The Crucible

THE CRUCIBLE

Act Two

REVISION

What has happened so far in Act II?

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Where are the ten commandments mentioned in Act Two?

Are these commandments followed?

When are they broken?

List details next to each one.

PARADOX

A statement or proposition that is contradictory in nature

A paradox is something that appears to be one way but is the opposite way.

PARADOXES

Why are the following statements paradoxes? Explain one of them starting with ‘The statement……..is paradoxical because…’

I never tell the truth

In ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ by George Orwell he stated that:

"War is peace.""Freedom is slavery.""Ignorance is strength."

PARADOX IN ‘THE CRUCIBLE’

Proctor: ‘We are what we always were in Salem, but now the crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law’.

Mary Warren: ‘I am amazed you do not see what weighty work we do.’

Proctor: ‘It’s strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women!’

What is Proctor suggesting is paradoxical? Write a short paragraph explaining your ideas.

FROM ACT 1

Abigail: ‘I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!’ pg. 30

Evidence that there are people in the two that can see the hypocrisy in what is being preached at them and how people live their lives.

It links to the comments Proctor makes about Parris in Act II

PARADOX IN ‘THE CRUCIBLE’

Explain the 10 commandments and how they are followed in the town connect to the idea of paradox?

What does this tell us about the nature of the community and their laws?

Can truth and justice be present in this type of community?

Answer these questions in a paragraph using evidence from the play.