The Crucible and other Witch Hunts

In order to compare all of these witch hunts, you will first need to gather some information. In groups of five, you are to follow all of the links to complete the research and then answer the questions for each section. Your answers must all be typed. When you have completed your task, bring your findings back to the group and compare. Then you can complete the final group questions which compare all of the situations.

Before beginning your WebQuest (or witch hunt), each student should follow the link below to try to get a feel for what the witch hunts were like. Remember, the term "witch hunt" is not just about hunting "witches." It begs the question of whether or not witches really exist. Thus, if they do not exist, how fruitful can a witch hunt be? After being dragged into a vain endeavor, how far would you go to save your reputation or try to prove you are right? Put yourself on trial using this website to feel the futility.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem

Now that you have been deemed a "witch," try to find some of the underlying ideas that seem to be prevalent in some of the most famous witch hunts. If the links do not work, try copying and pasting them into your browser's address bar.

1692 Salem & Puritanism

http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/chronology.shtml - The Chronology (copy and paste this link. It WILL NOT work if you click on it)

http://www.17thc.us/docs/fact-fiction.shtml - Fact vs. Fiction

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM - Historical account

http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/ - Tombstones (copy and paste this link. It WILL NOT work if you click on it)

http://www.salemweb.com/guide/witches.shtml - Salem's own page

After reading through all of the sites above, answer the following questions:

1.  Give a basic description of Puritan life.
2. What are 5 major changes that Miller made in The Crucible?
3. Why do you think he changed these things? How did it help the plot? Do you think the play would have been as good if he didn't take these artistic liberties?
4. What do you think was the major cause of the witch trials? Why?
5.  How do you think the witch trials could have been avoided?

McCarthyism

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.attala.k12.ms.us%2Findex.php%2Funited-states-photos-a-documents%3Fdownload%3D91%3Alecture-23-c&ei=_VInUsraArGvigLIvoDADg&usg=AFQjCNE3ZUG5VQmFwyVewjeid4rt-NhpGA&sig2=EgViKiWguAaOZc25GX2J0A&bvm=bv.51773540,d.cGE - McCarthyism

http://www.apl.org/community/hist/mccarthy - McCarthy Bio

http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/congcomms.html - Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses


http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/schrecker-legacy.html - Legacy of McCarthyism


the Blacklist


Blacklist 2


http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/miller-mccarthyism.html - Miller on The Crucible

After reading through all of the sites above, answer the following questions:

1.  What events and accusations started the hysteria that led up to McCarthyism?
2. What are some examples of discrimination during the accusations, and to what degree do you think discrimination was a cause of the hysteria?
3. What do you think was the major cause of what McCarthy did?
4. How did it affect the lives of the accused?
5. How did the general public react to accusations of communism?

The Crucible

After all of the work we did in class, you should be very familiar with The Crucible. However, just in case, here are a couple of sites with some more information:

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/the-crucible/play-summary.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/

Now consider the following questions:

1. Why do all the girls accuse people?
2. Why do Abby and Parris continue to accuse people throughout and think that everyone is against them? What happens to both of them in the end?
3. Why are Danforth and Hathorne so unwilling to rethink their position?

Conclusions and Comparison (to be done all together)

After all of that research, what do all of the situations have in common?

1.  How is John Proctor like Arthur Miller?
2.  What is underlying each situation that you just studied which basically causes it to spiral out of control?
3.  What is similar about the situation of the accused in each of these cases? How are their lives affected?
4. How would you describe the accusers in each of the cases? Do you think they are prejudiced? Scared? Power-hungy? Explain.
5.  What is similar about how each of the situations could have potentially been avoided?
6. Has the world learned from its "witch hunts"? What other ones do you know of? Why do you think history repeats itself?