Setting - Where Does the Story Take Place?
Arthur Miller: A Life
n Born on ______
n Died ______
n Attended the ______from 1934-1938
n Graduated with a ______
n ______five plays during college career
n Married three times (______– second wife)
n ______daughters, ______son
Miller and HUAC
n Investigated for possible associations with the ______
n In 1956, he was called to testify before the ______(HUAC).
n Only attended meetings looking to ______
n When brought before the committee, ______.
n Found ______
n ______
The Red Scare
n A time of ______
n ______were involved or accused.
n ______lost their jobs
n Many named names to ______
The Salem Witch Trials
n In 1692, ______were executed; ______were jailed.
n The Puritan culture ______
n Several girls in the town began to have ______after seeking Tituba, a slave from Barbados, for fortunetelling.
n Tituba and two elderly women were accused at first; by the end, many ______
n Overall ______, four accused died in ______, and one was pressed to ______
n In 1706, Ann Putnam signed a letter of ______
n Samuel Sewell was the only ______
Possible Causes
n ______
n Boredom
n ______
n ______
Connections
n Miller wrote The Crucible as a ______
n He felt there was a “______” within the government and beyond
n Like the witch trials, ______
n The play is widely performed when social unrest is present in a culture.
n All My Sons (1947)
n Death of a Salesman (1949)
n A View from the Bridge (1955)
n After the Fall (1964)
n Broken Glass (1994)
n Resurrection Blues (2002)
n Finishing the Picture (2004)
Crucible = severe test or trial
Characters: Provide a summary for each character…who are these characters?
John Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
Rev. Samuel Parris
Betty Parris
Abigail Williams
Tituba
Thomas Putnam
Ann Putnam
Rev. John Hale
Francis Nurse
Rebecca Nurse
Mary Warren
Deputy Governor John Danforth
John Hathorne
Giles Corey
Martha Corey
Mercy Lewis
Susana Walcott
Ezekiel Cheever
Marshall Herrick
Sarah Good
Hopkins
Setting - where does the story take place?
Symbols - list the symbols and what they represent…I’ll get you started…
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(1) The forest …
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Themes - list the relevant themes…
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Climax - what is the climax of the story?
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Act I
1. What is the relationship between Reverend Parris, Betty, and Abigail?
2. What is wrong with Betty?
3. Why does Parris suggest calling in Reverend Hale?
4. What do Ann and Thomas Putnam suggest is Betty's problem? What is their motivation for suggesting this?
5. What is Ruth’s relationship to the Putnams? What is wrong with her? How do the Putnams tie her problem to Betty's?
6. What does the conversation between Abigail, Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, and Betty reveal about their recent activities?
7. What is John Proctor’s relationship to Abigail? How does he feel about his relationship with Abigail?
8. What does Abigail think of Elizabeth Proctor? How might this affect the outcome of the play?
9. Why is the issue of Parris's salary raised?
10. What is the Putnams' grievance over land? What significance might this have in the play?
11. What do the Puritans think of books other than the Bible? How do you learn about this in Act one?
12. How does Hale confuse Tituba? What is the significance of their conversation?
Act II
1. What is the gift Mary Warren gives to Elizabeth?
2. What information does Mary provide about the trial?
3. Why does Reverend Hale come to the Proctors' home?
4. What relationship does Hale suggest exists between the church and the court?
5. What does Proctor tell Hale about why the children were ill? How does he claim to know?
6. What does Giles report to the Proctors? What is the significance of his revelations?
7. What event begins to change Hale's opinion about the arrests? How does he feel about the court?
8. What role does Cheever play? What is revealed about his character?
9. What do we learn about why Mary Warren gave the poppet to Elizabeth?
10. Why is Elizabeth arrested? On what grounds?
Act III
1. What is the setting of Act Three?
2. How do Proctor, Francis, and Giles plan to use Mary Warren's testimony to prove that "Heaven is NOT speaking through the children”?
3. What is the significance of Proctor plowing on Sunday?
4. How do Danforth and Hathorne attempt to get Proctor to drop the charge that Mary Warren has lied?
5. Why are Proctor, Francis, and Giles repeatedly accused of attacking the court?
6. Why is Putnam brought into the court?
7. Why is Giles accused of contempt of court?
8. What is the significance of the point made by Danforth that "no uncorrupted man may fear this court"? Is this true?
9. What is contained in Mary Warren's depositions?
10. What does Abigail say about Mary's testimony? Why does she lie?
11. What does Parris lie about the dancing in the woods?
12. What point does Hathorne make about Mary fainting? Why can't she faint on command?
13. What does Abigail do to befuddle Mary?
14. What secret does Proctor reveal about himself and Abigail? Why does he reveal it?
15. Why does Elizabeth deny John's relationship with Abigail? What is the result of her denial?
16. What evidence is there that Hale no longer believes the testimony and crying out of the girls?
Act IV
1. Why does Reverend Hale tell the accused witches to confess?
2. What does the news of what is happening in Andover have to do with the trials in Salem?
3. What does Paris reveal has happened to Abigail?
4. Why does Parris suggest the hanging be postponed?
5. Why does Danforth want Proctor to see Elizabeth? What does he hope it will cause him to do?
6. What are the conditions in Salem? Why?
7. Why doesn't Elizabeth beg John to confess?
8. Why does Proctor initially say he will confess? Why does he refuse to sign the confession?
9. Why does Parris beg Elizabeth to get John's confession? Why does she refuse?
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