ESSAY - Act 2: The Crucible : Superstitions Essay

What is superstition? Superstition is an irrational or non-scientific belief in the existence of certain powers with positive or negative (usually negative) effects. This creates a belief in amulets, tokens, and the power of certain actions to diminish or deflect these negative effects and/or to promote the positive influence.

Rationale: As we discussed in class, the Puritans were highly superstitious people. Through this essay, you will illustrate ways in which the Puritans were superstitious, as shown in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Directions: Use your superstitions chart to record examples of the superstitious nature of the Puritans from incidents in Acts I and II of The Crucible. Then, use examples from the play to write a five-paragraph essay explaining the superstitious nature of the Puritans.

Be sure your essay follows these guidelines:  Includes a thesis statement about the superstitious nature of the Puritans.  Each paragraph must begin with a topic sentence.  Each paragraph contains supporting details and evidence from the play.  At the conclusion of your essay, emphasize your points by restating your thesis statement and topic sentences using different words.  Incorporate transitions between ideas and paragraphs.  Write in third person (NO I, me, my, you, your, etc. – use they, the Puritans).  Include a title for your essay.  Write five complete paragraphs (with five to seven sentences per paragraph).  Remember to cite your quotations or summaries with page numbers in parenthesis.

Use this outline for your essay:

• Introduction—Define superstition in your own words (DO NOT COPY THE DEFINITION ABOVE!) and explain why you think the Puritans were highly superstitious.
• Include a thesis statement that ties in The Crucible and how it shows the superstitious nature of the Puritans.
• Body paragraphs 1-3 – Elaborate on specific superstitions found in Acts I and II. Include one key superstition per paragraph.
• Conclusion – Summarize your findings. What does the play show about the Puritans and superstition?