Name ______Date ______
The Crucible Study Guide English 11
Act I:
1. Sum up what Arthur Miller is telling us about Reverend Samuel Parris.
Age:
Beliefs:
Characteristics:
How does he feel about children?
2. What was the life of the Puritans like?
3. What was the Puritans’ attitude toward the Indians and the forest?
4. How were the people of Salem in 1692 different from the “dedicated folk” that arrived on the Mayflower?
5. What does Miller say about the witch-hunt?
6. What is a theocracy? What were the advantages and disadvantages of that form of government?
7. From the dialogue, what appears to have happened in the forest? What does Parris believe has happened?
8. What seems to be wrong with Betty, Parris’ daughter?
9. How does Parris react to Betty’s illness? What does this tell us about his character?
10. Why does Parris press Abigail for details of what they did in the forest?
11. Is Abigail completely honest with him? Give proof.
12. How does Abigail respond when Parris asks her about Goody Proctor not going to church?
13. How is Ann Putnam described in the stage directions?
14. Based on her dialogue and actions, describe her character.
15. What does Mrs. Putnam believe has happened to Ruth? Why?
16. How does Thomas Putnam suggest that witchcraft can work to Parris’ (as well as his own) benefit?
17. What information does Arthur Miller give us about Thomas Putnam?
18. Who is Tituba? Describe her character.
19. When Abigail is talking to Mercy, Mary Warren, and also to Betty, what information is divulged about their action the night before in the forest? Does Abigail know more than what she shared with her uncle earlier?
20. Why would Abigail want Goody Proctor dead?
21. How does Abigail threaten the other girls?
22. Describe Mary Warren’s character in this Act?
23. What does Miller tell us about John Proctor?
24. How has Abigail’s behavior changed since John Proctor entered the room?
25. What information comes out through the dialogue between John Proctor and Abigail?
26. When Abigail mentions Elizabeth Proctor, how does John respond?
27. What information does Arthur Miller give us about Francis and Rebecca Nurse?
28. Why is the land argument important?
29. Who are George Burroughs and James Bayley? Why do you think they are important?
30. Based on the dialogue between Ann Putnam and Rebecca Nurse, what feelings can we sense? How does Goody Putnam feel about Rebecca Nurse? (HINT: Look at the stage directions.)
31. When Parris mentions his firewood, how does John Proctor respond? What does Proctor think about Parris (personally, about his sermons…)?
32. Who is Giles Corey? What is his suspicion about his wife, Martha?
33. What is the discrepancy that Proctor and Putnam have over the lumber that John is hauling home?
34. What does Miller say about Reverend Hale of Beverly?
35. Why has Parris asked him to come to Salem?
36. What information are we given in the commentary about the woman in Beverly that Hale “cured” from witchcraft?
37. What does Miller say about the devil?
38. What is the parallel that Miller sees between Salem in 1692 and the Russian Communism after WWII?
39. Hale brings half a dozen heavy books with him that he says are “weighted with authority”. What does this say about his character?
40. What does Hale say about Rebecca Nurse?
41. Who does Tituba accuse and why?
42. When Betty comes out of her “trance”, what do she and Abigail do? Why do you think they do this?
Act II:
1. What is the setting for this Act?
Place:
How many days after Act I?
2. Why is there tension between John and his wife Elizabeth?
3. Describe Elizabeth Proctor based on her dialogue and actions in this Act.
4. How has Mary Warren changed since Act I? Why do you think this is so?
5. What does Mary Warren give to Elizabeth as a gift.
6. Where does Mary Warren spend most of her time now? Why?
7. Mary Warren tells Elizabeth she was accused in court, but that she was defended by Mary Warren. What does Elizabeth say to John about Abigail’s intentions for accusing her?
8. How does the tension between John and Elizabeth (#2) escalate in Act 2?
What leads Elizabeth to continue to suspect and doubt John, and how does John angrily defend himself?
9. How many people have been accused at this point?
10. Why does Hale come to the Proctor’s house?
11. What faults does Hale find with the Proctors?
12. What commandment does John NOT remember and why is this ironic?
13. Elizabeth tells John to tell Hale something about Abigail. What is it? How does Hale handle this information?
14. What information shocks Hale about Elizabeth? How does she explain this? What does it say about her character?
15. When Rebecca is accused by Mrs. Putnam, how does Hale explain this?
16. Who accused Martha Corey and why?
17. What is the controversy about the poppet? Why is it important?
18. What is John Proctor’s opinion about the accusations?
19. Why do Cheever and Herrick arrive? What do they do to Elizabeth that angers John?
20. What actions in Act II lead us to believe that John truly loves Elizabeth?
21. What does John want Mary Warren to do in court? Is she willing to help Elizabeth?
22. How could #21 make John look bad? Is this a price he is willing to pay to save his wife?
Act II Scene 2:
1. Is Abby mad (crazy)? What evidence of this is there?
2. Why has Proctor come to see her? What does he say he will do?
3. What is Abby’s reaction?
Act III:
1. Where does this scene take place?
2. How does the setting set the tone for the scene? Explain.
3. What is Giles’ evidence to prove his wife is not a witch?
4. Describe Judge Hathorne based on the stage directions as well as his actions in court.
5. Describe Deputy Governor Danforth based on the stage directions as well as his actions in court.
6. Why does Giles feel responsible for his wife’s arrest?
7. What does Francis Nurse accuse the girls of? Why does this shock Danforth?
8. When Mary Warren and Proctor walk into the court room together, how does Parris behave? Why is this significant?
9. How does Parris try to discredit John Proctor?
10. Cheever and Parris both give Danforth information about John Proctor. (That he tore up his wife’s arrest warrant and that he hasn’t come to church recently, and that he plows on Sunday’s.) How is Cheever’s motivation different from Parris’?
11. Since Elizabeth is pregnant, what does Danforth say the court will do for her?
12. Does Proctor drop the charges against the court? What is his reason for this?
13. What kind of document does Proctor first submit to Danforth on behalf of the three women he would like to free?
14. What does Parris suggest as a result?
15. Why does Francis Nurse feel guilty over Danforth’s decision based on Parris’ suggestion?
16. What legal training does Giles Corey have?
17. Why is Giles arrested? What does this tell us about his character?
18. Hale tries to stop Danforth from proceeding until John Proctor has a lawyer. Why do you think he does this?
19. When Abigail is questioned about Mary Warren’s testimony, how does she respond?
20. How do we know that Parris has lied to the court?
21. In an attempt to turn the court onto Mary Warren, what do Abby and the other girls pretend to see? How will this work against Mary Warren?
22. In an attempt to stop the girls’ madness, John Proctor makes a very strong accusation on Abigail that also implicates himself. What is it?
23. How does Elizabeth reply to Danforth when questioned about her husband’s infidelity? How is this ironic?
24. What does Mary Warren do to John Proctor?
25. Why does Proctor say that “God is dead”? What does he really mean by this?
26. After Giles and John are arrested, what does Hale do? Why is this significant?
Act IV:
1. Who are in jail at the beginning of the act?
2. If Hale quit the court, why is he allowed into the prison to speak to the accused? Also, what is his reason for speaking with them?
3. What is Parris’ reason for speaking with the prisoners?
4. What has happened in Andover? How may it impact Salem?
5. What does Parris find in his door? What is he afraid of and how does this support the characterization already established for him?
6. Describe the condition of Salem that Parris points out to Danforth in Act 4.
7. Why is Danforth so adamant against postponing the hangings of Proctor, Rebecca and Martha?
8. What reason does Parris give for postponement of these hangings?
9. What is Hale’s attitude toward the hangings?
9. Where are Abigail and Mercy? How does Parris justify this to Danforth?
10. What truly upsets Parris about Abigail’s disappearance?
11. Why is Reverend Hale so intent upon saving John Proctor? Why does he call himself Proctor’s murderer?
12. How does Giles Corey die? Why does Giles insist on NOT saying “Aye” or “Nay” to the authorities? (His knowledge of the law comes into play here.) What does this say about his character?
13. What does Elizabeth want John to do?
14. What does Elizabeth apologize to John for?
15. Why is it so important to Danforth and Parris for Proctor to confess?
16. Why does John say, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud, I am not that man. My honesty is broke. I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before…I am no saint. Let Rebecca go like a saint; for me it is fraud!” What is he referring to?
17. Why is it important for Danforth and the officials of the court to have John’s confession on paper to be posted on the church door?
18. Why doesn’t Proctor want his name posted on the church?
19. Why does John feel his name is more important than his soul?
20. Why does Proctor say that he is “not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang?”
21. What does Rebecca say to John when she hears of his confession? How could this have been important in John recanting his confession?
22. What does he do to the confession?
23. After John tears the signed confession, how does Elizabeth respond to Hale’s pleas for her to go to him and get him to change his mind?
24. What is everyone’s reaction to this (Parris, Proctor, Rebecca, Danforth, Hale and Elizabeth)?