Historical Context and Puritan Beliefs
The man who wrote the drama.
Who is Arthur Miller
This is the definition of a theocracy.
What is: a type of government in which the church is the state.
What is: Everyone is gathering in Reverend Parris' house because his daughter Betty is "bewitched."
This is what happens when Reverend Parris realizes his niece is probably lying.
I drank a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha and aced my midterm. So now I always drink Peppermint Mochas on exam days.
What is: Post Hoc or Faulty Causality
Salem, Massachusetts.
In a Puritan court, an accused was ___________________.
What is: guilty until proven innocent
This is what actual happened.
John Proctor and Abigail are at odds because of this and hold these viewpoints.
What is: They had an affair. John sees it as just an affair. Abby believes that she now owns Proctor and should be his wife.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
What is: Glittering Generalities
McCarthyism.
These are the five Puritan values.
What are:
Hard work ethic
Stalwart moral values
Self-governance and community responsibility (all community members were responsible for the conduct of citizens)
Education creating literate citizens
Literary contributions in prose and poetry
What is: Hale comes and Elizabeth is arrested.
Reverend Hale is this type of character. Why?
What is: dynamic. He begins to realize that the accusations are not based on truth and seeks to fix his mistakes.
"You're a stuffyMcStuff face!"
What is: Ad Hominem or name-calling.
This is why Arthur Miller's trial was unfair.
What is: He was threatened because he wouldn't rat out others to save himself.
This is the definition of Predestination and how it relates to the accused in Puritan Salem.
What is: the belief that God has "pre-chosen" those who will be saved. Those accused of witchcraft were guilty and therefore not one of the chosen ones.
What is: He is arrested.
This is one reason the trial scene in Act III was ironic.
What is: The girls who are accused become accused. John Proctor's confession becomes his doom.
All the best people eat Hot Tamales. I know because my class likes them.
What is: Hasty Generalization.
This was the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and the types of evidence needed.
1. confession
2. witnesses
3. spectral evidence
Who: Suspect communists, House Un-American Activities Committee, and Senator McCarthy
What: Suspected communists were brought to trial before committee
Why: After WWII, America was afraid that Russian spies were feeding info and trying to make America communist.
What is: He gives a verbal confession, but refuses to sign a public one. Because of this he hangs.
This is John Proctor's reasoning for allowing himself to die.
What is: He will not ruin his name as his name is all he has. He does not want his children to remember him that way. He also believes he deserves to die for his actual sins.
It was not me! It was him! I'll tell you all about it.
What is: Straw Man