Crucible review
The real Abigail Williams was 11 years old in 1692 and had not had an illicit relationship with John Proctor. How would the play differ if Arthur Miller had not embellished the truth? What would be lost?
A completely factual presentation might eliminate much dramatic tension. Proctor's relationship with Abigail and Elizabeth would have been different, and Proctor's personal agony and guilt would not have been central.
What proof leads to Elizabeth's arrest?
A poppet made to look like Abigail with a needle in it
A theme is a central idea the writer wishes to share with the reader. This idea may be a lesson about life or about people and their actions. What do you think are some of the themes of The Crucible?
A theme would be telling the truth doesn't always work out
What are some character traits of the main characters so far? Describe the character traits of Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale.
Abigail is known to be a rule breaker. Mrs. Putnam calls her "dirty". She sinned and danced in the middle of the night. John Proctor, had an affair with Abigail. He is wealthy and not trustworthy. Reverend Hale has good intentions and sincerely wants to help.
Verbal irony occurs when someone states one thing and means another. According to the stage directions, Abigail draws the sobbing, repentant Mary to her side "out of her infinite charity" (lines 1136-1137). Why is this comment ironic?
Abigail's action is insincere; she had just endangered Mary's life by lying. When Mary changes her testimony, Abigail feels victorious, not charitable.
Compare the following characters and determine which one has the greatest faith in the court proceedings. What accounts for their differing attitudes? John Proctor Hale Cheever
Cheever has the greatest faith in the court of the 3. Proctor renounces the court and Hale has faith in the mission of ridding the court. Their differing attitudes come from their way of life and perspective. Cheever is a person of the court while Hale is a reverend.
. What is your opinion of the way Danforth is conducting the court? Use details from the play to support your opinion.
DAnforth is swayed by the girls and thus is not conducting court well. He should know that Abigail is impious and a bully. He is acting according to the beliefs of the time. He thinks Abigail is a victim of the witches, which compels him to rely on her testimony.
Explain why each of the following characters wants John and the other prisoners to confess. Support your answer with evidence. Danforth, Paris and hale
Danforth So he can be right Parris So Abigail doesn't leave his family a bad reputation Hale So he won't die
Why does Elizabeth lie to Danforth about her husband's relationship with Abigail?
Elizabeth wants to protect John's reputation and save him from being charged with adultery
Dramatic irony occurs when readers know more about a situation than a character does. Why is John struck by Hale's declaration that "some secret blasphemy" (lines 946-957) has caused all of the confusion?
Hale believed something dark must be going on in Salem but he didn't know that John was having an affair.
What does John Proctor do when asked to sign a confession?
He acts out because he doesn't want his name on the confession
Do you think Reverend Hale believes that Elizabeth Proctor is practicing witchcraft? Support your opinion with specific details.
He doesn't believe that Elizabeth is practicing witchcraft. He is insistent that the Proctors recognize the changing political ways in Salem.
Why is Proctor arrested at the end of the act?
He is arrested because Mary says he is in league with the Devil, and he says God is dead.
The setting of a literary work refers to the time and place in which the action occurs. How do you think Miller uses setting to help create mood in Act I?
He set the mood by starting it in a gloomy bedroom to portray the dark scene and then transitions to the spooky forest scene.
What is the cause for concern in the Parris household?
His daughter is sick and may have been involved in witchcraft
Based on what you have learned about Abigail in Act I, whom do you think she might accuse as the play continues? Cite specific evidence to support your response.
I think she will accuse Mrs. Proctor next, because she already doesn't like her and wanted her dead so she's going to try and put the blame on her.
What does dialogue reveal about the complicated relationship between Elizabeth and John in the following scenes? Elizabeth learns that John was alone with Abigail (lines 132-138)
John denies an affair with Abigail, showing he is untruthful.
How would you judge John's behavior so far? Cite evidence from the play to support your position.
John has poor behavior, he keeps secrets and lies to his wife.
Which characters have changed over the course of the play? How have they changed? Cite specific details from the play.
John proctor, his wife, and mary warren. John proctor in the beginning of the book, sinned and cheated on his wife. Towards the end of the book he didn't sin and chose not to lie. He realized what he did was wrong. His wife didn't trust proctor in the beginning because he cheated on her. Then at the end she forgave him. Mary warren at first was on John proctor's side and then she betray him and lied about him.
Much of the plot of The Crucible is built around the internal and external conflicts of John Proctor. An internal conflict is a struggle between opposing forces within a character. An external conflict pits a character against nature, society, or another character. What are John Proctor's internal and external conflicts? How is each resolved?
John's proctors external conflicts are with Abigail, danforth, the court, his wife at times. John's internal conflicts are with that he knows he hasn't been practicing witchcraft but he has to confess anyways. His conflicts all go away at the end when he gets hanged because he didn't want to lie and confess that he was working with the devil.
Why does Mary Warren come to the court?
Mary comes to court to tell the Salem court that its cases are based on Abigail's fraudulent testimony (the girls are lying).
Many critics have observed that Miller's play goes beyond the historical events of 17th and 20th century America and explores universal conflicts. What universal conflicts does the play highlight?
People turning on others in order to save themselves
What does John Proctor admit to the court?
Proctor admits that he had an intimate relationship with Abigail.
What is a protagonist? Antagonist? Foil? Who is the play's protagonist, its antagonist and its character foils? List traits that demonstrate why you think this to be so. What effect does the interplay among these characters have on the play?
Protagonist - Proctor - rational, strong, truth, logic b. Antagonist - Abigail - manipulative, vengeful, getting her way c. Foil - Danforth, Hale, Mary, Elizabeth, Parris - further reveals personalities
Miller wrote that during the anti-communist hearings, "I saw accepted the notion that conscience was no longer a private matter but one of state administration." How does this notion apply to the witch-hunts in Salem?
Salem having witch hunts created mass paranoia and people didn't trust their conscience anymore
What are some of Elizabeth Proctor's character traits? How would you describe her character?
She is full of suspicion, always questioning her husband.
Reread Elizabeth Proctor's dialogue at the end of Act IV (lines 782-783) when she says of her husband, "He have his goodness now." What do you think she means? Do you agree with her?
She means that he was doing the right thing and he was dying a good man. I don't agree with her, I think she should have told the truth and let her husband live so no one had to die.
Why does Elizabeth want John to go to Salem?
So he can tell the authorities that the girls are not telling the truth
Reread lines 1017-1056 at the end of Act I. Why do you think Tituba and Abigail admit to having practiced witchcraft? Why do they name others?
They admit because they were already caught, and they name others to get the attention off of themselves.
What do the characters in the play believe about witches? List their beliefs.
They believe that there is witchcraft going on and it could be the craft of witches. They think witches are bad and Mrs. putnam thinks her babies dying has something to do with witches.
A crucible is a severe test or trial. It is also a vessel in which materials are melted at high temperatures to produce a more refined substance. What do you think a crucible might symbolize in this drama?
They were putting people under intense pressure and accusing of them for something that they didn't do and they were doing anything to not got executed.
What has occurred between Abigail Williams and John Proctor before the time the play begins?
They've been having an affair
Why has Reverend Hale returned to Salem?
To pray with the condemned
Why does Hale come to the Proctors' home?
To question the accused
Why does Danforth summon Elizabeth Proctor?
To see if her husband, John Proctor, was telling the truth
Why does Reverend Hale come to Salem?
To see if there's been any practices of witchcraft