Character Motivations
John Proctor refuses to go to court with Elizabeth. What is his primary reason for not wanting to attend?
He wants to avoid seeing Abigail Williams, as she has accused Elizabeth of witchcraft out of jealousy.
What piece of evidence does Cheever find in the Proctors' home that he uses against Elizabeth?
A "poppet" (doll) with a needle stuck in it that Mary Warren made in court.
What does Elizabeth suspect about John's past relationship with Abigail, and how does this create tension between them in Act 2?
She suspects John had an affair with Abigail, and she questions whether he has truly ended contact with her, which creates doubt and suspicion in their marriage.
When Elizabeth is arrested, what does John Proctor decide he must do?
He decides he must go to court and expose Abigail's lies.
True or false? Over 100 alleged witches were tried and hanged in New England during the 1600's
True
Why does Mary Warren initially hide the truth about the poppet from John Proctor, and what does this reveal about her character?
She is afraid of the other girls and lacks the courage to stand up to them; this shows her weakness and susceptibility to peer pressure, foreshadowing her inability to maintain the truth later.
What is the significance of the needle in the poppet, and how does it serve as a turning point in the act?
The needle is used as "evidence" that Elizabeth used it to harm Abigail through witchcraft; it turns the tables on the Proctors and leads directly to Elizabeth's arrest, escalating the conflict.
When John tells Elizabeth he was alone with Abigail, what does Elizabeth fear?
Elizabeth fears that John still has feelings for Abigail, or that Abigail still has feelings for him. She worries that John's visit to Abigail might be motivated by something other than just getting information about the trials.
By the end of Act 2, who has been arrested and why? What does this arrest show about how the trials are spreading?
Elizabeth Proctor is arrested for witchcraft based on the poppet "evidence"; this shows that the trials are now targeting respected community members, not just outsiders, and no one is safe from accusation.
When and how were those suspected of witchcraft arrested?
Those suspected of witchcraft were usually arrested at night, without being told of the charges, and were put in dark, stinking dungeons.
Analyze Abigail's motivation for accusing Elizabeth Proctor. What does her choice reveal about her understanding of power and manipulation?
Abigail accuses Elizabeth to remove her rival and win John back; this reveals that Abigail is willing to weaponize the trials for personal gain, demonstrating her intelligence, ruthlessness, and understanding that false accusations carry real power.
Compare the two searches of the Proctor home: what is found, who finds it, and what are the legal and emotional consequences?
Cheever finds the poppet with the needle; this evidence is used to arrest Elizabeth for witchcraft, devastating John emotionally and legally, as it provides "proof" that he cannot easily refute in court.
Describe the argument between John and Elizabeth Proctor in Act 2. What are they disagreeing about?
John and Elizabeth argue because:
When Proctor says "I'll tell you what's walking Salem—vengeance is walking Salem," what is he identifying as the real force behind the trials?
He identifies personal grudges, revenge, and score-settling as the true motivation for the accusations, rather than genuine witchcraft; this suggests the trials are a perversion of justice used to settle old scores.
Three forms of torture include:
Rack , Thumbscrews
Strappado – victim was suspended by the hands which were tied behind the back and weights (as much as 600 lbs.) were attached to the feet causing shoulder dislocation
Squassation – similar to strappado but the rope is suddenly released and checked before the feet touch the floor causing dislocation of limbs and sometimes death.
Red hot pincers – used to tear flesh
Severing of limbs
Iron chair – chair had a hole in the seat and a fire was lit underneath the chair
Lime – prisoners were thrown into pots of scalding lime and then scrubbed with wire brushes
Tongue – it was common to tear out the tongue after confession of a stubborn prisoner
Why does John Proctor struggle to tell the authorities about his affair with Abigail? What does this tell us about his character?
He is embarrassed and wants to protect his reputation; this shows that even good people sometimes put their own interests ahead of doing the right thing.
Describe what the poppet is and explain how it becomes used as "evidence" against Elizabeth Proctor.
The poppet is a doll that Mary Warren made in court. When a needle is found stuck in it, Abigail uses this to claim Elizabeth used witchcraft to harm her.
How does John and Elizabeth's argument about Abigail affect their relationship? What does this conflict show about how the witch trials are hurting families?
John and Elizabeth cannot trust each other because of John's past affair with Abigail; the witch trials are making people suspicious and turning loved ones against each other.
What does Proctor mean when he says the trials are "a whip for the Devil's back"? What is Miller suggesting about the court's motives?
Proctor suggests the trials are being used as a tool of power and control rather than genuine justice;
Miller implies that authority figures are using fear and hysteria to have power.
What three strange behaviors were women exhibiting before being accused of witchcraft?
blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states
Evaluate John Proctor's moral position at the end of Act 2. To what extent is he complicit in the trials' continuation through his silence about Abigail?
Proctor is partially complicit—his refusal to publicly expose Abigail's motive allows her deception to continue unchallenged
Trace the causal chain of events in Act 2 that leads to Elizabeth's arrest. How does each decision or action by the Proctors, Mary Warren, or Abigail contribute to this outcome?
(1) John's affair with Abigail creates her motive; (2) He fails to expose her publicly; (3) Mary Warren makes the poppet in court; (4) She gives it to Elizabeth; (5) Abigail stabs herself and blames Elizabeth; (6) Cheever finds the poppet and arrests her—showing how interconnected actions create inevitable tragedy.
Examine how Act 2 uses the Proctors' private marital conflict as a microcosm for the play's larger exploration of truth, trust, and the inability to escape the past. What does their relationship suggest about society's vulnerability to hysteria?
The Proctors' inability to move past John's affair mirrors how the community cannot move past old grievances and suspicions; both situations show how unresolved emotional and moral issues create cracks that hysteria exploits, suggesting that societies built on hidden guilt are fragile.
Miller presents Act 2 as a moment where the witch trials transition from chaotic hysteria to institutionalized injustice. How does the poppet serve as the pivotal evidence that allows hysteria to become "legal"?
The poppet provides tangible "proof" that transforms accusations from hearsay to evidence, allowing the court to function as a legitimate institution; this shows how hysteria becomes dangerous when it acquires institutional legitimacy and legal procedures, making injustice appear rational and lawful.
What is the definition of Witch Hunt? Is it specifically towards the supernatural?
any time a group of people persecutes another group unfairly, usually blaming that group for larger problems