Authority and Transgression

Exercise 1

Visit: Hale, Danforth and Parris . Find out how the actors recreated the personalities behind the trials through the further links: ‘Developing the role of Reverend Parris’; ‘Fundamentalism’; ‘Fine-tuning the role of John Hale’; ‘Role of Danforth’; ‘The jail scene’; ‘Class differences’; ‘The role of Reverend John Hale’; ‘Reverend John Hale’s doubt’; ‘Hale’s silence in the court’; ‘Role of Reverend Parris’; ‘Stress experienced by Reverend Parris’; ‘Different facets of Reverend Parris’ character’; ‘Comparing Proctor and Hale’s journeys’.

Visit: Fundamentalism . Find out more about the ‘fundamentalist’ Christianity in the Salem community, and social as well as religious life there.

Write an obituary for one of the three authority figures: Hale, Danforth, and Parris. An obituary should balance the high points and low points of a person’s life, but you should emphasise their successes and the failures of their religious beliefs in practice.

Exercise 2

Divide a piece of paper into two, drawing a line down the middle. On one side write the heading LAWS; and on the other side write AUTHORITY.

Under the heading LAWS, draw up a list in private of all the rules you have to obey – whether school, parents/guardians, church, clubs, friends, personal – and even perhaps the rules you are expected to obey but don’t. [Privacy should be respected.] Under AUTHORITY, draw up a list of where these rules come from.

Which are the most important rules and sources of authority? Which do you feel comfortable with transgressing and which would you feel you could never break? Share your lists – as you feel comfortable.

Get into groups of four or five. Imagine you are young Puritan teenagers, part of the group discovered dancing in the woods. How would you have reacted? Would you have behaved as Abigail and the others did?

Now imagine yourselves today – create a role-play or a short, scripted play – having just been discovered doing something illegal (you choose). You can save yourselves from punishment or even prosecution by informing on an adult. What would you do? What if the adult were a good person who had trusted you? What if the adult in question was innocent but your statement could get you off any punishment. What if your confession could finally get you vengeance against someone who you feel did you harm – even if they are innocent of this? Make up the details of the story. If there is time or space, write and perform the play.

Go back to your list of rules and sources of authority – consider which been infringed. Share, discuss and present your findings.