Act 1 Dialectical Journal
As you read Act 1, keep a “dialectical journal.” Dialectical is “the art or practice of arriving at the truth through logical arguments.” Therefore, you will use your insights and perceptions to “argue” with the characters, situations, and events in the play in order to come to some understanding or truth. As you “converse” with the text, you will develop a better understanding of what is going on, what motivates the characters, and underlying conflicts.
Write down your thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas while you read.
For Act I of The Crucible, specifically focus on cultural climate and passages exemplifying authority, hysteria, guilt, or hypocrisy and record at least ten entries for Act