1. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible Introduction

2. Fire
In this unit, we will explore how fire is catching and destructive on a symbolic and literal level.

3. Essential Questions: To what extent do cultural anxieties influence us and the choices that define who we are? How can knowing the facts help us make informed decisions? How is the dramatic genre similar to and different from other genres? How important is your reputation?

4. Allegory
An allegory is a story with a double meaning. A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation
Video Tutorial:
Fighters fight with their fists; writers fight with their pens.

5. Need to Know Historical Fast Facts
The play was first produced on stage in January 1953.
Arthur Miller intended to use the Salem Witch Trials (1692) as an allegory about the anti-communist Red Scare and the congressional hearings of Sen. Joseph McCarthy going on in the United States at the time.

6. Meet McCarthy: 3,2,1
Task: As you watch the video clip and read through the article consider…
3 facts about the time period
2 facts about McCarthy himself
1 outcome of the McCarthyism hysteria
Video and Short Info Text Article: