Plot Points
Reverend Parris catch the girls doing this in the forest at the start of the play.
What is dancing (...and practicing witchcraft?)?
The minister of Salem.
Who is Reverend Parris?
In Act IV, this character tries to convince the accused to confess to save their lives.
Who is Reverend Hale?
The Salem Witch Trials took place in this year.
What is 1692?
"Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!"
Who is John Proctor?
Elizabeth Proctor dismisses Abigail from her household for this reason.
What is she suspects Abigail had an affair with John Proctor?
The female character who is a voice of reason but is ignored by the court.
Who is Rebecca Nurse?
This is the reason Reverend Parris is worried in Act IV.
What is the fear of rebellion against the court?
Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible to critique this political event of the 1950s.
What is McCarthyism or the Red Scare?
“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.”
Who is Judge Danforth?
This happens to Giles Corey, and these are his final words.
What is he is pressed to death, and his final words are “More weight.”
This motivates Abigail Williams throughout the play.
What is her desire for power, attention, and her love for John Proctor?
These are the three people executed at the end of the play.
Who are John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey?
This term describes a society in which the government is based on religious principles, as seen in Salem.
What is theocracy?
“I want to open myself! … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!”
Who is Abigail Williams?
John Proctor confess to adultery in court for this reason.
What is to discredit Abigail and reveal her motives?
This character struggles with guilt for lechery.
Who is John Proctor?
This is the reason John Proctor tears up his confession.
What is his desire to keep his integrity and name?
Puritans strongly emphasized religious conformity for this reason.
What is the belief that dissent threatened the community’s survival?
“We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise."
Who is Reverend Hale?
This is how John Proctor's internal conflict resolves at the end of the play.
What is he chooses to die rather than sign a false confession, regaining his honor?
This character is the first to confess to witchcraft, and why they do so.
Who is Tituba, to avoid being punished or killed?
Elizabeth Proctor tells John this when he struggles with his decision to confess or not.
What is “I cannot judge you”?
This type of evidence, used in the Salem courts, was based on dreams or visions.
What is spectral evidence?
“There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!”
Who is Reverend Parris?