Understanding the Puritans Through Performance: August 25, 2017

Focus: What can we understand about cultural hysteria through dramatic reenactments of Puritan courtroom scenes?

If you handwrote your research, please turn it in by the end of class.

1. Warming up with an impromptu performance of the Bridget Bishop trial

• If you're Judge Hawthorne, what do you notice about the kinds of questions you're asking?

• If you're Bridget Bishop, what do you notice about your responses?

• How does yesterday's research help you understand what's happening in this scene?

2. Watching a four scenes from The Crucible and adding to your research and analysis; follow-up discussion as class:

Scene 1 (5:45--10:55): Betty's Sleeping
Scene 2 (13:30--20:30): Witchery's a Hangin' Error
Scene 3: (31:15--35:00): The Contagion of Accusation
Scene 4 (1:16:30--1:26:26): Witchcraft Is an Invisible Crime

• What non-supernatural issues are plaguing Salem? How might these relate to the witchcraft accusations?

• What instigates the hysteria in these scenes?

• What perpetuates the hysteria in these scenes?

• What does your research help you understand about these scenes?

3. Your first real Friday freewrite (10 min)

HW:
1. Click here to join our Quizlet class. Spend 15 minutes with your 15 Puritan Words (List 1). You'll have an assessment on these words next Friday. You can use Quizlet to play games, flip through flashcards, test yourself, or whatever helps you best absorb the words.

2. Read the overview of the Modern Cultural Hysteria project and start thinking about what you topics might want to explore for your project.

3. BRING HEADPHONES TO CLASS NEXT WEEK.

4. If you haven't yet signed up for our class remind account, click here.