Act IV
Vocabulary Needed for the Reading :
gaunt / agape / conciliatory / beguile / reprieve /retaliate/ adamant / cleave/ tantalize( Link for Definitions)
Aim: Why wouldn't John Proctor sign his name on the confession? Why is he considered a tragic hero?
Do Now:
a. Read the article and define tragic hero.
b. A Handbook to Literature says that the word "foil" literally means a "leaf" or a sheet "of bright metal placed under a piece of jewelry to increase its brilliance" ("Foil"). Thus when applied to literature, the term refers to "a character who makes a contrast with another, especially a minor character who helps set off a major character" (Barnett et al. 1331). For example, a foolish character may place a wise character's wisdom in a stronger light, or a cowardly character may make the hero's actions appear even more courageous. A foil is frequently an antagonist or confidant, but whoever the foil might be, the purpose is to illuminate one or more significant traits, attitudes or actions of a main character . Identify the characters who are foils in the play.
c. Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and
what is meant.
Three kinds of irony:
1. verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something
else.
2. dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a
character in the literature does not know.
3. irony of situation is a discrepency between the expected result and
actual results.
Identify an example of irony in Act III & IV.
Procedures: Discuss the following Questions-
1.Why has Reverend Hale returned to Salem?
2.What is Reverend Hale advising the condemned to do?
3.What does Reverend Parris reveal about his niece Abigail?
4.What is the condition of Salem at this point?
5.How does Andover differ from Salem?
6.How do the proposed hangings of Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor differ from the past executions?
7.What does Reverend Parris want Danforth to do?
8.What does Reverend Hale want Danforth to do?
9.What does Reverend Hale mean when he says,"there is blood on my head!"?
10.Why does Danforth refuse to postpone the hangings?
11.What do Hale and Danforth request of Elizabeth Proctor?
12.What happened to Giles Corey?
13.What is John’s excuse for confessing?
14.What is Elizabeth’s proof that John is a good man?
15.How has Elizabeth changed since we first met her?
16.After John confesses, what does Danforth want him to do?
17.Discuss,"I am John Proctor! You will not use me!"
18.What does Hale attribute Proctor’s willingness to hang to?
19.What does Elizabeth attribute it to?
Homework
Write a 50-100 words obituary for John Proctor.
OR
1.If you are asked to write two lines ( a couplet) or Word Play (Acrostic) on a character's tombstone, what will they be (Choose a main character to do the assignment. Use this site as a guide to help you create your own poems of any form.
2. Use the PBS poetry site as a resource to create your own poems of any form rewriting the characters and the story in the play.
Projects
1. Write a letter to your favorite writer. In your letter, you may wish to
discuss a specific book or character, or ask questions about the author’s
life or works. Contact the writer’s publisher for information on where to
send your letter.
2. Discuss your favorite author. What attracts you to his or her work? What common themes, plots or characters seem to repeat throughout the works that you have read, and why do you find them interesting?
3. See a play in your community or school and write a newspaper review about it.
6. Read and discuss one of Arthur Miller’s plays. Evaluate the historical metaphors that the plays may be attempting to draw.
7. Learn about other great American playwrights and their works.
8. Investigate the various awards (such as the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award) given to works for the theater. What is the history of the sponsoring organization or organizations? How are finalists and winners selected, and who chooses them? What prestige comes with winning such an award?
9. Interview various people involved in one of your city’s theaters. Theater companies may also allow students to watch a dress rehearsal and take a tour of the theater.
10. Evaluate other characters in plays (or in novels, short stories, films and television shows). What motivates the character to act as he or she does? How do others feel about the character? How does the physical appearance of the character reflect upon the character’s thoughts and actions?
Interdisciplinary Connections:
American History- Explore plays written in a specific time period. How do
plays reflect the time periods in which they are written?
Global History
-Learn about the history of different theatre styles developed in other
countries.
-Create a timeline of the evolution of theatre in various countries.
Media Studies- Create an advertisement (videotaped commercial, radio spot, or magazine ad) for a play that you have studied or recently seen. Be sure to indicate elements of the plot, characters, setting, tone, and themes in your ad.
Technology- Search the Web for Web sites about specific plays, playwrights, and theatres.