Power & Pregnancy
Mary Warren's Epic Fail & Other Fails
Proctor's Issues
Poor Salem
Anything Goes
100
Who holds more power, Danforth or Hathorne? How do you know this?
Danforth holds more power because he is the Deputy Governor. Hathorne is the local judge from Salem.
100
Why is Giles Corey arrested?
He’s arrested for contempt of court when he refuses to name the man who heard Putnam talking about his plans to grab the land of his neighbor, George Jacobs, once Jacobs is convicted of witchcraft. The prime “witness” to Jacobs’ crime is Putnam’s own daughter, Ruth. Something is rotten in Salem.
100
When John Proctor first arrives at court with Mary Warren, what does Reverend Parris accuse him of?
Parris accuses him of trying to overthrow the court.
100
How did Giles Corey die?
He was crushed to death by stones
100
What type of government does Salem have?
A theocracy
200
Early in the act, Danforth says to Proctor, “We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.” In what way does this line serve as foreshadowing?
Proctor’s secret affair with Abigail will have to come to light in this court. Proctor will be exposed by the end of this act.
200
John says that is own face is the face of Lucifer. Further, he says that Danforth’s face is also the face of Lucifer. Explain what he means.
Both of them are sinners. He lusted and committed adultery, so he will burn in hell. Danforth, though, is also a sinner because he is ignoring truth and leading an unjust court that is killing innocent people. Danforth, too, will burn in hell, John suggests here.
200
Why is John Proctor reluctant to sign his name to the confession?
If he signs his name to the confession, that becomes legal record, and he feels that his signature stands for sincerity and honesty. His name is all he has left.
200
How does Hale justify his advising Elizabeth to persuade Proctor to lie? What character flaw does he warn her against?
Hale maintains that dying for the sake of pride may be a greater sin than lying to save one’s life. Hale is aware of the flaw of pride in his own character, and he advises Elizabeth according to his experience and insights.
200
How many people have signed a declaration in support of Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and Elizabeth Proctor? What will happen to these people now?
A total of 91 people signed the letter stating that these are good Christian women. Now, all 91 of these people will be arrested and brought in for examination, as they are suspected of wanting to undermine the workings of the court.
300
Who informs John of his wife’s pregnancy? How does this news actually hurt the case that Proctor is trying to present to the court?
Danforth is the one who tells John of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. In Danforth’s eyes, the pregnancy spares the life of Elizabeth, so John has no valid reason to continue his claim with the court. The fact that he wishes to proceed shows that he has a greater mission; he must want to overthrow the court. Therefore, Danforth views John’s continuance of his case/message with suspicion.
300
As things are heating up in the court, Rev. Parris lies as he attempts to defend Abigail and her friends. What is the lie that he tells the court? Why would he do this?
He lies when he says that the girls were merely dancing and he never saw any of them naked in the woods. He feels he must back Abigail, as she is his niece and wields a lot of power in the town. As long as the court believes the girls, Parris thinks that he’ll benefit from the cleansing of the town.
300
Privately, Elizabeth tells John, “It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” What does she mean? I
She means that she wasn’t a warm, loving wife, so it’s not a surprise that John was attracted to Abigail’s heat. She’s taking the blame for the affair on herself. If she had been more confident in her husband’s attraction to her, she would not have been so frigid.
300
What has happened in Andover, a neighboring town? Why is this signficant?
In Andover, the people revolted and threw out the court. The witch trials are over there because the people had enough. There’s been talk of a similar rebellion in Salem, though nothing has come of it – yet.
300
Parris says, “You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me.” What “sort” does he mean, and what is the danger to him?
Proctor, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Martha and others that were highly respected members of society; unlike the other that are to be executed. Since Parris was so involved with the prosecution of these individuals, he was beginning to get threats on his life.
400
What reasons does Danforth have to discredit the testimony of Giles Corey, John Proctor, and Mary Warren?
It is insulting to him to suggest that he’s been duped by teenaged girls. If this story is true, it shows that he is not as wise as he believes himself to be. He says that he’s jailed 400 people and condemned 72 to die. Danforth is unwilling to believe that he’s taken such action on false testimonies. Basically, his reputation is at stake.
400
Mary Warren tells the judges that she could faint during the court proceedings, but cannot now. Why, do you suppose, this is so? What is the author’s point here?
When she was surrounded with her friends and feeling the emotion of the moment, it was so much easier to just mimic the others and go along with the show. Now that she’s alone and in a spotlight of sorts, she’s unable to perform for the men. Miller is showing us here that people will easily succumb to mob mentality and go along with the crowd.
400
Throughout the play, John Proctor has struggled with his own identity, wanting to be morally upright yet knowing he is a sinner. Onto which side does the scale ultimately tip in his case? What action shows us this? (Hint: It’s the moral climax of the play.)
Ultimately, there’s more good than bad in John Proctor. When he tears the signed false confession, he’s symbolically declaring his true identity. He finally answers the question he’s been struggling with throughout the entire play. Deep at his core, he is a good man.
400
Using Hale’s description as your guide, explain in your own words what life is like now in Salem.
Because so many people have been arrested, life is chaotic. Parentless children are being shuttled from house to house. Crops are rotting in the fields because farmers aren’t there to tend to the earth. Cows are roaming aimlessly around town and people are arguing about who owns which cows. Every adult is terrified that he/she will be the next person named by the girls as a witch, so the tension is unbearable. Society is falling apart.
400
How was the court of 1692 run differently than the way a court functions today? Give at least three important differences.
1. Back then, you were presumed guilty and had to prove your innocence, an impossible thing to prove. Today, you are innocent until proven guilty, so the burden is on the prosecution, not the defense. 2. Today, everyone is given access to an attorney, whereas Danforth holds proceedings allowing a mere farmer to present an important argument. 3. Today, you need physical evidence and eyewitness testimony, whereas Danforth allows accusations and ridiculous spiritual stories to serve as hard evidence. 4. Today, every defense is not viewed as an attack on the court. A defense is your right.
500
Before the scandal with Abigail comes to light, there’s mounting evidence that reflects poorly on John Proctor. List two (out of three) of John’s actions that might sway Danforth against him. Also, what is Hale’s reaction to these things?
1. John ripped the court’s warrant when Cheever delivered it. 2. John attends church only once a month and has been critical of Rev. Parris. 3. John plows his fields on Sunday, which is supposed to be a day given to worshipping God. Rev. Hale isn’t swayed by this evidence that John Proctor is a sinner/agent of the Devil. Hale says these are all things a reasonable man would do; he wants harder evidence.
500
What’s ironic about Elizabeth’s lie?
She’s never lied in her life, yet the first lie she ever tells results in the condemnation of both herself and her husband. Interestingly, Hale says that this was “a natural lie to tell.” She sinned by telling a lie, but it was for the greater good.
500
As Proctor is taken off stage to face his execution, Elizabeth stands at the window and “the new sun is pouring upon her face.” Symbolically, what’s interesting about this final image?
this is a hopeful sign. The “new sun” shows that light, or truth, will prevail. We know from history that the witch hysteria will soon die out and today we have a clear, true view of what happened in this troubled time. The sunlight basking Elizabeth’s face could also be seen as God smiling down on those who are righteous.
500
The title of this play is The Crucible. What is a crucible? Explain how this word is an apt description for the events that we’ve studied
A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted when subjected to very high temperatures. It is also used to describe a severe test or trial. The crucible of the Salem Witch Trials revealed the true nature of the individuals involved. It seems that we can only know what we are really made of at our core when all of the other impurities or distractions of the world are burned away. For John Proctor, the crucible revealed his moral center. All of us will be tested by hard times or trials in life. It is in those moments that it becomes clear who we really are. Students may have heard of these crucible moments described as trials by fire.
500
What happened with Abigail and Mercy? What does this show the court about the girls? Why doesn’t the court immediately suspend the upcoming executions?
Abigail stole 31 pounds from her uncle (about half of his annual salary) and ran away with Mercy, most likely boarding a ship. This shows the officials that the girls are dishonest criminals, yet Danforth refuses to suspend or delay the executions scheduled for today. Danforth reasons that any delay would show a weakening of the court’s power. He also argues that many people have already been hung based on the workings of the court and to change course now would be unfair to those already dead. He uses twisted logic to justify the continuing of injustice.
M
e
n
u