Intro Notes – Mr. McGowan English 3

AUTHOR:Arthur Miller

DATE:1952

GENRE:Drama (Play)Historical

Fiction POINT OF VIEW:

3rd person

1500’s in England Religious group – felt

the English church wasn’t “pure” enough

Attacked for their beliefs in England

Why did they come to America?

Plymouth – 1620 Boston, Salem - 1630

1. THEOCRACY

No Separation of CHURCH and STATE

“Theo” = ___________; “-ocracy” = ___________

2. Belief in “Predestination”

3. Emphasis on HARD WORK and SACRIFICE

4. Forced Religious PracticeHow is this IRONIC?IRONY: The difference between _____________ and ___________________________.

1692 Local girls start acting

in bizarre ways Screamed, threw

chairs, said strange sounds, crawled under furniture

Doctors could find no medical reason

Superstitious townspeople began to suspect girls were victims of WITCHCRAFT

Girls began to accuse townspeople of witchcraft

First – just derelicts like homeless and drunks

Then, more prominent people (Old grudges)

Over 150 people arrested and jailed for suspicion of witchcraft

If confessed, were spared. No confession = execution

30 people convicted – 20 died (19 hanged)

310 Essex Street, Salem, MAHome of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin

Mass hysteria, moral panic, mob lynching

Prosecution of any and all “enemies”

Assumed guilty unless can prove innocence

Salem “McCarthyism”

1950’s Post-9/11

TRAGEDYGreek: Gods decide a hero’s fate

English: Great heroes/kings(Shakespeare)

American: Ordinary people cause

their own downfallUsually because of too

much PRIDE

TRAGIC HERO

Main character of a tragedy

DYNAMIC character – has both good and bad traits

TRAGIC FLAW

Character’s greatest strength is also greatest weakness

STAGE DIRECTIONS

Not spoken dialogue, but tells actors what to do or how to say lines

EXPOSITION

RISING ACTION

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

Sets the scene, characters, conflict(s)

Tension rises in story

High point in the story

Tension lessens

Conflicts resolves

Salem Town Hall Salem = “Witch

City” House of the Seven

Gables Pioneer Village

JOHN PROCTOR ABIGAIL WILLIAMS ELIZABETH

PROCTOR REVEREND PARRIS THOMAS PUTNAM GILES COREY REVEREND HALE

Ann Putnam Mary Warren Tituba Rebecca Nurse Other girls Townspeople Ezekiel Cheever Judge Danforth

Salem Witch Museum

Custom House

Pickering WharfSalem Marketplace