‘The prime instigator of conflict is fear’
How does Arthur Miller use a range of techniques to explore this idea and others his playThe Crucible?
Stage 2 English Literary Studies 2020 Assessment type: Responding to Text Assessment 1: The Crucible Name/SACE Code: Teacher: DUPJ Issue Date: Week 4 Email:
[email protected] Draft Date: 2.30pm Friday 28 Feb Weighting: 12.5% Due Date: 2.30pm Monday 9 March (email + Turnitin) **See naming conventions below** Format/Length: written essay up to 1,250 oral analysis up to 7 ½ minutes Purpose · To create a literary analysis on the single text studied in class · To draft and then polish the response and strengthen achievement of the outcomes against the performance standards. Questions 1. Playwright Arthur Miller endeavours to make the Crucible a historically, socially and politically insightful play that challenges perspectives of both the periods in which it is set and created. How does Miller effectively use a range of techniques to convey these perspectives to the audience? 2. ‘The prime instigator of conflict is fear’ How does Arthur Miller use a range of techniques to explore this idea and others his play The Crucible? 3. An individual’s perceptions of belonging evolve in response to the interactions with their world. In what ways is this idea of belonging and others shown in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible? Refer specifically to a range of techniques used by the playwright. Assessment conditions KU 1 An 1 2 Ap 2 3 A single draft may be submitted for written feedback and thereafter conferencing permitted. Final polished response is submitted for marking and inclusion in the Folio. Response is marked and cross marked by all four English Literary Studies teachers with comments. Important: Naming convention for electronic upload of work to SACE is as follows: SACE code-Subject code-Assessment Type code-task description and student name This looks like the example below, with dashes between each part and no spaces at all. Example:829945W-2ELS20-AT1-SingletextJackieDupe Work must be submitted to Turnitin and by email to the teacher following this naming convention or it cannot be accepted by SACE and therefore will not be marked. Performance Standards for Stage 2 English Literary Studies Knowledge and Understanding Analysis Application A Detailed knowledge and understanding of ways in which ideas, perspectives, and values are represented in texts. Thorough knowledge and understanding of a range of ways in which authors use stylistic features to communicate ideas. Detailed knowledge and understanding of a range of stylistic features and conventions of different text types. Perceptive analysis of the ways in which texts represent ideas, perspectives, and values. Perceptive analysis and evaluation of the complex ways in which stylistic features are used to influence the interpretation of texts. Perceptive analysis of similarities and differences between texts in comparative tasks. Perceptive analysis of ways in which different critical perspectives inform critical interpretation. Sophisticated use of a wide range of conventions, and/or stylistic features to create coherent texts that address the meaning and intention of the task. Detailed and appropriate use of evidence from texts develop, support, and justify responses, with textual references incorporated fluently in discussion. Use of precise and fluent expression, which is appropriate for audience and purpose. B Knowledge and understanding of a range of ways in which ideas, perspectives, and values are represented in most texts. Knowledge and understanding of a range of ways in which authors use stylistic features to communicate ideas. Knowledge and understanding of a range of stylistic features and conventions of different text types. Clear analysis of the ways in which texts represent ideas, perspectives, and values. Clear analysis and evaluation of the complex ways in which stylistic features are used to influence the reading of texts. Clear analysis of similarities and differences between texts in comparative tasks. Clear analysis of ways in which different critical perspectives inform critical interpretation. Use of a range of conventions, and/or stylistic features to create coherent texts that address the meaning and intention of the task. Appropriate use of evidence from texts to develop, support, and justify responses, with textual references incorporated in discussion. Mostly accurate and fluent expression, which is appropriate for audience and purpose. C Knowledge and understanding of some ways in which ideas, perspectives, and values are represented in texts. Knowledge and understanding of some ways in which authors use stylistic features to communicate ideas. Knowledge and understanding of some of the stylistic features and conventions of different text types. Some analysis of ways in which texts represent ideas, perspectives, and values. Description, with some analysis and evaluation, of ways in which stylistic features are used to influence the reading of texts. Description, with some analysis, of similarities and differences between texts in comparative tasks. Some analysis of ways in which different critical perspectives inform critical interpretation. Competent use of conventions, and/or stylistic features to create texts that address the meaning and intention of the task. Competent use of evidence from texts to develop, support, and justify responses, with some use of textual references in discussion. Generally fluent and clear expression, which is mostly appropriate for audience and purpose. D Some knowledge and restricted understanding of a narrow range of ways in which ideas and values are represented in texts. Some knowledge and restricted understanding of a narrow range of ways in which authors use stylistic features to communicate ideas. Some knowledge and restricted understanding of a few of the stylistic features and conventions of different text types. Description of the ideas and values represented in texts. Description of some ways in which stylistic features are used to influence the reading of texts. Some description of similarities and differences between texts in comparative tasks. Recognition of some ways in which different critical perspectives inform critical interpretation. Use of some language features to create texts that address the meaning and intention of the task in a limited way. Some use of evidence from texts to develop, support, and attempt to justify responses, with use of a narrow range of textual references. Occasionally clear expression, which is appropriate for some audiences and purposes. Clover PerezSACE:102225J Stage 2 English Literary Studies 2020 Assessment type: Responding to Text ‘The prime instigator of conflict is fear’ How does Arthur Miller use a range of techniques to explore this idea and others in his play The Crucible? Arthur Miller’ 1953 play, The Crucible, uses a range of techniques to explore the theme of fear and make it the prime instigator. Fear is the main reason why the village is so intolerant towards the unknown, such as witches. Dramatic Irony is used in the play, Elizabeth lies to the court about John’s affair with Abigail without knowing that he has already confessed resulting in her being sent to jail. Miller uses characterisation to convey the feeling of fear for the towns people, John fearing the consequences if he exposes the truth about himself and Abigail. (what should be my third technique? Hysteria maybe?) Miller uses dramatic irony to show the fear that Elizabeth has when questioned about her husband’s potential affair with Abigail in Act three. Wanting to protect her husband from charges of lechery, she denies Johns and Abigail’s affair not knowing that John has already confessed. When Judge Danforth questions why Elizabeth fired Abigail, she claims that Abigail “dissatisfied” her and her husband. Danforth tries to get Elizabeth to confess to her husband’s affair, reaching out to her and asking, “Is your husband a lecher!?”, yet, to the courts dismay Elizabeth still faintly says “no”. · Audience knew John was innocent, yet the court ended up killing him because he refused to confess (?) John Proctor fears for his reputation, the consequences that the truth withholds scares him into keeping quiet in order to save his reputation. To the town he is perceived as a good man who works hard and does not make a fool of himself. This pressures him even more to keep his reputation intact. He attempts to hide his affair with Abigail as it would severely damage not only his reputation but his relationship with many people. People would identify his as a lecher rather than the good and loyal man people believe he is. He knows what Abigail’s true intentions are, yet he cannot bring it upon himself to tell the truth as it would expose him of his indecent act and severely damage his name. He cares so much about his personal integrity that he refuses to confess to witchcraft, condemning him to death. Rather than admit falsely to witchcraft and save his life he decides that death is better than harming his reputation. John believes that he cannot live in this world without his name, proclaiming that “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” in Act Four. Hysteria is a common instigator of fear, Miller using the Town of Salem to explore this technique. The towns people accusing people they have known for years of witchcraft, causing treacherous acts of betrayal between the towns people. The play shows the villagers unconsciously expressing fear and resentment towards the idea of the unordinary happening in their strict Puritan society, they believe that Satan is attacking their town and that God is punishing them. They start to believe that punishing people for doing horrible acts is a righteous act that will their god. The towns people believe that this will prove that they do not practice witchcraft nor worship the devil. This shows in how they treat people who are accused of practising witchcraft, prosecuting them until they are hanged in front of a crowd of hysteric people. (This is just an idea; I don’t know if this is a good technique) The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, shows that fear fuels fear, using a range of techniques such as characterisation, dramatic irony and hysteria. Through the characterisation of John Proctor, Miller shows that fear can cause people to supress the truth in order to save their reputation. Fear of withholding the truth is another way Miller explores the theme of fear, using Elizabeth’s fear of exposing John and his affair with Abigail. Fear causes the towns people to erupt in hysteria and accuse people who they are close with of witchcraft in order to appease God and show their loyalty towards religion. Arthur Miller uses these techniques to show the fear of the unknown in the Tow of Salem, that the prime instigator of conflict is fear. The play exposes how religious devotion can lead to injustice and cruel punishments of the innocent. Feedback from my teacher ‘The prime instigator of conflict is fear’ How does Arthur Miller use a range of techniques to explore this in his play The Crucible? Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible, supports the notion that fear is the prime instigator of conflict. The citizens of Salem all live in fear; Mary Warren’s fear of both Abigail and God creates conflict between herself and the Proctors, resulting in John being sent to jail. Conflict between John and Elizabeth is a result of John’s fear