ENGLISH LIT REVISION

OF MICE AND MEN

THE CRUCIBLE

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

LITERARY TERMS

Syndetic list = list of ands Polysyndeton = lots of ands Asyndeton = no ands Alliteration Assonance = a rhyming of vowel sounds in neighbouring or close words Blank verse = a verse without rhyme, especially one that uses iambic pentameter. Blank verse is often unobtrusive and the iambic pentameter form oftern resembles the rhythms of ordinary speech Cacophony = harsh, discordant sounds (opposite of euphony) Caesura = a break in a line of poetry Cliché = phrase expressing a common thought, lost originality by overuseConnotation = second meanings and overtones of a word (opposite denotation)Couplet = a pair of rhymed lines, of any metreConsonance = repetition of consonant sounds, sound usually occurs at the ends of wordsEllipsis = the omission of part of a grammatical structure- more informalEnjambment = continuation of a phrase from one line of verse to the next without pauseEuphony = soothing pleasant sounds (opposite of cacophony)Eytomology = study of the history and origin of wordsFigurative language = whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else (similes, metaphors and personification) Foreshadowing = Clues of events to comeFree verse = non rhyming verse also with free metrical verseHyperbaton = figure of speech in which words that naturally belong together are separated for effect, author plays with regular positioning of words and phrasesHyperbole = an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literallyIdioms = group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual wordsImagery = language that evokes one or all of the five senses (also trope)Internal rhyme = rhyme withing a single line of poetryIrony = use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. Indicating through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is stated.Dramatic irony = audience knows more than the charactersJuxtaposition = one theme or idea paralleled to another for effectLexeme or lexical field = type of words usedMetaphor = or trope, not literal word or phraseMotif = recurrent thematic elementMood or tone = the emotional attitude the author takes towards the subjectOnomatopoeia = the use of a word to describe or imitate the sound its descibingOxymoron = opposite words in close proximity for effectParody = imitate for purposes of ridicule or satirePathetic fallacy = connection between human mood and the external worldPersonification = human characteristics are given to an animal or objectPun = word play involving words with double meaningsQuatrain = a stanza with four linesRegister = a variety of language used in a specific social settingSatire = literature which exhibits or examines vice and folly and makes them appear ridiculous or contemptibleSibilance = The occurance of an 's', 'ch' or 'sh' or hissing sound at the beginning of words that are neighbouring or in close proximity to each otherSimile = comparison of one thing with another thingSynecdoche = a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa (lend me your ears)Theme = the general idea or insight about life expressedMimesis = meaning like soundPhonoaesthetics = how a word soundsPlosive words = like cacophonyAnaphora = poetry - lines beginning with the same wordAntithesis = contrasting oppositesChiasmus = words/concepts repeated in reverse orderPathos = emotionBathos = anticlimaxAscending and Descending tricolon Stichomythia Main and Subordinate clauses End focus and fronting

Iambs, trochees and spondees

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts

 In John Proctor, Miller gives the reader a marvelous tragic hero for any time—a flawed figure who finds his moral center just as everything is falling to pieces around him.Hamartia = affair with Abigail, occurs before the play begins so audience more likely to be persuaded that he is a good man? More easy to forgive? Elizabeth's coldness also contributes to the audience's readiness to forgive John. Proctor is, above all, a proud man who places great emphasis on his reputation. is immense pride and fear of public opinion compelled him to withhold his adultery from the court, but by the end of the play he is more concerned with his personal integrity than his public reputation. He still wants to save his name, but for personal and religious, rather than public, reasons. By refusing to give up his personal integrity Proctor implicitly proclaims his conviction that such integrity will bring him to heaven. I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” he cries to Danforth in Act IV. By refusing to relinquish his name, he redeems himself for his earlier failure and dies with integrity. Proctor’s courageous decision, at the close of the play, to die rather than confess to a sin that he did not commit, finally breaks the cycle. The court collapses shortly afterward, undone by the refusal of its victims to propagate lies.At first, a passive protagonisthe doesn't stop fighting the false accusations even after he finds out that Elizabeth is pregnant and therefore safe for a while. He feels a greater duty to his community and proceeds anywayThroughout sense of wasted potentialCrisis = pivot moment in the tragedy after which the hero falls/ is doomed (when Elizabeth lies)Anagnorisis = moment of realisation that changes the tragic hero- when John admits his intentions are largerCatharsis = Audience purging of emotions (John and Elizabeth act 4)

How intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apartThe Crucible introduces a community full of underlying personal grudges. Religion pervades every aspect of life, but it is a religion that lacks a ritual outlet to manage emotions such as anger, jealousy, or resentment. By 1692, Salem has become a fairly established community, removed from its days as an outpost on a hostile frontier. Many of the former dangers that united the community in its early years have lessened, while interpersonal feuds and grudges over property, religious offices, and sexual behavior have begun to simmer beneath the theocratic surface. These tensions, combined with the paranoia about supernatural forces, pervade the town’s religious sensibility and provide the raw materials for the hysteria of the witch trials.The idea of guilt by association is central to the events in The Crucible, as it is one of the many ways in which the private, moral behavior of citizens can be regulated. To solidify one’s good name, it is necessary to publicly condemn the wrongdoing of others. 

The language of the play is almost biblical, and Abigail seems like a biblical character—a Jezebel figure, driven only by sexual desire and a lust for power. 

Miller page 5- 'It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions, and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom.'

Hale- start of page 26, end of page 30, idea of finding diabolism being an act of precision, comparisons with a doctor. Clear boundary with good and bad, morality and immorality. projecting an air of great knowledgehe experiences a transformation, one more remarkable than that of any other character.Doubt begins in act 2Comparisons with pontius pilot

Although Hale recognizes the evil of the witch trials, his response is not defiance but surrender. He insists that survival is the highest good, even if it means accommodating oneself to injustice—something that the truly heroic characters can never accept.

Dichotomy = a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.Diabolism = devil worship

Theocratic society - dichotomy functions as the underlining logic behind the witch trials. Most illustrated in the character of Danforth, Act 3.

the townsfolk accept and become active in the hysterical climate not only out of genuine religious piety but also because it gives them a chance to express repressed sentiments and to act on long-held grudges. Hysteria only thrived because people benefited from it 

Analyse as a play, it is spoken language

Act 1, Abigail makes clear contradictions with herself. The adults are already too blinded with her persuasive power and willingness to believe in the supernatural to notice this. Audience sees how easily the community are swayed by one manipulative individual just trying to save her own neck(rising to a great glee) act 1= enjoyment in her condemnation

Giles’s claim to Hale that Proctor does not believe in witches does not necessarily arise out of a desire to do his Christian duty—he may only be making a joke. However, the very offhand nature of his statement indicates that reporting a neighbor’s heretical words or thoughts is a deeply ingrained behavior in Salem.

Tituba, Abigail and Betty empower themselves through their allegedly religious hysteria.

Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne do not want to admit publicly that they were deceived by a bunch of young women and girls, while Parris does not want the trials to end as a fraud because the scandal of having a lying daughter and niece would end his career in Salem. 

act 3 Too many reputations are at stake, and Proctor’s revelation comes too late to stop the avalanche.

Act 4 Danforth and Hathorne’s treatment of Proctor reveals an obsessive need to preserve the appearance of order and justify their actions as well as a hypocritical attitude about honesty. 

hysterical, self-serving accusations

'A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is. . . . She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance. . . .' Proctor Act 3

'You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time—we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now, by God’s grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it.' Danforth Act 3

Early in the play, Proctor’s desire to preserve his good name keeps him from testifying against Abigail. Now, however, he has come to a true understanding of what a good reputation means and what course of action it necessitates—namely, that he tell the truth, not lie to save himself. 

TONE  · Serious and tragic—the language is almost biblical.THEMES  · Intolerance; hysteria; reputation

Discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria.Abigail's jealousy of ElizabethParris and his desire to keep and maintain his authorityThe Putnams and their feud with the Nurse's over land and still born childrenAbigail's hatred of Salem

How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless? Betty stands up to Proctor (Act 2) Elizabeth's gang (Elizabeth standing up to Danforth Act 3) “I’ll not have such looks.” (pg 89) Tituba- able to show her hatred of Parris and in accusing white people has power over the race that enslave her.

Danforth, although stubborn, is swayed by Abigail. As soon as he begins to doubt her, she manages to change his feelings back. “Engaged and entered by Abigail.” (pg 87) "weakening"

• Elizabeth is shocked at how far Abigail would go to spite Elizabeth “She must be ripped out of the world!” (pg 62) Elizabeth a very sensitive, plain speaking woman.. audience finds this choice of words shocking

•Proctor is described by Miller as “Powerful of body, even tempered, and not easily led.”  (pg 16) This shows Miller thinks highly of Proctor and respects his character. The “not easily led” is a hint almost to show he will not be caught up in the hysteria of the witch trials.

•Proctor is described by Miller as “Powerful of body, even tempered, and not easily led.”  (pg 16) This shows Miller thinks highly of Proctor and respects his character. The “not easily led” is a hint almost to show he will not be caught up in the hysteria of the witch trials.•His use of vivid imagery pops up throughout the play. He uses it to describe situations which help the reader understand how he feels. “Your justice would freeze beer” (pg 46)  

Proctor and Elizabeth catharsis act 4

The emotional weight of the play rests on Proctor's quest to regain his lost self-image, his lost goodness. Proctor likes rebellious Abigail as he too despises aspects of Salem 'smile widening' act 1 

 "I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs" (IV.298).

 "I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs" (IV.298).

Proctors frustration that he cannot forgive himself, taken out on Elizabeth- desperate for self gratification. Their relationship described as a trial and journey to forgiveness, foreshadowing later trials in the play

INSTRUMENTAL (power of law) and INFLUENTIAL power (abigail manipulation)

Proctor and others power through self sacrifice

Miller's portrayal of witchcraft is stereotypical and unbelievable for audience- he is critical of it (making a point)

Hale pg105 I come to do the devil's work.. There is blood on my head! damnation's doubled on a minister who counsels men to lie

Pg.82 intimidating the children, using graphic images, consonance. Leading the witness

Metaphor crucible- 'fire' applied to several people and we see what theyre made of- whether they lie to protect themselves or be honest and face death

Elizabeth- almost self fulfilling prophecy

Putnam = stirrer malicious and self serving

itinerant workersEvery character displays a belief in the American Dream

“A guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick”Use of indefinite article

“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other”Workers loneliness but wariness and suspicion of each other as a result of the lifestyle and times they live in. 

‘Crooks had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the negro’

Hands are referred to continuously throughout the novel They can say lots about a character

Steinbeck uses animal imagery to describe the characters in their simplest form This makes them seem as if they are basic creatures and are instinctiveLennie in particular- easier to forgive for his sin. 

‘his huge paws and bleated with terror’  metaphor and antithesis

The ranch is a microcosm of society This means that the ranch represents the groups in society and their views about each other, within a small group

writes with a very poetic, lyrical beauty when describing the Salinas Valley. 

foreshadowing- throughout and in the title

Steinbeck doesn’t give Candy a name at the beginning to indicate that Candy is of little importance on the ranch

Like ranch workers dont understand george and lennie's relationship, dont understand Candy and his dog

‘a change came over old Candy’.  effect of hope 'master of the situation'

His innocence raises him to a standard of pure goodness 

exemplifies  the predatory nature of the ranch-hands’  world. The strong attack the weak but the weak will attack the weaker. 

Crooks exhibits an insight that other characters lack. He is openly sceptical 

Crooks acts brusque not because of any dislike for others; rather, he uses it as a defence mechanism. 

makes her utterly human and much more interesting than the stereotypical vixen in fancy red shoes

Candy’s dog serves as a harsh reminder of the fate that awaits anyone who outlives his usefulness.

cynicism

Candy and Crooks sign on to this fantasy, which helps them also to transcend their circumstances.

Slim seems to have somehow reached the sad conclusion indicated by the novel's title, that to dream leads to despair.

This is a novel of defeated hope and the harsh reality of the American Dream. 

– the idyllic setting turns predatory 

delicate and beautiful  bond between friends is not appropriately mourned because it is not understood.

ISOLATION

. “And then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away...“I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.””

, Curley is fairly one dimensional

Whit is an enthusiastic, young ranch hand. ““Go on” said the young man “read it aloud.”” This shows that he is still quite excited about seeing the letter from Bill Tanner. However, with his “slumped shoulders...as though he was  carrying an invisible grain bag,” he is starting to show the first signs of exhaustion from ranch life

OF MICE AND MEN

THE CRUCIBLE

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

LITERARY TERMS