“The Crucible”

1. “The Crucible” Feedback: January 2012

2. “Hung” or “Hanged”? • A person can be “hanged”. A person cannot be “hung”.

3. Name of the author • Refer to the author’s full name in the introduction and the conclusion. • Elsewhere, refer to him as “Orwell” for example, or “the author”, or “the writer”. If you are writing about a poem, then you can also refer to the “poet”.

4. Introductions • A number of people struggling with the structure and/or content.

5. Referring to the task • Throughout the essay, and especially in the “Point” and “Relate” part of your paragraphs, you must refer directly to the task. Use the keywords from the essay question, or use synonyms. Either way, you must indicate that you are answering the specific question being asked.

6. Keeping to the task • Every single word that you write in your essay should be appropriate to actually answering the question. • Do not just regurgitate ideas that you have learned unless they are relevant to the task!!!

7. Number of paragraphs • You should write three paragraphs in the main body of your essay.

8. Discussing techniques • The techniques we studied in class were: Characterisation Dialogue Key scene. Turning point. Setting. Stage directions. These are the only techniques that you should discuss.

9. Many were not discussing techniques at all. • You must discuss the techniques used by the author or you cannot pass. • Introduction (mention) • Topic sentences (mention) • Explanations (discuss) • Conclusions (mention)

10. Quotations • Many still not putting quotes in context. • THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. YOU MUST DO THIS. • Quotes must be put in context in an effective way, using a good standard of English. • Your quote should fit seamlessly into your paragraph.

11. Explain • This is the most important part of your P.Q.E.R paragraphs. • You must go into great detail and depth with your analysis and evaluation. • You should be writing at least 2 detailed sentences.

12. The essay question

13. Choose from a play a scene which significantly changes your view of a character. Explain how the scene prompts this reappraisal and discuss how important it is to your understanding of the character in the play as a whole.

14. The essay question is asking you to show how one particular key scene led you to change your mind about John Proctor. • Many of you did not pass because you argued that there were a number of scenes which changed your mind about John and showed that he was a good man.

15. Possible structure for essay Main argument: Proctor was flawed and made poor choices up until the key scene in Act 4 where he rips up the confession.

16. Paragraph 1: Explain the key scene where he rips up the confession, and how this shows that he is a good man. • Paragraph 2: Explain how the stage directions in Act one show how flawed he is at the start of the play. Mention the contrast between then and how he has changed in Act 4.

17. Paragraph 3: Focus on Act 2. Show his reluctance to go to court and how he only decides to go when he realises how much trouble his wife is in. Mention the contrast between then and how he has changed in Act 4.

18. Other possible things to focus on: • When he decides to go to court to help Elizabeth, he forces Mary Warren to go with him because he is not willing to reveal the affair with Abigail. He uses Mary to undermine Abigail because he is too scared to admit the affair (Act 2-Act 3) • He actually signs the confession in the first place, thus betraying his religion and his friends (Act 4)