Rising Action (Act Two of The Crucible)
Our society holds those who commit crimes accountable and does not base law on religious principals. However, the Puritans used the Bible as a basis for their societal rules and laws. This is called a theocracy. In contemporary America, legislators create laws that are enforced by police officers. When people are accused of a crime, they are allowed representation by a lawyer and will face a judge and/or jury to decide their fate.
Act Two focuses on those who are falsely accused. You will see what happens in a Puritan society when a person is accused of a crime. In our contemporary society, are people ever falsely accused of a crime? What kinds of safeguards are in place to prevent people from false imprisonment? What happens when someone is falsely accused? Are they usually found guilty or innocent? If they are eventually found innocent, how are they viewed in the court of public opinion?
Take some time to explore these questions in further detail. Go to the Internet and find an article where you learn about someone who has been falsely accused of a crime or someone who has been found guilty but may be innocent. This can be someone famous, or it can be someone from your local community. Consider the following questions below:
- What is the individual accused of doing? Summarize the story's details.
- Was the defendant found guilty or innocent? Explain the court proceedings.
- What does the court of public opinion say?
- What are your thoughts on the situation, how it was handled, or the facts of the case?
Post your responses to these questions in the discussions area. Be sure to paste the URL to your posting. Then, 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.
Here is a list of possible examples that you may want to explore:
- Patsy Ramsey - cleared of any involvement in the murder of her daughter, JonBenet Ramsey, but the court of public opinion found her guilty
- Richard Jewell - found innocent of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Park Bombing but had trouble getting a job after all of the media attention
- The Mickelberg Brothers – cleared of all charges 22 years after the crime of 49 stolen gold bars occurred
- Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter – case dropped in 1988 after the famous boxer was convicted for multiple murders