I’ll be teaching The Crucible starting in a couple of weeks. When we read a book, I always have students read the book first and watch the film (if there is one) afterwards.
This is the first time I’ve taught a play, though, and I’m not sure how to handle showing the film. What do you think?
Read the play. However, depending on the version of film you have, show snippets of it during crucial scenes to reveal what might be going on in the character’s mind. I’ve found that using both gives students the ability to picture it accurately, while creating an image for themselves. It’s like LEGOs. You at least need something to base your creation. I also use lecture to introduce themes and symbols and basic plot.
Read the play. However, depending on the version of film you have, show snippets of it during crucial scenes to reveal what might be going on in the character’s mind. I’ve found that using both gives students the ability to picture it accurately, while creating an image for themselves. It’s like LEGOs. You at least need something to base your creation. I also use lecture to introduce themes and symbols and basic plot.
Good idea! I have the Daniel Day Lewis/Winona Ryder version of the movie. What version do you use?