Looking at the word cloud of the Crucible it is noticeable that it has certain references pointing towards religion and the supernatural. Words which you will find are: pray, spirits, church and Devil. This infers that the society at this time believed in the supernatural. The word which sticks out for me is pray, seeking for forgiveness from God from they have done, being a witch, additionally meaning for help for the innocent. Also, that if such things were real God would punish them and themselves if not siding with him. As well as that, many of the bigger  words are names of characters, so, showing who are the main characters.

The Crucible: witchcraft in Salem

Witchcraft

Can there be such a thing, in my eyes the idea is preposterous, however in 1692 it was very much real. It is set in Salem, Massachusetts and for them it was very real.

During this time girls started acting very strangely; the only answer, witchcraft. Soon, jails started getting filled with innocent people, only later realising it was a lie, the girls were making it up. Starting to blame innocent people that they were the cause. How is this fair. An example was Betty Parris, daughter of the minister, she started behaving strangely, now this is called 'psychosomatic', however then, it was the Devil possessing the child. Another strength which the children had was that they were the only witnesses, no true source of evidence; since they were in a town of 'believers' this worked to their advantage.


Act One: Pages 1-5:

It's a quick introduction into the social side of Salem, and how Reverend Parris wasn't well liked. Also The key layout of the city, as well as a slight brief history of the town. Quote from page 5:

'The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages, Act One 7 developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution. Simply, it was this: for good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies. It was forged for a necessary purpose and accomplished that purpose. But all organisation is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition, just as two objects cannot occupy the same space. Evidently the time came in New England when the repressions of order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against which the order was organised. The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.'     

URL:

http://asbamericanlit.edublogs.org/files/2011/10/21078735-The-Crucible-Arthur-Miller-2hmdzot.pdf, Date accessed: 17/09/13

The Crucible word cloud

English Assessment

No... No... I am not a witch  

My feelings were all over, I felt angry yet could do nothing otherwise it will not help my case. The shackles casing my hands felt as though they are getting tighter and tighter. I looked over to my family, I could feel their disbelieve, yet; the felling of disappointment was strongly overshadowing. My son and daughter were each crying, wishing I wasn't there, however it couldn't be changed. Nothing can be un done. Looking around I recognised many people, just a few days ago we were chatting down the street, now shouting in the courtroom. 

How could any of this be true, people were claiming to have seen what hasn't been seen, and feeling what hasn't been felt. Is this fair? Lying in the face of justice in order to keep there hands clean, it's easier just watching life go by than fighting for what you believe in. Do they fill the regret which I did, do they feel the sorrow between one another. Watching friend after friend being taken away will change you, only then can you know what I have been through. 

Believing is one thing, being believed in is another. Satan's within me, controlling my actions. Giving me power, how could he do such things. I am a man of God and always will be. People only believe when they're in the dark, never in the light. Now is a time of darkness, and they have chosen to believe witchcraft. 

Innocent, person after person has been accused, jailed and killed like dogs, how could man do this to one another. It's human nature to help, however it's also to survive, what should you do? Help an innocent friend, or standby and forever feel the regret well up within you. I chose the wrong option. I helped. People believe that helping one's friend who has been accused is witchcraft in itself. No one understands fully, only people who understand have been where I have been never been able to share with anyone else.  

Aiding one's neighbour was something which seemed the most obvious thing to do, the most noble, fighting for what I believe, not watch and standby with the liars, looking at those being accused and playing along with the facade in order to stay safe. Out of the dark and into the so called light. 

Or, is it the work of Satan, making me believe in a false hope, deceiving me into doing his work. Making me support a side with no hope, no truth, but hatred and curse. It must be a curse? It's only Satan which can create this much hardship, nothing, no one else is able to conjure up such dark power. So, am I witch, am I doing this for my sake and my conscience; or for him, the darkness, the condemned, the horror.   

 

Picture of witches

     The are stereotypically witches like the ones above, also when people act very unkind making them refer to them as a witch. Such as people referring to bullies as witches. 



Also the stereotypical witch, the green skin, pointy hat, cackle and keeps the self to themselves. So perhaps they are interpreted in a misunderstood way. 

5 pictures, one sentence, all on betrayal

Thousands of men walking into an unknown grave with no warning besides the harsh, abruptness of a single bullet shell.

                                   

The smell of pungent rotting corpses rose from into the air, the smell of gun powder was ever more potent.

A memory of someone may seem so simple, however in the present sometimes it's easy to forget the past.

In this moment of true horror, people didn't want to watch, but theirs eyes are drawn and people fidgeting cautiously in the background, praying it was all a bad dream.

The tensed hand slowly grasped the sharpened weapon from the table, his eyes were widening, and the slight tingling sensation running through his spine.

Tragedy, why do we enjoy it? How could we enjoy it?

My first thought about tragedy are that it is an emotional remedy from universal suffering, comforting us into believing that what we may be going through, isn't as bad as we may have first proposed. We are also able to split that into four sections: emotions, misfortune, style and media. Firstly, emotion. An example would be depression, the feeling we inherit after watching a tragedy. Accompanying this misfortune; an example would be hamartia where the protagonist makes a bad decision, however it is then amplified due to the terrible consequences. As well as the previous you can include style, the traditional or, most related with is the plot of everything to nothing. Feel as though you are superior to those around you, until it has depleted to nothing. Finally, media. This is probably how we perceive tragedy, a representation of this could be through plays such as the well esteemed Romeo and Juliet.


WHY COULD WE POSSIBLE ENJOY TRAGEDY PLOTS?

• Emotional challenging.
• Sudden.
• Sympathy towards others. 
• Perhaps a human instinct, the need to care, however it could be the exact opposite, the need to watch suffering. 
• It may also be viewed as a healing process, making you feel as though your hardship and troublesome times wouldn't be as bad.    

What is TRAGEDY?

DEATH              PLACES            CASTLE                   WEAPON                            HEART               BROKEN                SWORD                           AUDITORE                      SHIELD                                           SCHOOL                    BOOKS                                       TRADITION
                 END                    SHAKESPEARE                        DESTRUCTION
BETRAYAL                                               SUICIDE                    POPE                   MEDIA
                                 EMOTIONAL RELEASE             NURSE       HOSPITAL
        DARKNESS                             SHADOW                     ?                    HIDE
ROMEO AND JULIET                 TEAR                     HATE            MILLENIUM     
                            CAESAR                 JOHN.F.KENNEDY              HORROR
                   DAGGER              POETRY            FRIEND                         ANGER
    ASSASINATE                       ENEMY                                  SEE           MISFORTUNE
          PLAN           THOUGHT            TRAGEDY           RELIGION         EZIO
                  MYSTERIOUS                             EXPLOSION                   BEGINNING
DRAMATIC     GENRE            REVENGE                      MEDIEVAL      CONSEQUENCE
                              LEADER                  NIGHT             ESPIONAGE
BLOOD                  MACBETH                    RISING EVIL               FAMILY    LOSS
               ORIGIN                 STRENGTH        DISTRESS                               DEPRESSION                       ALTAIR                                    BACKBONE                      WILL             PERSERVE 
             HATRID                    VIOLIN                      HISTORIC               EXCITEMENT
RESENTMENT        EXAM       FUNERAL              GRAVE         GREED
                       DRAMATIC                        DEPRESSION               DRUG        CONCUSSION 
EXPRESSION         SORROW           SHOCKING         WOEFUL         

5 Core Values

Wednesday 4th September

In what ways could the five core values help me to learn in the English classroom and what values can I use to improve my learning?

By using the five core values it will help us to establish a positive work environment for people to work in, consequently bringing better results at the end of the 5th Form and throughout our lives. I believe this because when under a relaxed and concentrated environment it will help people to focus, as well as others being to help you and also you being able to help another.

For me to improve my learning I will be using the value of integrity, because from my point of view it will help me to create a broader outlook on the topic at hand; furthermore making it better structured, more effective, and stronger.    

Archie Atkinson, Raglan