Study Guide for the Crucible

The Crucible 1

Name______Study Guide for The Crucible

Introduction to the unit: The Crucible is a play written during a time of crisis in America about a time of crisis in America. For that reason, the play is replete with multiple layers of meaning. Arthur Miller never claimed that the play was historically accurate. (See A Note before Act One). In reading and viewing the play it is very important to remember that Miller had a purpose in writing the play. While the play is one of Miller’s most popular plays, he did not write it primarily to entertain, nor did he write it to expose the foibles of our Puritan ancestors. Remember these points as you are experiencing the play.

Act One

Exposition: the essential background information given at the beginning of the work. Oftentimes the exposition includes information about which occurred before the play begins.

Read the overture. If you were attending a performance of the play you would not read these pages. However, Miller has included this information for the benefit of the actors and anyone reading the play.

Note the characters that are introduced in the first scene of Act I:

Tituba- Rev. Parris’s slave Reverend Parris- Betty’s father Betty- Rev. Parris’s daughter who is “bewitched” Abigail- Rev. Parris’s niece

1) Reverend Parris is concerned with his daughter’s health, but he is concerned with something else. What is that? (See page 10).

2) Next enter the Putnams whose daughter, Ruth, is also “sick”. Miller says that Putnam has a “vindictive nature” (14). What does he mean by this? Why is “vindictive” a clue to Putnam’s character?

3) Abigail reveals a key element of the previous night. (See page 18). What is it?

4) Then Betty reveals a secret about the previous night… and possibly the reason she refuses to speak. What is that? (See page 19). The Crucible 2

5) How do we know that something has transpired between Proctor and Abigail?

6) What conflicts are introduced in Act I?

Abigail vs. ______Rev. Parris vs. ______The Putnams vs. ______John Proctor vs. ______Giles vs. ______

7) For each of the following characters, explain what the quote indicates about that character? (i.e. What initial impression of the character do we have from this quote?)

Reverend Parris: “There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?”

Abigail Williams: “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.”

Rebecca Nurse: “If so he is [the doctor baffled], then let us go to ‘god for the cause of it. There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and—“

Reverend Hale: “Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her.”

Giles Corey: “Martha, my wife. I have waked at night many a time and found her in a corner, readin’ of a book. Now what do you make of that?” The Crucible 3

8. What happens at the end of Act I?

Act Two

1) How much time passes between Act I and Act II? (See the first line of Act II.)

2) Actually, John Proctor learns of the Salem witch trials second hand. How so? (1) Mary Warren goes to court, comes home and tells ______what has happened. (2) ______then tells John.

*What effect does this retelling have? Why do you think Miller chose this method to present the early activities of the court?

3) What actions in the early part of Act II show that John Proctor is trying to please Elizabeth?

Note: Has Proctor confessed his past infidelity to Abigail?

4) Who is Mary Warren? What significant piece of information does she reveal to John and Elizabeth Proctor?

Note: this piece of information is a complication in the conflict between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. (Complication: an event which intensifies the conflict)

5) Mr. Hale comes to visit the Proctors. What question does he ask them?

Proctor replies that he objects to ______.

6) Mr. Hale asks Proctor why ______have not been baptized. The Crucible 4

7) Hale learns about something that Proctor has done in the past which seems to improve the situation. What is this action?

8) Which commandment does Proctor forget? How is this ironic?

9) When Hale says that Tituba, Sarah Good, and others have confessed to witchcraft, what is Proctor’s reply?

10) Giles Corey and Francis Nurse then enter and tell Proctor that______

11) What is the charge against Rebecca Nurse?

12) What is the charge against Martha Corey?

13) What is the charge against Elizabeth Proctor? (Note: a poppet is a doll)

*Again, the significant actions are revealed second hand. i.e. We do not see Abigail fall over, we learn of it from another character.

14) When John Proctor wants Mary Warren to go to the court and tell what she knows, what is her reply? (What charge does Abby say she’ll bring against John?)

Act Three

1) What is the setting for the beginning of Act III?

2) Miller describes Judge Hathorne as a “bitter, remorseless Salem judge”. What does this mean? The Crucible 5

3) Francis Hale indicates how much time has elapsed since their wives were taken. How long have the men been waiting to defend their wives?

4) Danforth defends what he considers “proof” in this case. What is the “proof”?

5) What is Mary Warrens’ testimony?

6) What is the first charge that Proctor brings against Abigail?

7) How does Parris respond to this charge?

8) Who supports Proctor’s charge?

9) Judge Hathorne presents a “test” of Mary’s testimony. What is the test?

10) What is Mary’s response?

11) What ploy does Abigail use at this point?

12) Proctor has to play his final card. He has to bring forth the ultimate piece of evidence. What is this?

***The first climax occurs at this point***

13) What test does Danforth set forth at this point?

14) How does Elizabeth respond? The Crucible 6

15) How Is this scene an example of dramatic irony?

16) When Mr. Hale says to Danforth that Abigail “has always struck me as false”, what is her response?

17) Under pressure, what does Mary Warren do?

18) When Judge Danforth accuses Proctor of being “combined with the anti-Christ”, Proctor responds that “God is dead!” How is Proctor’s response of verbal irony?

Act Four

1) How much time passes between Act III and Act IV?

2) What is Mr. Hale doing at the beginning of this act?

3) Reverend Parris brings an important piece of information to the court. What is this complication?

4) “Mr. Parris you are a brainless man!” Who says this and why?

5)What is the conflict between Danforth and Hale?

6) What is Parris worried will occur if the hangings go on as planned? What evidence does he have that this will happen?

7) Reverend Hale makes a statement which could be considered verbal irony. What is that statement? The Crucible 7

8) What is the moral conflict between Hale and Elizabeth Proctor?

9) Why was Giles Corey not hanged? What was his punishment?

10) “I have my own sins to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” Who says this? What is the situation? What is the significance?

11) ****The second climax occurs at this point*** What is it?

12) Explain the speaker, situation and significance of these quotes:

“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies!....How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”

“He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him.”

After viewing the film: What scene is in the movie and not the play? Why do you think he included this scene in the movie but not the book? The Crucible 8