Texts and Human Experiences (Rubric)

In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent
individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human
qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students
appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways language is used to shape
these representations in a range of texts in a variety of forms, modes and media.

- Individual is representative of the collective, e.g. Giles Corey – represents the

righteous, the victims.
- People are products of their contexts – life experiences shape the individual.
- Human Qualities – deceit, love, lust, fight for individual freedom, manipulation of
power, fidelity, power (megalomania).
- Human Emotions – love, paranoia, hysteria, fear etc.
- Appreciate – aesthetic value of the text – purpose – what is the writer trying to do?
- Explore – research – context (personal, historical) – how does this shape meaning?

Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and
inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the
world differently, to challenge assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may
also consider the role of storytelling throughout time to express and reflect particular lives
and cultures. By responding to a range of texts they further develop skills and confidence
using various literary devices, language concepts, modes and media to formulate a
considered response to texts.

- Anomalies – against the conformity, out of place, don't fit into context.
- Paradoxes – contradictions, doesn't seem to make sense.
- Challenging assumptions – purpose of these anomalies and paradoxes – new way of
thinking.
- Storytelling – The Crucible is a story of historical injustice – role in reflecting cultures.
- Literary devices – prose passages, language features, allegory, imagery, metaphor.

Students study one prescribed text and a range of short texts that provide rich opportunities
to further explore representations of human experiences illuminated in texts. They make
increasingly informed judgements about how aspects of these texts, for example context,
purpose, structure, stylistic and grammatical features, and form shape meaning. In addition,
students select one related text and draw from personal experience to make connections
between themselves, the world of the text and their wider world.

- CAP – Context, Audience, Purpose.

- Context – how is the writer’s context reflected through the text?
- Audience – different audiences will respond differently.
- Purpose – what is the intended effect of the text?
- How does the writer employ these aspects (purpose, structure, language) and how
do they ultimately contribute to the meaning of the text?
By responding and composing throughout the module students further develop a repertoire
of skills in comprehending, interpreting and analysing complex texts. They examine how
different modes and media use visual, verbal and/or digital language elements. They
communicate ideas using figurative language to express universal themes and evaluative
language to make informed judgements about texts. Students further develop skills in using
metalanguage, correct grammar and syntax to analyse language and express a personal
perspective about a text.

- Understanding different interpretations of the text’s meaning.

- Surface level – story about Salem Witch Trials.
- Deeper level – McCarthyism, Communism, Huac Trials.
- Helps us understand different ways of writing – how these impact the meaning.

The Crucible (Arthur Miller – 1953) - Context

Arthur Miller - Context

 Born in 1915 – in the midst of World War 1.

 Dad owned a women’s clothing manufacturing business, Mum was very supportive.
 Wall Street Crash (1929) – father becomes bankrupt – they are forced to sell their
house and move to low socioeconomic suburb.
 Arthur delivered bread every morning before school – trying to help the family.
 Post school – works at space parts company, drives trucks – saving money for Uni.
 Went to University of Michigan – studied writing, drama, tragedy.
 Working part time in 1938 as a social worker – bringing children out of gangs.
 Low paid jobs – understood insecurity of working class in industrialised urban area.
 1948 – “Death of a Salesman” – premiered on Broadway 1949, director Elia Kazan.
 1952 – Elia Kazan appeared before Huac – named 8 members of Group Theatre who
in recent years had been fellow members of the Communist Party with him.
 Miller and Kazan had been close friends for around 10 years, however, the friendship
ended after Kazan’s testimony to the Huac.
 Arthur travelled to Salem, Massachusetts to research the 1692 witch trials.
 1957 – Miller charged for contempt of Congress – questioning the authority of the
Congress by refusing to oust people – didn't want to judge other people.
 Link to Crucible – Miller was an outsider (writer, Jew) – felt like society trying to keep
him down, repress the righteous hero.

Crucible – 1953 (midst of Cold War) – Context

 America – capitalism (economic system where private individuals own and control
most production resources, and also own and run most companies) – freedom.
 Soviet Union – communism (social organisation in which all property is owned by the
public, each person contributes/receives according to their ability and needs).
 USA was worried the Soviets were going to spread communism into America.
 Fears there was already communist infiltration in film, theatre, government.
 Red Scare – fear of communist infiltration – “reds under the beds.”
Senator Joseph McCarthy – Context
  Strong hatred of communists – far left ideology (want change).
 McCarthyism – campaign to expose communists and their sympathisers.
 Initiates House Un-American Activities Committee (Huac) – 1938.
 Huac formed as the main body for trials against communist suspects – accused
people were subjected to strict surveillance – those accused were given choice to
confess and surrender, or faced being criminally charged (names of those charged
were then released and blacklisted).
 Directors, actors and artists in particular targeted – accused of injecting their artistic
works with communist agendas to infiltrate the minds of Americans.
 He had no direct involvement with Huac, however, the committee’s anti-communist
investigations are often associated with McCarthyism.
 Huac started asking people whether they were communist (in the workplace).
 Asking people to out other communist – attempt to rebel communism completely.
 Black lists were made – lists of communists – couldn't get jobs in the future.
 McCarthy trying to gain popularity through anti-communist campaign – gain support
of American public – wanted to seem patriotic.
 Miller himself was accused after publishing The Crucible – refused to give up the
names of his colleagues and was thus blacklisted and sentenced to jail (later
overturned) – strengthened his sympathy for persecuted groups in society.

Allegory

 Allegory is a story or visual image with a second distinct meaning partially hidden
behind its literal or visible meaning.
 Principle technique – personification – abstract qualities are given human shape.
 Comparing Huac and the Red Scare to witch hunting.
 Pointing out the absurdity of both.
 Drawing parallels between trying to oust communism and trying to oust witchery.
 Story about trying to eradicate witchery is on a deeper level talking about America
trying to get rid of communism.
 Allegory – hypocrites trying to pass moral judgement – trying to come across as
holier than thou in the witch hunt – compares to people blaming others in terms of
communism.
 Witch hunt of the 1600’s vs now trying to hunt out communism – same human
behaviours, motivations, ideals are still existing.

Salem Witch Trials - Context

  Series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft – defined as the
practice of magical skills, spells and abilities.
 200+ people accused.
 30 were found guilty – 19 of whom were executed by hanging.
 1 person, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to plead.
 5 others died in prison.
 Trials began in spring of 1692, when a group of young girls from Salem,
Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local
women of witchcraft.
 Court convened in Salem to hear the cases after hysteria spread in Massachusetts.

Texts and Human Experiences

 Deepen understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human

experiences.
 Texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with or arising from these
experiences.
 Appreciate the ways language shapes representations.
 Individual is representative of the collective – e.g. Giles Corey – represents the
righteous, the victims.
 People are products of their contexts – life experiences shape individual.
 Each text is a portal into an experience.
 Texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human
behaviour and motivations – due to self-preservation, desire, the world around us.
 Crucible – challenge our assumptions on uniformed ideology – cannot happen is
reality as everyone has different needs and desires.
 Individual – reputation, different motivations etc.
 Collective – fear and hysteria (drives the collective experience of the characters),
theocracy dominates the social sphere (suffocates individual freedoms, oppresses
non-conformity).

Storytelling – Rubric

 Hard because students forget about the deliberate act of representation to create a
version of the world.
 What is the composer doing to manipulate the audience into subscribing to a
particular order of events?
 Consider role of storytelling over time to express and reflect lives and cultures.
 Make judgements on – context, purpose, structure – how these shape meaning.

Why did Arthur Miller write The Crucible?

 Tell a story of historical injustice.

  Use allegory to draw parallel between Huac Trials (repel communism) and the 1692
Salem Witch Trials.

Dramatic Purpose

 Create an engaging play that explores human qualities, emotions, experiences,

motivations.
 Hamartia – fatal flaw of the protagonist, leading to their demise – e.g. John Proctor,
symbolic of the everyman, his affair leads to his downfall, however, he still maintains
heroic elements.

Polemical Purpose

 Expose the ideologically questionable/corrupt basis of McCarthyism.

The Crucible – Form (Tragic / Dramatic)

 Catharsis – release of emotion, point of tragedy.

o “I saw…. With the Devil.” Repetition – dramatic impact, hysteria – characters
controlling the narrative (e.g. Tituba confesses – she controls the narrative).
o “You forget nothing and forgive nothing.” Gives play power – powerful
language from Miller.
o “Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.”
o “Is the accuser always holy now.” Presumption of innocence – Miller’s
context (link to McCarthyism) – catharsis (heat of conflict).
o Proctor tearing up his confession.
o Elizabeth going to tell the truth, and then lying to the court.
 Anagnorisis – denouement (outcome of a situation), epiphany (realisation).
o Hale: “I denounce these proceedings.”
o Proctor – Mary Warren reveals she knows about his affair with Abby.
o “Abby’ll charge lechery on you.”

The Crucible – Characters

Betty Parris
  10 year old daughter of Reverend Parris.
 Falls into near-unconsciousness after Reverend Parris finds her and the other girls
dancing in the forest with Tituba.
 Betty’s illness fuels the original suspicions and rumours of witchcraft.

Reverend Parris

 Minister of the Salem Church.

 Paranoid, power-hungry, self-pitying figure – disliked by much of the community.
 Concerned predominately with building his position in the community.
 Motivations – self-preservation, maintaining reputation, maintaining power (link to
the pressures he is put under as minister – must uphold Christian values).
 Plutolatry – excessive respect for/worship of wealth – loses rationality in behaviour.

Tituba

 Reverend Parris’ black slave from Barbados – she had no status in Salem.
 Practices what Puritans view as “black magic” – manipulated into doing so by Abigail.
 Parris discovers her casting spells and making potions with the girls in the woods.
 Admits to working for the devil – knows she will be hanged if she tries to deny it.

Abigail Williams

 Reverent Parris’ niece – once the servant for the Proctor household.
 Fired by Elizabeth after she discovered Abigail was having an affair with John.
 Smart, conniving (“dissembling), dishonest.
 Motivations – jealousy (of Elizabeth’s relationship with John), hungry for power (sees
John as only means of gaining power), protect own image (blaming Elizabeth).
 Dramatic irony – we know, but the characters don’t.
 Finds herself with power, takes advantage.

Susanna Wallcot

 Friend of Abigail.
 Takes part in the trials by falsely accusing others of witchcraft.

Mrs Ann Putnam

 Thomas Putnam’s wife.

 Given birth to eight children, however, only one (Ruth) survived.
 Other seven children died before they were a day old.
 Ann is convinced they were murdered by supernatural means.
Thomas Putnam

 Wealthy, influential citizen of Salem.

  Holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for preventing Putnam’s brother-in-law from
being elected to the office of minister.
 Uses the witch trials to increase his own wealth by accusing people of witchcraft and
then buying up their land.
 Motivations – power, wealth, land, family pride.

Mercy Lewis

 One of the girls in Abigail’s group.

 Servant to the Putnam’s.
 Takes part in witch trials by pretending to see spirits and falsely accusing individuals
of witchcraft.

Mary Warren

 Servant in the Proctor household.

 Member of Abigail’s group of girls.
 Timid girl, easily influenced by those around her.
 Goes along with Abigail and the other girls accusing others of witchcraft, however,
later admits she was lying.

John Proctor

 Local farmer, Elizabeth Proctor’s husband.

 Has a hidden sin – affair with Abigail Williams – proves his downfall (hamartia).
 Apprehensive to expose Abigail as a fraud because he worries the affair will be
revealed, and his reputation ruined.
 Personal integrity, preserving reputation.
 Dialogue is eloquent in simplicity and forceful in logic.
 Motivations – maintain goodness, integrity.

Rebecca Nurse

 Francis Nurse’s wife.

 Wise, sensible woman – held in high regard by majority of Salemites.
 Falls victim to hysteria when Putnams accuse her of witchcraft, refuses to confess.

Giles Corey

 Elderly but aggressive farmer in Salem.

 Famous for his tendency to file lawsuits.
 His wife, Martha is accused of witchcraft.
 Giles eventually held in contempt of court, pressed to death with stones.
Martha Corey

 Giles Corey’s third wife.

  Martha’s reading habits lead to her arrest and conviction for witchcraft.
 Giles later regrets talking about Martha’s books, tries to back track.

Reverend John Hale

 Young minister believed to be an expert on witchcraft.

 Called into Salem to examine Betty Parris and determine if witchcraft is to blame.
 He is a committed Christian, hater of witchcraft.
 Doesn't get caught up in the hysteria, keeps a level head during the process.
 Arrival sets the hysteria in motion, however, he later regrets his actions and
attempts to save the lives of those accused.
 Supports the witch trials, but denounces them when he learns Abigail is lying.
 Truth seeker – wants to be seen as a leader.

Mrs Elizabeth Proctor

 John Proctor’s wife.

 Fired Abigail after learning of John’s affair with her.
 Very virtuous, but often cold towards others.

Francis Nurse

 Wealthy, influential man in Salem.

 Well respected by most, however, is an enemy of the Putnams.

Ezekiel Cheever

 Man from Salem who acts as a clerk (person employed to keep records, and
undertake other routine administrative duties) of the court during the witch trials.
 Determined to do his duty for justice.
 Assists in arresting accused individuals.

Marshal Herrick

 Appointed by the court to arrest the accused individuals.

Judge Hathorne

 Judge who presides, along with Danforth, over the witch trials.

Deputy Governor Danforth

 Deputy governor of Massachusetts and presiding judge at the witch trials.

 Convinced he is doing right by rooting out witchcraft.
  Signs the death sentences for those individuals who refuse to confess their crimes.
 Refuses to delay any execution for fear he will appear weak or indecisive.
 Craves power, wants to be in control.
 Lack of concern or compassion – “I would hang forty thousand.”
 Feels as though he needs more power, does this under the guise of religion.

Sarah Good

 Beggar in Salem.
 First individual accused of witchcraft.

Hopkins

 The jailer.

The Crucible – Setting

 Puritan New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.

 Highly symbolic settings.

Act 1

 Bedroom in Parris’ home, with a ray of morning sunlight shining through a window.

Act 2

 The common room of Proctor’s house, eight days later.

Act 3

 The vestry (room attached to church) of the Salem meeting house.

Act 4

 Dark moonlit cell in Salem Jail, three months later.

The Crucible – Original Witch Trials

 Parris’ daughter, Betty, motionless in bed – people believe witches are to blame.
 Girls found dancing in woods with Tituba (presumed to be summoning witches).
 Goes against Puritan values – pure, no fun, quite restrictive.

The Crucible – Plot

Act 1

 Scene opens in Reverend Parris’ house, in a small bedroom.

  Parris is weeping over his daughter, Betty’s bed.
 Parris denies the notion that “unnatural causes” could be to blame.
 Abigail and Parris discuss witchcraft rumours – says he found girls dancing in woods.
 Parris says Abigail has put his position in jeopardy – worried about reputation.
 Abigail lies and says they were only having fun and were never naked.
 Putnams enter – their daughter Ruth is sick too – Ann believes it's the devil’s illness.
 Thomas Putnam insists evil spirits are at work – Ann reveals her 7 children’s deaths.
 Abigail says Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits, yet says she was not.
 Mary Warren enters and informs everyone the town is all talking about the rumours.
 Abigail wakes Betty up, who reminds Abigail that she drank blood to kill Elizabeth.
 Abigail gets their stories straight – they danced and conjured Ruth’s dead sisters.
 Proctor enters – Abigail says they were dancing, Parris scared them, Betty freaked.
 Proctor tries to leave, however, Abigail claims she still loves him – affair is revealed.
 Rebecca Nurse enters and suggests the illness is from childish pranks, Proctor agrees.
 Parris suggests some people think it is the devil’s work – Proctor urges him to speak.
 Reverend Hale arrives – Ann Putnam believes the illness is due to witchcraft.
 Hale questions Abigail – under pressure, she says Tituba forced her to drink blood.
 Hale questions Tituba – admits to doing devil’s work, accuses others of witchcraft.
 Sarah Good is accused of witchcraft by Tituba and Abigail.

Act 2

 Opens in Proctor’s house – talking about those who were arrested for witchcraft.
 Elizabeth is aware of John’s affair with Abigail – wants him to expose her lies.
 He refuses to expose Abigail, leading Elizabeth to question if she still loves Abigail.
 Hale arrives, informs Proctors that he is questioning all the accused people.
 He questions whether the Proctors are devout Christians – not always at Church.
 Elizabeth is irritated when Hale questions John – she suggests he question Abigail.
 John reminds Hale that many admitted to crimes due to fear of being hanged.
 Francis Nurse and Giles Corey arrive – their wives have been accused of witchcraft.
 Two men arrive with warrant to arrest Elizabeth – John tries to defend her.
 They tell John Abigail was ill last night and a pin was found in her stomach.
 The men see the puppet Mary gave Elizabeth, with a pin on its stomach.
 Abigail apparently accused Elizabeth of cursing her with a puppet.
 Mary insists that she made the puppet, however, they believe she is lying.
 Elizabeth is arrested despite John’s efforts.
 John questions Hale to say why everyone believes Abigail even though she is lying.
 John calls for Mary to come to court to prove Abigail’s accusations are false.
 Mary tells John if they try to expose Abigail, she will reveal the affair to save herself.
 John is worried, but values saving the accused over his own reputation.
Act 3

 Begins at a court in Salem.

 John and Mary arrive as Giles and Francis are trying to prove their wives’ innocence.
 Giles and Francis are thrown out of the court.
 John approaches Judge Hathorne and tells him Abigail and the girls are lying.
  He gives Hathorne a deposition from villagers vouching the character of the accused.
 Hathorne tells John that Elizabeth is pregnant and will be spared until the birth –
trying to dissuade him from presenting the deposition in court.
 John is shocked by the news but goes ahead submitting the deposition.
 Parris (doesn't like John), and Hathorne refuse the appeal – Hale grows suspicious.
 Hale questions Parris and Hathorne – argues both sides should be presented.
 Danforth tells Hale defence cannot be trusted when witchcraft is involved.
 Danforth commands everyone who signed the deposition to be questioned.
 Giles Corey presents his own deposition, supported by many villagers – claim
Thomas Putnam framed Martha as a witch to gain control of the Corey lands.
 Corey refuses to identify his sources – fears they will be arrested too.
 Danforth requests Corey be arrested for trying to lie to the court.
 Proceedings begin – John brings Mary forward, tells court Abigail forced Mary to lie.
 Abigail denies this, accuses Mary of bewitching the girls.
 John reveals his affair with Abigail, claims she is accusing Elizabeth out of jealousy.
 Elizabeth unaware of his confession, lies to protect John when asked about affair.
 Abigail and girls throw furniture around – claim Mary is now bewitching them.
 Mary, afraid of being hanged, blames John for forcing her to testify against the girls.
 John grows furious and aggressively criticises the court.
 Judges order for John to be arrested.
 Hale is shocked by the court’s wrongdoings – leaves the court.

Act 4

 Village is devastated by the trials and their aftermath.

 200 villagers have been accused – majority have confessed to avoid execution.
 12 of the accused refused to confess and were therefore hanged.
 7 more, including John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse, are waiting to be hanged.
 Rumours of uproar in nearby villages makes Abigail anxious.
 Abigail steals Parris’ money and flees to England.
 Hale feels guilty for participating in the trials, and returns to Salem.
 Requests Danforth release the last 7 accused with confessions, Danforth refuses.
 Elizabeth visits John and tries to convince him to confess to avoid being hung.
 John asks about the others accused – Elizabeth tells him Giles Corey refused to
confess and was pressed to death.
 John doesn't want to, but agrees to confess.
 After signing the confession, he immediately regrets it and tears apart the paper.
 John is hanged alongside others, with Elizabeth witnessing their deaths.
 Elizabeth is grieving, however, admires the moral resoluteness of those who refused
to confess.
The Crucible – Themes

Reputation

 Public vs private persona – how one is viewed in the community vs their true self.
 Focused on their own reputation – fear that the sins will destroy their name.
  Controls their actions – desire to protect their reputation.
 e.g. Parris fears that the rumours of witchcraft in the town will threaten his
reputation and force him out of the church.
 e.g. John Proctor – strives to protect his good name – originally refuses to testify
against Abigail due to fear of her exposing their affair – later, decides not to make a
false confession and die with integrity.

Public vs Private Persona

 Surface level vs deeper level.

 Sense of self is built by public reputation – e.g. Proctor can’t lie because it will
destroy his reputation.
 e.g. Proctor knows he has done wrong (private), however, originally hides this to
protect his public persona.
 Questions whether humans are flawed by their very nature.
 e.g. “Who is John Proctor?”
o Loss of identity – doesn't know who he’s turned into.
o Deep down he is a person who makes mistakes but knows what’s right.
 When a person’s actions are driven by desires to preserve favourable public opinion
rather than do the morally right thing, there can be dire consequences.

Desire

 Strength of desires to control human action.

 Desire for land/wealth (Putnam), power (Parris), sex.
 The relentless ambition for these things created an environment that encouraged
deception and manipulation.

Blinding Nature of Ideology

 When someone believes something, they don't consider other opinions.

 Assume they must always follow this particular ideology – that nothing else is right.
 Their lives and behaviours are controlled by this ideology.
 Public persona uses ideology as a defence to maintain their façade.

Love

 Love of power (Danforth) vs love of religion (Puritan society, John, Parris etc).
 Physical/emotional love – Elizabeth and John’s relationship, Abigail and John.

Puritanism

 Religious reform movement in Church of England in late 1600’s.

 Theocratic society – government run by religious authorities.
 Repressive – lack of personal freedom due to religious values.
 Required that its members follow strict guidelines of social order.
  Inability to move away from social norms – anyone who does is seen as a threat to
the public, and the religion – lack of individuality.
 Puritans viewed as target for devil, who was believed to be trying to destroy them.
 Anyone who questioned or resisted the actions of the government were seen to be a
threat to the Puritan religion.
 e.g. Danforth and Hathorne believe they were sent by God, and thus, everything
they believe must be true and everything they do must be right – dangerous –
narrow-minded views – makes them easy targets for manipulation, e.g. Abigail.

Power and Authority

 “The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.”

 “The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.”
 Many of the characters desire power and authority – e.g. Parris.
 Desire for power is present through the play, as the witch trials lead to changes in
which characters hold the greatest control over the course of events.
 Abigail – power grows through the hysteria – initially had little influence in society –
sees opportunity for power in trying to become John’s wife – this fails, so she
manipulates others in search for power – soon becomes the main witness to the
workings of the devil – power to destroy people’s lives with one accusation because
she is seen as a victim.
 Parris – in a position of power, however, insecure about his authority – says and
does whatever it takes to maintain control.

Hysteria

 “Exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement.”

 Can be a product of paranoia.
 Not thinking rationally – completely controlled by emotions.
 Terrified of witches – worried they would come in and hurt them.
 Draws parallel with Americans fearing communism infiltration.
 Causes people to behave outside how they typically would – impulsive reactions –
loss of rationality – no consideration of consequence.
 Role of hysteria in tearing apart the community.
 Hysteria enables people to believe their neighbours, who they have always trusted,
are committing serious crimes.
 Salemites joining the hysteria enables them to act on long-held grudges.
 e.g. Abigail – uses the situation to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft, send her to jail.
 e.g. Parris – strengthens his position by blaming others, e.g. Proctor.
 Hysteria suspends the rules of daily life – provides cover for people to act on desires.
Paranoia

 “Unjustified suspicion and mistrust of other people.”

 Paranoid that witchcraft has entered the town.
 Draws parallel with Americans paranoid about communism entering America.
Morality

 “Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad.”
 Puritan religion teaches characters that the most important thing in life is how they
will be judged by God.
 Desire to be viewed as morally right by the community – building reputation.
 Many of the characters do anything to throw other people under the bus, for their
own personal benefit – e.g. Thomas Putnam trying to take other people’s land – goes
against Puritan ideology.
 Parris – more concerned about what others think of him than his daughter’s illness.
 Mary Warren – values being seen as good more than telling the truth – motivation
for confession.
 Elizabeth – originally thinks she morally good, but later regrets her treatment of her
husband following the affair, believing she should have been more forgiving.
 John Proctor – signs the confession then rips it up – battle with morality – realises
that he can only be morally good by being honest and not lying.

Manipulation / Lies

 Evident throughout the course of the entire play.

 Abigail – originally denies conjuring spirits, then changes her story and says that
Tituba and Ruth were – we later discover that Abigail did try to cast a charm in the
hope of killing Elizabeth.
 John Proctor – hides his affair with Abigail – worried about destroying his reputation.
 Due to the amount of manipulation and lying, the truth seems to become less
important for those in power as the play goes on.
 People who originally lied, choose to confess to their sins – however, no one seems
to take notice.
 Rev. Hale comes to believe truth has little power in Salem – abandons his Christian
values – encourages the accused to falsely confess to avoid execution.

Thesis Points

 Human desire for self-preservation – trying to avoid negative consequences, to

ultimately preserve reputation.
 Social nature of human beings – tendency to conform and follow the crowd in order
to try to fit into society.
 Vulnerability to fear and hysteria – fight vs flight – individual vs collective response.
 Corrupting nature of power – how it puts people in conStrol, how people use it to
benefit themselves – desire to gain power through manipulation, leads individuals to
act outside their traditional moral compass.
 Power of desire to control human behaviours and actions – desire for power
(Danforth/Abigail), wealth (Putnam), land (Putnam), sex (Abigail) etc.
 Blinding nature of ideology – ability to take logic and agency away from the
individual.
 Sense of logic, justice, right vs wrong is clouded when fear and hysteria rages.
 Role of public appearance, and reputation, in forming the individual sense of self
(identity, self-esteem, confidence etc).
 Universality of hamartia in causing an individual’s downfall (hubris, ambition,
impulsiveness, desire for power etc).
 Battle of the public vs private persona – when a person’s actions are driven by
desires to preserve favourable public opinion rather than do the morally right thing,
there can be dire consequences.