Introduction
In this first paragraph, introduce your character. Use a telling quotation or incident from the play, a summary of how the character does or does not change throughout the story, or descriptive words to describe your character. Make your first sentence an interesting one to engage your reader. You must also include the author and title in this paragraph. (The Crucible, by Arthur Miller.) A good introduction is roughly six-eight sentences. The thesis statement must be at the end of your introductory paragraph. For more information about writing a thesis statement, click on the tab at the top of the page.
Read the information below to find specific ideas for and examples of introduction paragraphs.
Read the information below to find specific ideas for and examples of introduction paragraphs.
What does an introduction do?
- gets the attention of your reader
- gives background information on your topic (always assume your reader is unfamiliar with the play)
- includes the title in italics (The Crucible) and the author: Arthur Miller
- guides your reader to your thesis
- gives background information on your topic (always assume your reader is unfamiliar with the play)
- includes the title in italics (The Crucible) and the author: Arthur Miller
- guides your reader to your thesis
Ideas for attention-getting sentences to begin your introduction:
These examples are not full paragraphs.
1. Begin with a description:
She is the wife of one of the most persistant witch-hunters in Salem village; she is the mother of one of the "afflicted" girls, who is at the forefront of the accusations of witchcraft; she has been driven mad by grief over the loss of seven of her newborn children. Ann Putnam serves as an example of the people who propagated the hunt for witches in Salem in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
2. Begin with a quotation by your character:
"I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth" (15). Ann Putnam is a woman defined by grief. She serves as an example of the people who propagated the hunt for witches in Salem in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
3. Begin with a quote that relates in some way to your character:
"Grief and disappointment are like hate: they make men ugly with self-pity and bitterness," author Graham Greene once stated. Such a statement proves to be true for Ann Putnam in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
1. Begin with a description:
She is the wife of one of the most persistant witch-hunters in Salem village; she is the mother of one of the "afflicted" girls, who is at the forefront of the accusations of witchcraft; she has been driven mad by grief over the loss of seven of her newborn children. Ann Putnam serves as an example of the people who propagated the hunt for witches in Salem in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
2. Begin with a quotation by your character:
"I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth" (15). Ann Putnam is a woman defined by grief. She serves as an example of the people who propagated the hunt for witches in Salem in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
3. Begin with a quote that relates in some way to your character:
"Grief and disappointment are like hate: they make men ugly with self-pity and bitterness," author Graham Greene once stated. Such a statement proves to be true for Ann Putnam in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.