english

Hathorne thinks of a test for Mary. What is it? Can she do it? Why or why not?

10. Hathorne thinks of a test for Mary. What is it? Can she do it? Why or why not? He asks her to faint. She cannot do it because she says she does not have the passion for it.

Hale asks Elizabeth if she believes in witches. What is her reply?

? Elizabeth does not believe in witches. She also tells him that if he believes her to be a witch then there are no witches.

What did Abigail do?

Abigail leaves. She takes the 31 pounds sterling from Parris and runs off in the night.

Why does Mrs. Putnam believe there are witches in Salem

Because she has lost so many babies before they turned one, she is under the impression that there are witches that are out to destroy her family.

Why does Cheever come to the Proctor house?

Cheever is there to arrest Elizabeth for witchcraft. Abigail was stabbed with a needle in her belly and she has claimed that Elizabeth sent her spirit out to stab her.

What explanation does Cheever give for Parris' "mad look"?

Cheever thinks that Parris' has been working too hard to find witches and now Abigail's leaving has made him afraid of the village.

When Danforth hears that Elizabeth is pregnant, what does he allow?

Danforth allows Elizabeth a stay of execution for at least a month. If she is showing at the end of that month then they will allow her a year to have the child and then she'll be executed.

a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between." Explain the importance of Danforth's statement.

Danforth believes that people who are not for what the court is doing in Salem are against the court and therefore should be jailed.

Why does Elizabeth think Abigail wants to kill her?

Elizabeth thinks that Abigail wants to kill her to have John. She wants to take Elizabeth's place.

The witch hunt was a way for citizens to get revenge on others in town by claiming that those they had a grudge against were witches.

Explain how the witch-hunt years were a time of "general revenge.

What does Giles accuse Putnam of doing?

Giles Corey accuses Thomas Putnam of landlust. He knows that once Ruth Putnam, their daughter accuses George Jacobs of witchcraft, and he is executed, Thomas Putnam can purchase George Jacobs' land. Giles Corey was told by a man who overheard Thomas Putnam say that Ruth had "gifted" him with a great piece of land.

What happened to Giles?

Giles Corey is pressed to death for not saying yay or nay to the question about Putnam's accuser. Remember the accuser accused Putnam of killing George Jacobs for his land. He refused and they pressed him to death with rocks. Because he did not say yay or nay, he was able to keep his land and his sons could inherit his land as intended.

Why has Hale come back to Salem?

Hale has come back to Salem to help save the souls of the last seven people and to help them pass into the afterlife.

Why did Hale come to Proctor's house?

Hale has come to investigate whether or not the Proctors' believe in witches and if there is witchcraft in their home.

What is Hale's problem as Proctor and his friends present evidence to Danforth?

Hale is angry that Danforth is not listening to the evidence and that Danforth is a corrupt judge. He's starting to believe that the girls have been lying all along.

Who is Rev. John Hale, and why does he come to Salem?

Hale is the witch hunter. He is educated in witchcraft.

What does Hale do at the end of Act III?

Hale quits the court. He knows that this is all a lie that the girls have cooked up to prevent getting into trouble for dancing in the woods when Parris found them.

Hale says, "They (the books) must be (heavy); they are weighted with authority." What is the significant of this remark?

He believes that the books give him the authority to find witches.

What is John's response to her prodding?

He gets upset and responds in anger.

Explain Danforth's reason that a pardon would not be just.

He has executed 12 people already for witchcraft. He believes that to pardon the last seven would show the village that he was wrong with the first twelve executions.

Why is Thomas Putnam bitter?

He is constantly at odds with his neighbors over land. He is under the impression, much like his wife, that everyone is out to get him.

What is Proctor's reason for his not regularly attending church?

He says that the sermons are nothing but fire and brimstone. He also feels that Parris speaks about nothing but adult responsibilities which boils down to the fact that he expects more money from the people in town and the deed to his house.

What does Parris want?

He wants the deed to the house he is living in. He also wants more money for firewood although he already gets 66 pounds a year.

The quote Proctor used to help Mary remain brave is, "Do that which is good, and no harm will come to thee." Explain

If you are truly a good person, nothing will harm you.

Describe Proctor

John Proctor is a young man in his 30s. He is strong and fierce. He is very human.

Why doesn't Proctor want Mary to go back to court?

John Proctor pays Mary to help Elizabeth with household chores. He does not want her to go back because he doesn't want her to get caught up in the problem.

What was the "evidence" against Sarah Good?

Mary Warren claims that she choked her in the courtroom. She claims that Sarah Good confessed to being a witch.

Why doesn't Mary want to testify about the doll?

Mary Warren is afraid of what Abby will do to her.

What is Mary's Warren argument to Abby?

Mary is asking them to come clean. Tell them what they've done because 'witching' is "a hanging error".

What does Mary tell Danforth?

Mary tells Danforth that the whole thing is a lie or a "pretense".

What happens to Proctor?

Mary turns on him and calls him the devil's man. She claims that he has come to her in the middle of the night to sign the devil's book. Proctor is taken into custody for witchcraft and trafficking with the devil.

Parris says, "Oh, Abigail, what proper payment for my charity? Now I am undone!" What does that mean?

Parris means that Abigail has betrayed his trust and by doing what she has done, she has created a problem for him that may cause him to get fired.

What is Parris' argument against Proctor?

Parris' believes that Proctor is trying to overthrow the court.

I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Explain.

Proctor explains that he does not want his name to be marred by the fact that he confessed to witchcraft. He knows that he will burn in hell for confessing to witchcraft, but on earth he wants to at least live without this mark.

What things are "suspicious" about Proctor and his family?

Proctor has only gone to church 26 times in the last 17 months. Also one of his children, his youngest, is not baptised.

Proctor says, "My honesty is broke, Elizabeth, I am no good man." Explain.

Proctor is referring to his affair with Abigail Williams and he says that he is no good man because he broke one of God's commandments. He feels he deserves what has happened to him.

What did Proctor do after he signed the confession? Why?

Proctor took it back and ripped it up because he felt that he could not show his sons how to walk upright and be men when everyone knew that he had sold out his friends and they had hanged for their silence.

On what charge(s) was Rebecca Nurse arrested?

Rebecca is accused of killing the Putnam's babies through witchcraft.

What is Rebecca's explanation of the girls' behavior?

Rebecca nurse says that Betty is in her "silly season".

What did Rebecca do to Betty?

Rebecca was able to calm the girl down when she was laying there whimpering and crying.

What "confession" did Elizabeth make to John?

She confesses that she was a cold wife and this was probably the reason for him turning to Abigail Williams. She also confesses that she felt plain and that she could not deserve a love from a man like Proctor.

What was the "sign" that Betty was bewitched?

She could not get out of bed. She would not speak. She fainted and has not recovered yet.

Proctor calls Abigail a w****, and he confesses his lechery. Danforth tests Proctor's statement by calling Elizabeth and asking her why Abigail was dismissed. What does Elizabeth say?

She says that she thought Proctor might have feelings for her and that she put her out because of it. She lies when she is asked if John actually did have an affair with Abigail. She says that he did not.

Where does Elizabeth want John to go, and what does she want him to do there?

She wants him to go to Hale and the others in town and tell them that Abigail told him they were pretending. They are lying about being bewitched by witches.

What will happen to Proctor if he tries to discredit Abby?

She will accuse him lechery or "rape".

What does Hale want Elizabeth to do?

Speak to Proctor about confessing to witchcraft;

hat gift did Mary Warren give Elizabeth?

The gift is a doll (poppet)

What do the girls do to Mary? What is her response?

The girls start to claim show signs of being bewitched by Mary. Abigail claims that she has turned herself into a little yellow bird. They starts to mock her.

What paper did ninety-one people sign?

The paper states that Elizabeth Proctor, Martha Corey, and Rebecca Nurse are women of good character and that there is no way they could be witches. Ninety one people have signed this petition.

Explain the significance of the needle in the "poppet.

The poppet that Mary Warren gave Elizabeth has a needle in the belly of the doll. She put it there for safe keeping. Abigail saw her do it. At dinner, Abigail came in with a needle stuck deep in her belly. She claimed that Elizabeth did it. The needle in the doll is "evidence" of Elizabeth's crime.

Parris says, "You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me." What "sort" does he mean and what is the danger to him?

The sort Parris is talking about is a respectable, upstanding person in the village. The danger he is referring to is the dagger he found in his front door. He knows the people in town meant that for him.

"There are wheels within wheels in this village and fires within fires." Explain.

There are a lot of grudges in this town. There is a lot of bad blood between neighbors in town. There is a lot of sin

Identify Francis and Rebecca Nurse.

They are elderly. They have a lot of land and have often come against the Putnams for one reason or another. Rebecca was a midwife to Ann Putnam in the past. She is well liked in the community. Rebecca is considered a godly woman.

Why do Giles and Francis want to talk to Danforth?

They are hoping to get their wives out of jail. They want him to realize they've been wrongly accused of witchcraft

Explain the political relationship between the Putnam and Nurse families.

They have often been at odds with each other. They were at odds over who would get Reverend Parris' job prior to him getting it. The Putnams wanted their brother in law. The Nurse's did not want him to get the job

What happened between Abigail and John Proctor prior to the opening of the play?

They were having an affair prior to the play

Giles says, "Think on it now, it's a deep thing, and dark as a pit." To what is he referring literally and symbolically?

This idea that there are witches in town and how to find them. You can accuse anyone of being a witch and they will hang for it.

What do Putnam and Proctor argue about? What does this show?

Timber on some land near the river. Proctor claims it is his. Putnam claims the land is his because his grandfather gave it to him.

Identify Tituba, Abigail, & Betty

Tituba: From Barbados. She is a slave and works for Reverend Parris, Abigail: She worked for John & Elizabeth Proctor. She is Reverend Parris' niece. She is also John Proctor's lover. Betty: She is Reverend Parris' daughter. She and Abigail are found dancing in the woods. One of the girls is naked. Betty fainted from seeing her father and has stayed in the bed ever since.

He have his goodness now." God forbid I take it from him!"

What does Elizabeth mean? Elizabeth means that John Proctor has finally forgiven himself for the affair and what he did to Elizabeth and now he claims to be a good man again because he is willing to be hanged from something he has not done.

To what did Tituba confess? Why?

he confessed to compacting with the devil, giving the girls chicken blood and conjuring spirits in order to keep from being whipped. She also confessed to seeing people from town with the devil. She claimed to see four white women with him.

They left England for the very same reason. They wanted religious freedom and to deny others that same right is ironic.

so now they and their church found it necessary to deny another sect its freedom, lest their New Jerusalem be defiled and corrupted by wrong and deceitful ideas." What is the irony in that statement?