Themes & Miscellaneous
This theme is shown through mass accusations and panic.
Fear & Mass Hysteria
What “invisible” creature do the girls claim is attacking them in Act 3?
A yellow bird (Mary’s spirit).
Who serves the arrest warrants?
Ezekiel Cheever
This Salem farmer is married to Elizabeth and is accused of witchcraft near the end of the play.
John Proctor
Act 3 takes place in this location.
The courtroom
This theme is central to Proctor’s final decision.
Reputation & Intergrity
Why won’t Danforth postpone the hangings?
He believes it would show weakness and question the court’s authority.
Who is the town drunk accused of witchcraft?
Sarah Good
She leads the girls’ accusations and once worked as a servant in the Proctor household.
Abigail Williams
The setting of Act 2.
The Proctor house
Which historical event inspired Miller to write the play?
McCarthyism / The Red Scare
What physical object is used as “proof” against Elizabeth?
The poppet with the needle.
Who says little but represents moral goodness?
Rebecca Nurse
She is the Proctors’ servant who struggles to stand up to Abigail in court.
Mary Warren
The setting of Act 4.
The jail
What does the crucible symbolize?
A severe test or trial.
What happens when Mary Warren says the girls were pretending?
The girls pretend Mary’s spirit is attacking them.
Who tries to save lives in Act 4 by urging confessions?
Reverend Hale
He is the deputy governor of Massachusetts who presides over the court.
Judge Danforth
The judges believe that witches sign this.
The Devil’s book
What town’s rebellion scares Danforth in Act 4?
Andover
Why is spectral evidence impossible to disprove?
It relies on invisible spirits that only the accusers claim to see.
A kindly man and is obviously unhappy about arresting people like Elizabeth Proctor and keeping them in jail.
Marshal Herrick
He is known for pressing charges to gain land and power in Salem.
Thomas Putnam
The executions take place on this structure.
The gallows