ADAPTED VERSION · dyslexia and neurodiverse students · B1

Session 4: Because it is my name!

Question: Why does Proctor refuse to sign?
Step 1

Goals

Step 2

Warm-up

Your name: what does it mean to you? One sentence.

Step 3

Read

Short text. Proctor is in prison. If he signs a confession, he will live. But the paper will be on the church door. He tears it. He prefers to die with his honour.
"Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!"
Arthur Miller, The Crucible, Act IV, John Proctor
Step 4

Tasks

Task a. Order the events of the end.
Task b. Hero or not? Vote and give one reason.
Task c. Small task: one minute about a character.
Step 5

More tasks

Writing and speaking: a eulogy or an epitaph for John Proctor

Miller wrote in 1949 that ordinary people can be tragic heroes.

"I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were."
Arthur Miller, "Tragedy and the Common Man", The New York Times, 1949

Task: choose one.

  1. Eulogy (A: one minute, B: 30 seconds): Rebecca Nurse's friend or Reverend Hale speaks at a secret gathering after the execution. Read it aloud to the class.
  2. Epitaph: four to six lines for a gravestone, then explain your word choice in three sentences.

Link it to Miller's idea: why is Proctor, a farmer, a tragic hero?

Sentence starters
  • We are here to remember John Proctor, a man who...
  • He was not perfect: he...
  • But in the end he chose...
  • Like a king in a tragedy, this farmer...
  • Here lies...
Step 6

Sentence starters

  • Proctor decides to...
  • His name is important because...
  • I think he is a hero because...
  • I don't agree because...
Step 7

Role play

Pairs: Hale and Proctor in prison. Hale says: "Sign and live!" Proctor answers.

Step 8

Gap-fill worksheet

QR code to this worksheet
Word bank: prison · sign · tears · honour · name · die
  1. Proctor is in .
  2. He must a paper.
  3. He the paper.
  4. He wants to keep his .
  5. His is important.
  6. He prefers to .
Answer key
  1. prison
  2. sign
  3. tears
  4. honour
  5. name
  6. die
Step 9

Homework

Prepare your one minute presentation with four keywords.

Watch the film at home

The Crucible (1996), directed by Nicholas Hytner. In France, the film is called La Chasse aux sorcières.

  1. Where to watch: see the list of streaming and rental options on JustWatch France.
  2. DVD: ask at your local library or médiathèque.
  3. Official trailer: on the Apple TV page of the film.
  4. Scenes to watch: Act I: the girls dance in the forest at night (the opening of the film). Act II: the officers arrest Elizabeth at home. Act III: in court, the girls turn against Mary Warren. Act IV: Proctor tears his confession and walks to the gallows.

Watch with English subtitles if you can.

Step 10

Assessment grid

CriteriaLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4
PresentationReadsShortClearClear and fluent
OpinionNoneSimpleClearClear with reason

Links reminder