Assignment #2: Act I of The Crucible

Now that you have an understanding of the Salem Witch Trials, you are ready to begin reading the text!

The Crucible by Arthur Miller recounts the events of the Salem Witch Trials in a fictionalized way; though the dialogue and events may not actually have happened in this exact way, many of the events and characters are, in fact, based upon reality. This is important to remember as you read the text because, in the context of the play, it is easy to adore some characters and vilify others; do remember, however, that real people are composed of both good and evil and nothing is always as clear-cut.

Your first assignment, then, is to summarize the events of Act I. You may complete this in one of two ways; you may complete a summary paragraph that you can type and include in the comments section, or you may create a timeline (like the ones we create in class) and include it in the comments section, either by typing it or taking a photograph and posting it.

Your second assignment will be to create a "family tree" or character map of the major characters. How are they relevant to one another? What is the relationship they have to the setting, the events, the outcome? Here is an example, from Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Please post both by Monday, February 8. I will give you time to work with one another; you may work on this together, but each student must submit his/her own summary and character map. Also remember that you must be making comments on each others' work. If you cannot post them in the comments section, please email them to me and I will post them in a blog post for other students to see and make comments.

Good luck; please check back soon because I will post some more questions for you!