English The Crucible Act One Questions

What does Proctor have against Reverend Parris?

John Proctor does not believe that Reverend Parris is preaching correctly. He says he does not even talk about God in church anymore.

According to Betty, what occurred in the woods in addition to dancing?

When Betty wakes up she claims that Abigail drank blood in the woods which was a charm to kill John Proctor's wife, Goody Proctor.

Describe Abigail Williams' connections with the Proctor family.

Abigail Williams was Goody Proctor's servant or maid. Goody Proctor fired her after she and Abigail did not agree on certain parts and aspects of her service. Abigail Williams now believes Goody Proctor to be a liar.

What has occurred between Abigail & John Proctor? How does each feel now?

Abigail and John Proctor had an affair together while John Proctor has a wife. Abigail is still in love with John, and tells him that he is still in love with her, but his wife is getting in the way. She knows that he has looked up at her window longing for her and that she was only fired by Goody Proctor because she found out that Abigail and her husband were messing around together. John Proctor, however, claims that their relationship was in the past and that it was a mistake and that he is done fooling around with her because she is a child and he has a wife.

Why does Abigail start accusing people at this point?

Abigail starts accusing random people, because she thinks that possibly if she accuses other people, then it would take the attention and blame away from her actions in the woods or it would make up for them completely.

What "proof" does Abigail use in her accusation of Tituba?

Abigail tells everyone that Tituba makes her laugh during prayer and drink blood. She claims that she can hear Tituba laughing and singing in Barbados in her sleep .

What threat does Abigail make to the girls? Why?

Abigail threatens to kill any one of the girls there if they mention anything else about what happened in the woods at night. She says this, because she doesn't want to be accused of witchcraft.

What does Ann Putnam claim in the play about her dead infant children?

Ann Putnam claims that all seven of her dead children were murdered by unnatural forces.

What do we learn about the events in the forest?

Before Betty became ill, her father, Reverend Parris, found her and her cousin, Abigail, in the woods dancing. We learn that the girls were not only dancing, but dancing around a fire as their slave, Tituba, waved her arms and screamed nonsense. Parris also says that he witnessed a person running naked through the woods and that he saw a dress lying next to the fire.

What does Giles Corey reveal to Reverend Hale?

Giles Corey tells Reverend Hale that many times he has found his wife reading a book at night in a corner and that he can never find out what the book is because she hides it. He says that when the book is in the house he cannot say his prayers, but when his wife leaves the house with the book he can pray again.

With what does Parris threaten Tituba? What does she do in response?

Parris threatens that he will whip Tituba to her death if she does not confess. Afterward, Tituba begins saying that she thinks someone else is bewitching the children and begins saying random information to put the blame off of her. Tituba tells Proctor, Parris, the Putnams, and Hale that she saw four people with the Devil and two were Sarah Good and Goody Osburn.

Why has Parris sent for Reverend Hale from Beverly?

Reverend Parris has sent for Reverend Hale from Beverly so that he can confirm that there is nothing supernatural going on with his daughter Betty. The town doctor says that there might be something wrong with her that medicine can not fix, and by this he means witchcraft or the devil. Reverend Parris is frantic to make sure and confirm that Betty has a normal sickness and has not been involved with witchcraft.

Before the arrival of John Hale, what are some of the subjects for petty disagreement among the characters?

Some of the petty disagreements among the characters were that everyone was arguing about Reverend Parris' pay and whether or not the house belonged to the community or to him. He complained that receiving firewood should be part of his pay, but the others said otherwise. They argued over whose land was whose and whose grandfather tried to scam land out of the other.