Modern Day Crucible: 13 Dead in Soccer Witchcraft Riot

Posted on September 17, 2008 in Uncategorized by jasonw

Recently on the 16th of September, it was reported that during a soccer match in Congo a player was accused of using “witchcraft” against the opposite team. This action consequently causes major riots and chaos and resulted in the death of 13 individuals ranging from the ages of 11 to 16.

As one can see through this event, the actual accusation of “witchcraft” is very much alive in some parts of the world (although not prominently). It also shows how it is simply human nature that a guilty individual will not submit or surrender — try to conceal the problem and as result, worsen the situation. It also exemplifies the fact that the accuser and the accused will not actually realize the stupidity of their action until after the damage is done.

Full article: Here

Proctor v. Abigail

Posted on September 9, 2008 in Uncategorized by jasonw

Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible uses the character of Abigail to pin John Proctor’s guilty affair to him. It also however serves as a way to show the traits of Abigail. Abigail has a vengeance is motivated to kill Goody Proctor. If this is accomplished, she believes that she will be able to be with John Proctor, even though the reality is that Proctor is not willing to resume a relationship with her. The conflict between Abigail and Proctor exemplifies the brute force of the women and how their demeanor has caused the confidence of the men to be shaken. It is because of the original dancing girls that innocent women who are wives of (somewhat) innocent men are being persecuted. Currently, in Salem it is the sinners who are dealing the artificial sins. In Act II, the sweeping force of the women can be easily seen through the characters of Francis Nurse, Giles Corey, and John Proctor. Corey enters saying: “They take my wife…And his Rebecca!” Obviously surprised, Proctor says “Rebecca’s in the jail!” It is because of the daft atmosphere that in a single night, the guilty women of Salem were able to send three innocent women to jail. The tense situation and the loss of their wives will soon cause the men to lose hope in their existence and in God. 

The Crucible: Team Shirt

Posted on September 1, 2008 in Uncategorized by jasonw

After discussing during class potential teams names and ideas for the team shirt for The Crucible, I have put these ideas together and created my shirt. Below is an explanation of the various pictures and words on the shirt.

Front:

  • “Salem Wizards” — This team name was chosen during class. Because of the ongoing conflict between men and women in the book, we decided this name was appropriate because “wizards” are the opposite of “witches”.
  • Wizard Hat — A visual representation of a wizard’s hat, simply used as a logo.

Sleeve:

  • On the right sleeve, there is a silhouette of the state of Massachusetts. This was a visual reminder of where the Salem Witch Trials took place.

Back:

  • Gavel and Witch — A visual representation of the passing of judgment on the “witches” of Salem. The size of the witch being smaller than the gavel represents that once you were accused on witchcraft, escaping the law would be futile.
  • “I have given you my soul; leave me my name” — This quote comes from John Proctor at later point in the book. (Act IV, pg. 143) The quote conveys Proctor’s value of his name and reputation versus his soul. He states that he has already given his soul, he only wishes to keep the goodness in his name. The quote also shows the decline of an “innocent” man by a guilty women.