Morgan Township’s 11th-grade English students recently took part in a creative and thought-provoking activity centered around Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible. As part of their unit on the play, students were asked to write an elegy or eulogy honoring the character John Proctor, who meets a tragic end in the story. This assignment encouraged students to explore themes of guilt, redemption, integrity, and sacrifice—core ideas that drive the play’s dramatic conclusion.
To bring their writing to life, students participated in a mock funeral for John Proctor, where they shared their elegies and eulogies aloud. The classroom was transformed into a reflective space, allowing students to express empathy for Proctor’s struggles and to consider how his moral choices still resonate today. Many chose to write from the perspectives of other characters, incorporating tone, diction, and emotion that reflected the social and moral tensions of the Salem witch trials.
This creative approach not only deepened students’ understanding of the play’s historical and literary context but also allowed them to connect emotionally with the text. By stepping into the shoes of those who knew Proctor, students demonstrated their ability to interpret complex themes and convey authentic emotion through writing. The mock funeral served as both a memorable conclusion to the unit and a celebration of the students’ growing analytical and expressive skills.
