General Knowledge
How did the witch hunt start in Salem?
Abigail, Betty, Ruth, and a couple other girls were dancing in the forest, and so they had to blame their mistakes on bewitchment to further the blame off of them.
Who is Abigail?
She is Parris' niece, and she is the leader of all of the girls. She is the one who convinced all the girls to act out and to blame the other women.
Why do the women in the jail refuse to confess?
They want to preserve their Christian beliefs, and they don't want to lie just to save their life.
What are Betty's relationships?
She is cousins with Abigail, and she is Reverend Parris' daughter.
How does John Proctor change from Act I to Act IV?
In the beginning, he seems cold, and he seems to not care about his wife. He obviously still cares for his wife enough to stay, but they are on rocky terms. He orders Mary Warren around, and she eventually turns on him. At the end of the play, he is heartbroken, and he wonders if he can ever die a good man, due to his past mistakes. Ultimately, he forgives himself, and dies for a good cause.
Arthur Miller
Who is Reverend Hale?
He is a Reverend, but he is well known for his work in witchcraft. He is brought into Salem to prove whether or not the girls are witches, and to figure out what is happening to them.
What are Ruth's and Betty's motivations for acting "sick?"
They don't want to be accused of being a witch for dancing in the woods and they are trying to get more attention.
What are John Proctor's relationships?
John Proctor had an affair with Abigail, and his wife is Elizabeth Proctor. He also has Mary Warren as his servant.
What are some changes Mary Warren goes through from Act I to Act IV?
In Act I, she is timid, and she pretty much does what everyone else says. In Act II, we see a slight change in behavior, and now she is standing up for herself more. In Act III, she seems to have a bit of remorse and decides to confess against the other girls. However, she quickly moves to join them after she is accused of being a witch. She is not really seen in Act IV.
What are the settings for Act I,II,III, and Act IV?
Act I: Reverend Parris' home
Act II: John Proctor's home
Act III: The Courthouse in Salem
Act IV: The Jail in Salem
Who is Giles Corey?
He is an old, cranky man who is usually blamed for a lot of stuff, and he speaks without thinking.
What is Judge Danforth's motivation for continuing with the trial and the hangings?
He might know it's wrong, but he also thinks if he postpones the hangings, then it shows a faltering on his part, and it shows that he's not quite sure what he's talking about is true.
What are Rebecca Nurse's relationships?
Her husband is Francis Nurse, and she has a lot of children. Reverend Hale really likes her, and she does a lot of good in the town.
How does Reverend Parris change from Act I to Act IV?
In the beginning of the play, Parris really just wants to save his reputation, and the fact that the girls were bewitched and that they are not witches is the perfect excuse. As the story moves on, he tries to bury the story of the girls dancing in the woods, and even denies it later on. However, at the end of the story, he is threatened with a knife, and he fears for his life, so instead of vouching for the girls, he really just doesn't want the people to kill him for killing the other people.
What was the modern day event that inspired the author to write the Crucible?
The Red Scare
Who is Francis Nurse?
He is Rebecca Nurse's husband, and he is worried for her because she didn't do anything wrong. She is wrongly accused of the supernatural murder of Goody Putnam's babies.
Why does Ann Putnam decide to send her daughter to the dancing in the forest?
She says that she wanted for her daughter to see if she could get Tituba to talk to her 7 dead daughters and their spirits.
Why is John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor's relationship strained?
John Proctor cheated on Elizabeth with Abigail, and he told her about it a couple of months back. She still has not forgiven him, and he seems to be controlling and criticizing her a lot.
How does Elizabeth Proctor and John Proctor's relationship change from the time that we first see them to the end of the play?
John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor's relationship is very strained at the beginning. This is shown by the way they communicate, and the way that they treat each other. It is also shown that Elizabeth has never really forgiven John for having an affair with Abigail. However, in Act IV, Elizabeth tries to take on some of John's pain, and they seem to have forgiven each other. Elizabeth does think that he died for a good cause, and she tries not to judge his last decision.
What is the Puritan view on other books beside the Bible, and how does the Bible play into their lives?
The Puritans believe that the Bible should be the most important thing in one's life, and that other books should be secondary or even nonexistent compared to the Bible. They believe that every aspect of someone's life should be based around the Bible, and such all their beliefs should stem from that.
Who is Danforth?
He is a judge working at the jail, and he is also the one to help carry out the trials.
What is Reverend Parris' motivation for trying to postpone the hangings?
He was threatened with a knife outside his home and he fears more for his own life and a riot then anything else.
Why do all the girls follow and respect Abigail?
She has kind of taken the leader role, especially because they all will be in trouble, and she has kind of lead, the way, and as we see with Mary Warren, you couldn't oppose her even if you tried.
How did Reverend Hale change from Act I to Act IV?
In the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale is there to just hunt witches. He considers himself as a smart man, and that he is well educated on this subject. He thought that he was only going to catch one or two witches, and that would be it. As the story moves on, however, he slowly realizes that he is not in control anymore, and that this has spiraled more than he meant it to. By the end of Act III, he withdrawals from the trials, because he can actually see the girls' lies, and he cannot stand to bear to see innocent people get killed over someone's reputation. In Act IV, the only thing that he is doing is trying to help the people accused to not die, because he feels it is the only thing he can do at this point, and if he can save at least one life, that it will be worth it.