Module 4: Drama in American Literature

Have you ever thought about why people are so drawn to movies and cinematic productions? Millions of Americans flock to movie theaters every week to see the latest blockbusters. What is it that lures people out? Many people enjoy movies and see it as a way to escape the harsh reality of their own lives for a few hours. But where did movies get their start?

For thousands of years, people have filled theaters to see that latest "blockbuster" productions. Of course, in this sense, the production was a theatrical performance of a play. After all, modern movies are just larger scale versions of plays. But movies, plays, and dramas are more than just mindless entertainment. They are mediums, tools which can be used to teach or show an audience some inescapable truth about anything and everything. That is why they are so popular. Why do you think people still read Shakespeare four hundred years after his death? People today read his plays because they are still relevant. Beyond the entertaining stories, there are parallels to be drawn and truths to be learned within plays.

 

The Crucible, written by the famous American playwright Arthur Miller, is an important contribution to American literary culture. Its allegorical message conveys a generation bound by fear and hysteria, not only during the colonial period but also during the Red Scare of the 1950s. Because its universal themes speak to those who are oppressed and persecuted for their beliefs, it continues to be read by contemporary students in this country as well as globally. In fact, it has been published in over two hundred languages. This module will focus on characteristics of drama, the history of the Salem Witch Trials, and ultimately how The Crucible is still relevant to modern culture today.

Getting Started

Since the creation of the genre, people have faithfully attended drama productions. Dramas have entertained and taught audiences one inescapable truth: human nature does not change. Think about a television program, movie, or live dramatic performance you have seen recently that you enjoyed. Why did you enjoy it? You can be honest and say you really liked the explosions of the latest action film or that a TV show has your favorite actors. There are no wrong answers as to why you enjoyed a dramatic performance. When you walked away from the TV or theater, what did you take with you? What were you thinking and talking about? Did you learn anything from it?

Share your experience by visiting the discussions area and posting the title of the show, movie, or play that you watched. Then, tell your peers why you liked it and what you learned from it. Return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation. See if your peers learned something different from the same movie, show, or live performance.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

 

actors	exposition	rising action
acts	external conflict	scenes
allegory	falling action	script
aside	flashback	situational irony
characterization	indirect characterization	social commentary
climax	internal conflict	soliloquy
conflict	lighting	spectral evidence
costume design	monologue	stage directions
denouement	narrator	staging
dialogue	playwright	theme
direct characterization	plot	theocracy
drama	props	thespian
dramatic irony	resolution	verbal irony