H. Lit III: The Crucible Act I
Who said this quote: "I want to open!"
-Abigail to Hale and everyone in Parris's house at the time -manipulative liar, dissembling
Who said this quote: "My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!"
-Abigail to Parris -puts blames on others and telling him what she thinks he wants to hear -not taking responsibility
Who said this quote: "I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!"
-Abigail to Proctor -she's irresponsible and not taking responsibility for her actions -she lies because that's the way she grew up - she grew up lying
conflict between Abigail and Elizabeth Proctor
-Abigail used to work for her -Abigail had affair with Elizabeth's husband, so Elizabeth fired her and talked bad about her -Abigail drank blood to kill Goody Proctor
What exactly happened in the woods? Learned this from the girls' conversations with Abigail.
-Mercy was naked -girls were dancing -Tituba conjured Ruth's siblings from the dead -Abigail drank chicken blood to kill Goody Proctor -Betty, Abby, Mercy, Ruth, Mary, Susanna and Tituba were in the woods that night
Who said this quote: "There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires."
-Mrs. Putnam to Rebecca Nurse -secrets, lies, people plotting
conflict between Parris and John Proctor
-Parris doesn't talk about God in Church anymore -Proctor thinks Parris is motivated by money
Who said this quote: "I know that you - you least of all, Thomas, would ever wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me."
-Parris to Putnam -example of dramatic irony: we know Putnam accuses people of witchcraft -Parris is worried about his reputation (doesn't want to be involved in witchcraft)
Who said this quote: "You cannot command Mr. Parris. We vote by name in this society, not by acreage."
-Proctor to Putnam -hypocritical because they list names if people they want to accuse for witchcraft
Who said this quote: "I mean it solemnly, Rebecca; I like not the smell of this 'authority'."
-Proctor to Rebecca -he doesn't like how Parris has too much power/authority
conflict between John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse vs. Putnam and Parris
-Putnam and Parris believed in witchcraft -Proctor and R. Nurse didn't believe in witchcraft -don't support Hale; people, turn to God
Who said this quote: "Don't you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark. Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more."
-Putnam to Parris -wants Parris to understand what might be happening involving witchcraft
Who said this quote: "Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him? Or Osburn?"
-Putnam to Tituba -plants names in her head to accuse of witchcraft
Who said this quote: "I think she'll wake when she tires of it. A child's spirits is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it, you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back."
-R. Nurse to Parris and the Putnams -shows she doesn't believe in witchcraft and might seem offensive and insensitive
Who are Reverend Parris, Betty, and Abigail? What is their relationship?
-Reverend Parris is father to Betty and uncle to Abigail -Betty and Abigail are cousins -Abigail is an orphan
What is the setting (time and place)?
-Salem, Massachusetts -spring of 1942
Describe what is said between Abby and J. Proctor.
-had an affair -Abby still has feelings for John, but he doesn't -he will cut off his own hand before cheating again
conflict between Abigail and John Proctor
-had an affair with each other -she wants to continue it, but he wants to stop
conflict between Putnam and John Proctor
-land disputes -Putnam's grandfather will off land that wasn't his -Proctor received wood from "Putnam" land
Why didn't the Putnams like the Nurses?
-land disputes -opposed Putnams brother-in-law for minister -had 11 children while Putnams had 1
What does Parris mean by "I cannot blink what I saw, for my enemies will not blink it"? What is Parris's main concern?
-main concern is his enemies -saying he can't deny what he saw, and his enemies won't forget
What was Reverend Samuel Parris's attitude toward children?
-no interest in children -they are young adults -should be seen, not heard -sees them as a burden
Describe the dramatic ending of Act I.
-right after Tituba accused 2 women, Abigail accuses girls -then Betty does the same (Hale thought she was free of the devil because she had waken up) -as Abby and Betty are accusing, Putnam called the Marshal -they continue to accuse 11 more people and curtain falls
What does Rev. Parris question Abigail about? What does Abigail say happened in the woods?
-said they were dancing, but Parris jumped out at them so suddenly that Betty fainted -Parris saw a dress on the ground and a girl naked
What has Elizabeth Proctor said about Abigail? Why does Abigail say she was dismissed by the Proctors?
-says she's lazy and had an affair with her husband (foreshadowing this) -Abigail says she refuses to be treated like a slave
Who is Tituba? What is her relationship to the family?
-she is Parris's negro slave in her 40's and from Barbados -accused of witchcraft by Abigail (Scapegoat)
Who is Ruth? What's wrong with her? How do the Putnams tie her problem to Betty's?
-she is Putnam's daughter -she's sick, but more like sleepwalking -both found dancing in the woods and fell sick at the same time
conflict between Parris and Salem parishioners
-they don't listen to Parris during church because he only talks about hell and damnation -Parris believes there's a faction against him -Parris has a salary, but wants more money
Tituba and the girls vs. Salem adults
-they would go into the forest at nights w/o the adults knowledge and they would dance -adults believed Tituba was a witch because she's from Barbados
How do the townspeople view the forest?
-thought the devil lived there -thought it was threatening, mysterious, fearful -last place on earth that was not paying homage to God
Why does John Proctor become angry with Abigail Williams?
Abigail mentions his wife's name and speaks poorly of her. She wants to continue the affair
How many children has Rebecca Nurse raised? How many has Anne Putnam raised?
Nurse raised 11 children and Putnam raised 1
What reason did Thomas Putnam have for resenting Parris?
Parris became minister instead of Putnam's brother-in-law, James Bailey
Why does J. Proctor not attend church?
Parris only talks about Hell and damnation, not God
What is Putnam's grievance over land? What significance might this have?
Proctor had Putnam's lumber from Putnam's property -Putnam thought it was his land because his grandfather willed it to him
Though Hale is trying to get Tituba to name her accomplices, who is the first person to actually mention names?
Thomas Putnam -plants suggestion of who they should accuse (Sarah Good and Goody Osborne)
When Abigail is questioned by Hale, who does she blame? What proof does she offer?
blames Tituba -made her laugh during prayer -made her have bad dreams -made her and Betty drink blood -laughed at her when she woke up naked
Describe Rebecca Nurse
calm, steady, sensible, a voice of reason
Describe Rebecca Nurses's reactions to the girls' sicknesses
calm-didn't seemed worried -believes they will wake up when they will wake up (just being kids)
What were Tituba and the girls doing in the woods the night before this act takes place?
conjuring Ruth's dead siblings and dancing
What happened to Betty when she hears the Lord's name?
covers her ears and screams -doesn't want to be whipped for dancing
Describe Abigail Williams
dissembling, in love with former employer
Describe John Hale
expert in witchcraft, eager to prove his intellectual
What event transpired between Abby and J. Proctor?
had an affair
What does Reverend Parris want of his parishioners that they resent?
hire pay and legal possession of his house and free firewood
Why has Rev. Parris sent for a doctor as the play begins? What advice does the doctor send back?
no medical cause and to look to unnatural things (witchcraft)
Describe Tituba
powerless, terrified of becoming scapegoat for trouble
What does Thomas Putnam say is a "sure sign" that witchcraft afflicts Betty?
screamed after hearing the Lord's name
Describe Reverend Parris
self-pitying, fearful of losing position in community
What rumors have circulated the town about Betty Parris?
she flew over the Ingersill's barn
What will Abigail bring to those who breathe a word of the truth? What does she threaten?
she will kill them w/ a pointy reckoning like the Indians did her parents
conflict between Putnam family and Nurse family
they are jealous that Nurses have 11 children and 26 grandchildren while they had 7 stillborn and 1 child -land dispute -minister issue -Nurses opposed Putnam's brother to become minister
Explain the paradox of the Salem tragedy.
they were strict and escaped religious persecution, but persecuted the Indians for their religion
Why is Reverend John Hale in Salem?
to ascertain if witchcraft is in Salem
What does Parris expect from Hale?
to calm the fears of townspeople and protect himself -fears being ousted by enemy factions -also help with Betty
Why did Abby and Betty accuse other people?
to get attention off of themselves
What ultimatum is Tituba given? Who does Tituba accuse of being a witch?
to help cleanse Salem of witchcraft; if you confess, God will protect you -accuses Sarah Good and Goody Osborne
Why would Arthur Miller include the note on historical accuracy?
to tell us that it's not historically accurate -establish his voice of authority
Describe John Proctor
uneasy about talk of witchcraft, angry about former love interest
Describe Thomas Putnam
vindictive, motivated by desire for power and land
What do the Putnams expect from Hale?
want to know if it's natural to have 7 stillborn kids
What does Giles Corey expect from Hale?
why his wife reads strange books in the night and why he can't remember prayer when she reads those books
