Characters
Who is Jon Proctor?
Proctor is a respected and married farmer in Salem who has a sinful secret.
Why is at least one reason Abigail is motivated to accuse others of witchcraft?
- She wants to corroborate her claim that Tituba made her do witchcraft
- She wants revenge against those who have wronged her
- She was Goody Proctor out of the way because she wants to be with Goody Proctor's husband
- She wants power over others
- She wants to gain respect
If someone is inert, what are they doing?
Not moving. Inert means motionless.
How can Abigail best be characterized based on Act One?
Clever, manipulative, self-absorbed, impulsive, selfish, etc.
What prompts Rev. Parris to initially kick off the witchcraft investigation/send for Rev. Hale to investigate witchcraft?
Rev. Parris's daughter, Betty, is sick.
Who is Abigail Williams?
Abigail is a 17-year-old girl and former servant in the Proctor household. She had an affair with John Proctor and was fired because of it
What is Tituba's motivation for accusing random women in the village of witchcraft?
She wants to save her own skin, and in accusing others, she can stop the authorities from immediately hanging her because they want the scoop on who's a witch
John has a predilection for hopscotching. What does he think about hopscotching?
He enjoys it/has a special interest in it.
How can Rev. Parris best be characterized based on Act One?
Self-serving, greedy, vain, etc.
What past relationship is revealed between both John Proctor and Abigail and Abigail and Goody Proctor?
Abigail had an affair with John. Goody Proctor was her boss, in addition to John, but Goody Proctor fired Abigail after finding out about the affair.
Who is Thomas Putnam?
Thomas Putnam is a landowning farmer in Salem who is responsible for many of the accusations of witchcraft that are to come.
What is Putnam's motivation for being so pushy about his belief that witchcraft is happening in Salem?
He is driven by personal grudges, seeking revenge on those who did not back his pick for Salem minister, and he wants the land of others
Sam works at a restaurant with Tim, where they both usually get little to nothing in tips. Tim told Sam how much he received in tips from last night's shift. Sam was bewildered when he heard the amount. The tips were probably a lot or a little?
A lot. Bewildered means deeply or utterly confused or perplexed.
How can John Proctor best be characterized based on act one?
Practical, independent, honest (except for that one thing), somewhat sinful
What event leads to Tituba accusing others of witchcraft?
Tituba is first accused by Abigail, which is followed by Tituba being threatened with hanging
Who is John Hale?
Hale is a reverend from a neighboring village who is visiting Salem to investigate reports of witchcraft.
What is Parris's motivation for originally telling people to "speak nothing of unnatural causes" of his daughter's sickness?
He is motivated by his desire to preserve his reputation. If others believe his daughter was bewitched, he feels this may make him seem ungodly.
John told the teacher after class that Sam, a classmate, was cheating on the test. The teacher asked another student, Tim, if John was telling the truth about Sam breaking the rules. Tim corroborated John's story. Was Sam really cheating?
Yes. Corroborate means to confirm or give support to a statement or theory.
Greedy, embittered, power-hungry, vindictive
How does Act One end?
It ends with Betty and Abigail repeatedly accusing women in the village of witchcraft
Who is Rebecca Nurse?
Rebecca Nurse is a highly respected resident of Salem who is married to a wealthy landowner named Francis Nurse. She is skeptical of witchcraft.
What is motivating Reverend Hale in Act One?
Hale seems to be purely motivated by an honest desire to discover and root out witchcraft, driven by his passion for his studies of the subject
Abigail states in Act One, "I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!" What does the word "pretense" mean based on context clues?
Fake/made-up/making something appear true that is not true
How can Rebecca Nurse best be characterized based on Act One?
Pious, respectful, thoughtful, kind, direct
What is the immediate result of the witchcraft accusations at the end of Act One?
The marshal (police officer) is sent out to arrest the people named without any further evidence.