The Crucible

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The Crucible

• Characterization

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• Protagonist the main character
• Antagonist the character who comes into conflict
  with the main character (not always
• bad!)

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• Characters the people or animals that the story
  is about or involves
•  
• A.     Round character shows many different
  traits throughout the story
•  
• B.     Flat character shows only one trait
•  
• C.     Static character does not change
  throughout the story
•  
• D. Dynamic character develops, grows,
  changes by the end

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• Characterization techniques used to reveal the
  true nature of a character
•  
• A.     Direct Description the narrator or
  another character comments on the characters
  appearance, habits, dress, background,
  personality, etc.
•  
• Example from The Crucible
• Abigail about Goody ProctorShe hates me,
  uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave.
  Its a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling
  woman, and I will not work for such a woman.
• Parris in response to AbigailShe may be. And
  yet it has troubled me that you are now seven
  month out their house, and in all this time no
  other family has ever called for your service.

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• B. Portrayal of Behavior the actions and speech
  of the character let us draw conclusions about
  the character
•  
• Example from The Crucible
• Abigail to the girls Let either of you breathe
  a word, or the edge of a word, about the other
  things, and I will come to you in the black of
  some terrible night and I will bring a pointy
  reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I
  can do itand I can make you wish you had never
  seen the sun go down!

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• C. Representation of Internal State writer
  directly reveals a characters private thoughts
  and emotions
•  
• We are not going to focus on this during the play
  because they are easily confused with stage
  directions and how a character is supposed to act.