CONSCIENCE & CONSEQUENCES

In a well-developed essay, analyze how one of the following themes is developed in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, then use that theme to form a better understanding of a modern hysteria.

• When fear spreads unchecked in a community, it distorts judgment and fuels hysteria.

• People will do questionable things in order to preserve their own reputations.

• An intolerant mindset can cause people to commit harmful acts.

• Being a good person means staying true to one's conscience, regardless of the consequences.

• Essays should be formatted according to MLA guidelines: typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, a proper heading (your name, teacher’s name, class, and date), a centered title, page numbers with your last name in the header, and parenthetical in-text citations with a Works Cited page at the end.

• The thesis of your essay should identify a single theme you saw as you read and watched The Crucible. 

• Each body paragraph should address or prove one part of the theme statement, providing evidence from the play and explaining how that evidence demonstrates that part of the theme statement. 

• Remember to use the Say/Mean/Matter strategy when talking about evidence. What does that evidence mean? How does that evidence matter for the theme?

• Your conclusion should summarize the main points of the essay, synthesize those points into the theme statement, echo your hook/introduction, and explain why it is important for us to remember the lesson you have learned from the story.