to take his soul, but leave his name. Rebecca Nurse's reputation as a good Christian make some question the validity of the accusations when she is named.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Crucible. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Ask the students to read The Crucible multiple times to understand the plot. The story/ play should be read once in the class with the help of the teacher and once at home as an independent study. Encourage the students to highlight any confusing points or points they think require a detailed explanation for discussion later.
After reading the story thoroughly, students will be able to identify the central ideas discussed in the story. These themes are not always visible but are the driving force behind any conflict in the story. Help the students recognize this driving force and ask them to list down whatever comes to their minds.
Compare the character traits and motivations at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story. Guide the students to discuss what sort of changes have occurred and what part the themes played in this change. Assess how certain things were perceived before and after the climax by the main characters.
Find key passages in the play when the themes are very evident or alter significantly. The students can comprehend the development of the ideas by understanding these turning points. These twists and turns in the story are somewhat unexpected and always take the readers by surprise.
Ask the students to observe how each topic changes from the play's beginning to its conclusion. Note any changes in the degree of difficulty, significance, or severity. Students can also create a theme chart that visually depicts the development of themes.
Hysteria and widespread terror, reputation and morality, authority and control, guilt and innocence, prejudice, and the tension between personal convictions and community norms are all common themes in "The Crucible." These themes are the backbone of the story and are responsible for all the significant events taking place in the story.
Integrity is a major subject, especially in relation to John Proctor's persona. The play's examination of morality revolves around his battle to uphold his moral standards in the face of cultural pressure. In contrast, Reverend Parris is the one who is the most concerned about his reputation and would do anything to save his face and his job even if it means pointing fingers at other people which creates a difficult situation for many people in the town.