Crucible: Act I
Aristotle and Drama
- He called it the tying and untying of a knot - The fall of the protagonist from moral integrity and goodness to moral baseness
Modern Invisible Crime
- Lying - Stealing - Cheating - Gossiping - Racism
Senator Joseph McCarthy
- Republican from Wisconsin - McCarthy goes on a hunt for communists - Went around accusing actors/playwrights of being communists
Setting
- Spring - 1692 - Puritan Times - The Bedroom of Reverend Parris' House: Private Location Salem: Witch Trials The Woods; The Devil Lives in their
Stages of Drama
1) Exposition: Introduces the story and main characters 2) Rising Action: Tragedies 3) Climax: Peak of excitement 4) Falling Action: Crisis 5) Denouement: The ending
Rebecca Nurse
72, she is white haired and she uses a walking stick The wife of Francis Nurse, had a high opinion on her character
Giles Corey
83, he is knotted with muscle, canny, inquisitive, and powerful, a crank and a nuisance
Tituba
A black slave in her forties from Barbados
Demonologie
A book on demonic spirits written by James I
Definitions of the word Crucible
A container that can withstand heat Drain at the bottom of the furnace Severe test or trial
John Proctor
A farmer in his mid-thirties
Susana Walcot
A little younger than Abigail A nervous hurried little girl
Thomas Putnam
A man with many grievances, a well-to-do hard handed land owner, around 50
What is a pointy reckoning?
A sharp object used to kill
Mrs. Ann Putnam
A twisted soul of forty five A death ridden person Haunted by dreams
Why does Abby say she was dismissed by the Proctors?
Abby says that she was dismissed by the Proctors because, they want slaves and she is not a slave.
Francis Nurse
An unofficial judge
Who is accused at the conclusion of Act 1? Who are the accusers?
At the conclusion of act 1 the people who are accusing are Abby and Betty
What does Betty reveal about what happened in the woods?
Betty reveals that Abigail drank the blood from the chicken. She also says that she also drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife, Goody Proctor.
Examples of animalistic behavior
Betty wanting to fly like a bird out of the window Tituba swaying over the fire like a dumb beast John sweating like a stallion
List three colors mentioned in this act: And what does each color symbolize in this play so far?
Black: Symbolizes the black of the night and the evil that lurks at time during the night (ex: the girls conjuring in the forest). It also pertains to Abby saying that Elizabeth Proctor was "blackening her name" White: Represents the innocence of all of the girls in the town, and the fact that their innocence is being taken away from them Red: Represents the devil that is in hell and who is apparently in all of the girls. It also represents the blood in which Abigail drank.
What has Elizabeth Proctor said about Abigail?
Goody Proctor said that she doesn't go to church because she doesn't wanna sit next to something so soiled, that something being Abigail.
Who is Reverend Hale and why is he visiting Salem?
He is a priest from Beverly, Massachusetts He is an expert on witches He goes to Salem because Parris wants him to disprove witchcraft
What is Rev. Parris' main concern at the beginning of the play?
He was more worried that he would be looked down upon by the people
Hot and Cold
Hot: John Proctor (John Sweating like a Stallion) (You are no wintery man) - Abby (I have a sense for heat) Cold: Elizabeth Proctor (Abby: She is a cold, sniveling woman).
1950-1954
In the US senate there was a committee formed by senator Joseph McCarthy
1954
McCarthy accuses secretary of navy of communism - Finally somebody stopped him and his power began to fall
Reverend Parris
Middle forties There is very little good to be said of him, a widower with no interest in children
Reverend John Hale
Nearing 40, tight skinned, and an eager eyed intellectual Has encountered a witch before
What does Parris question his niece Abigail about? How does he phrase it? What color does he mention and what does this color symbolize?
Parris questions his niece about dancing in the forest, he phrases it in a way that it sounds like a statement but it is actually a question. He wants to know if they trafficked with spirits in the forest and if not then how come Betty has not woken up yet. He mentions the color white pertaining to the innocence of Abigail and her clean slate.
What is Parris' main concern? What does this imply about his character?
Parris' main concern is that he will be looked down upon as a minister if anyone else finds out about the Devil being under his roof. He says to the people in his room that he has not been in Salem that long and that he is sure that they wouldn't be able to find another minister.
What has Proctor seen in the woods the previous night?
Proctor had seen about 11 or 12 girls in the woods dancing around a fire. He also saw one girl naked before they ran away.
Importance of Books
Puritans believed that if something is written in a book than it must be true
Why has Rev. Parris sent for a doctor as the play begins?
Rev. Parris has sent for a doctor because he wants to know what is wrong with his daughter Betty, since she cannot get out of bed and she is not responding.
How are Rev. Parris, Betty, and Abigail all related?
Rev. Parris is related to Betty because that is his daughter, and he is a widow. The way that they are related to Abigail, is because Rev. Parris' wife who passed had siblings who were killed by indians, and therefore he took her into his home.
Abigail Williams
Reverend Parris' niece A strikingly beautiful girl An orphan
1692
Salem: Invisible crimes - courts allowed spectral evidence
Mary Warren
Seventeen A subservient, naive, lonely girl The servant of the Proctors
Why did Mrs. Putnam contact Tituba?
She contacted Tituba because, she wanted Tituba to contact her seven children that died instantly at birth.
How many children does Rebecca Nurse have? How many grandchildren?
She has 11 children and 26 grandchildren
What is "reddish work"
She has seen some blood shed/killing/murder
Betty Parris
She is 10 years old Bed-stricken due to "witchcraft"
What does Abby mean when she says, "There be no blush about my name, sir?
She mens that there are no bad terms on her name, meaning she has a clean reputation
What is an "unnatural cause"?
Something that cannot be explained by science (witchcraft)
What is the theme of the play?
The Breaking of Charity: The refusal of basic human kindness
Mercy Lewis
The Putnam's servant, a fat, sly, merciless girl of 18
What advice does the doctor send back?
The advice that the doctor sends back is that he could not find any medicine to help her. The doctor said that he might think that she is suffering from unnatural causes.
Invisible Crime
The government has no evidence other than his plays which came out of his imagination
Where is the opening act set? What does this setting imply about the plot happenings?
The opening act is set in the bedroom of Betty in Reverend Parris' house. This implies that the plot happenings will be very private and secretive, since Reverend Parris more than anyone wants to keep Betty's condition to himself. He is worried about his reputation as a minister.
What rumors have circulated in the town about Betty Parris? What proof later occurs that "proves" she is a witch?
The rumors that have been circulating around the town about Betty is that she was seen flying and that she is bewitched by the devil.
What threat does Abigail make to the other girls?
The threat that Abigail makes to the other girls is that she will go to all of them in the middle of the night and hurt them if they speak of anything.
Two reasons why women are the likely targets of being charged with Witchcraft
They don't have power in society They are known to stay home all day and cook and clean
How is Tituba a part of their little "family?"
Tituba is a part of their family because Tituba has been in Reverend Parris' life for a long time. This is because when Reverend Parris had a business in Barbados, Tituba worked for him. So, when he came to the new world, he took Tituba with him.
Who is Tituba and where is she from? How does the Puritan settlement view her "different-ness?
Tituba is a slave from Barbados who Rev. Parris' brought back with him.
Why is it important to convey how many children Rebecca Nurse has?
Well she has been the midwife of all Mrs. Putnam's birth Mrs. Putnam blames Rebecca for the death of her children They would think that God liked her more because he gave her many children unlike Mrs. Putnam who only has one out of the 8 that passes
What happened in the past between John Proctor and Abigail? How does John feel now? How does Abby feel now?
What happened in the past between them two is that they had had an affair and had touched each other. John wants nothing to do with her now, but Abby could not want him any less.
1953
When the Crucible went first on Broadway, there were no good reviews