View the video and complete the following questions.
1. Explain the economic and political causes underlying the Salem witch trials.
2. Analyze the role that Reverend Parris played in the Salem witch trials.
3. Evaluate the significance of who was accused of witchcraft and who the accusers were.
4. Brainstorm and discuss more recent events that you might label as witch hunts.
5. Debate the use of spectral evidence and Titubas confession in the trials. What would a modern court do with such evidence?
6. Discuss how the witch trials came to an end in Salem and what their consequences were. In your view, were matters resolved fairly?
When the reading is complete, ask your students to discuss which scenes affected them most strongly and why..
Next:
Choose any scene from Millers ACT I, Crucible and rewrite it from the perspective of today. Use the writing checklist to help you through the writing process.
Think about the following questions to help you get started on your assignment:
How would the characters be different in the modern-day United States?
Which events would change?
How would the dialogue differ?
Might witchcraftthe issue for which the characters in Millers play are being persecutedbe replaced by some other issue? Which issue? Why?
Be prepared to share your alternate versions with the class.
Links: