1

The Crucible Study Guide KEY

Act One

1. Why does Mrs. Putnam believe there are witches in Salem?

  • Ruth is acting abnormally and not like herself
  • All 7 of her children [besides Ruth] died within a day of being born

2. Why is Thomas Putnam bitter?

  • 7 of his kids died
  • His brothers are wealthier and more successful
  • He recommended someone to be the minister in the town of Salem & he wasn’t hired, so Thomas was insulted & felt disrespected

3. Parris says, "Oh, Abigail, what proper payment for my charity! Now I am undone!" What does that mean?

  • Since her parents died, he has taken her in and taken care of her [that’s the charity].
  • He is going to get fired. He is angry that this is how she repaid him after all he has done for her.

4. What is Mary's argument to Abby?

  • It is better to get whipped over getting executed, so they should confess

5. What happened between Abigail and John Proctor prior to the opening of the play?

  • They had an affair and she got fired

6. What was the "sign" that Betty was bewitched?

  • She starts screaming when she hears them praying

7. Identify Francis and Rebecca Nurse.

  • Older married couple in Salem; lot of children and grandchildren
  • Rebecca knows Betty is faking, but they don’t believe her

8. Explain the political relationship between the Putnam and Nurse families.

  • Both recommended people to be the new minister; the person the Nurses recommended was hired
  • Putnams don’t like the Nurses because their choice got hired

9. What did Rebecca do to Betty?

  • She touched her on her shoulder and Betty calmed down

10. What is Proctor's reason for his not regularly attending church?

  • He doesn’t like Rev Parris

11. What does Parris want?

  • Money, house, more firewood, people to trust him

12. What do Putnam and Proctor argue about?What does this show?

  • They argue about land because they both think they own a part of the same land

13. Who is Rev. John Hale, and why does he come to Salem?

  • A minister who is an expert at witchcraft
  • Comes to Salem to determine whether or not there are witches in Salem

14. To what did Tituba confess?Why?

  • Said there are witches in Salem
  • Says she is working with the Devil and that others are too
  • To get out of trouble

15. What do the girls do at the end of Act One?

  • Some admit to working with the Devil but blame it on others

Act Two

  1. What is the atmosphere during the scene where John and Elizabeth are having dinner?
  2. Very tense
  3. Awkward
  4. What gift did Mary give Elizabeth?
  • Small rag doll [poppet]
  1. What was the "evidence" against Sarah Good?
  2. Couldn’t recite the 10 Commandments
  3. Girls said she was choking them to death in court
  4. Mary claimed she put a curse on her
  5. Why doesn't Proctor want Mary to go back to court?
  • Doesn’t want Mary involved in the trials because he doesn’t believe in the trials [knows she is lying]
  1. Why does Elizabeth think Abigail wants to kill her?
  2. Elizabeth knows Abigail wants to be with John
  3. Why did Hale come to Proctor's house?
  4. To question her because she was accused in court
  5. What things are "suspicious" about Proctor and his family?
  • Doesn’t know the Commandments
  • Don’t go to church
  • One child wasn’t baptized
  1. Hale asks Elizabeth if she believes in witches. What is her reply?
  • She doesn’t believe in witches because she was accused and she knows she isn’t one
  1. On what charge(s) was Rebecca Nurse arrested?
  • Accused of murdering the 7 babies that died
  1. Why does Cheever come to the Proctor house?
  2. Comes with a warrant to arrest Elizabeth and investigate the claim that Abigail has against her
  3. Explain the significance of the needle in the "poppet."
  4. It is “proof” that Elizabeth used voodoo to stab Abigail
  5. What will happen to Proctor if he tries to discredit Abby?
  6. Abby will accuse John of adultery in front of everyone
  7. Why doesn't Mary want to testify about the doll?
  8. Mary is afraid that Abigail will hurt or kill her if Mary goes to court and testifies that Abigail is lying

1

Act Three

  1. Why do Giles and Francis want to talk to Danforth?
  2. Want to save their wives
  3. What is Parris's argument against Proctor?
  4. Think he is trying to overthrow the court
  5. Only attends church once a month
  6. Plows on Sundays
  7. What does Mary tell Danforth?
  8. Says they didn’t see the spirits
  9. Of what does Giles accuse Putnam?
  10. Of trying to steal land [not just Giles’ land]
  11. What is Hale's problem as Proctor and his friends present evidence to Danforth?
  12. Begins to realize maybe they are right that the girls are lying
  13. Hawthorne thinks of a test for Mary. What is it? Can she do it?
  14. Wants her to faint in the court
  15. Proctor calls Abigail a whore, and he confesses his lechery. Danforth tests Proctor's statement by calling for Elizabeth and asking her why Abigail was dismissed. What does Elizabeth say? Why?
  16. Says she thought Proctor liked Abigail so she fired her because she was jealous [Proctor already confessed the affair though]
  17. What do the girls do to Mary? What is her response?
  18. Say she is sending spirits at them
  19. She joins in
  20. What happens to Proctor?
  21. Mary accuses him of working with the devil
  22. He confesses his affair
  23. His arrest is ordered
  24. What does Hale do?
  25. Declares he is quitting the court

Act Four

  1. What explanation does Cheever give for Parris' "mad look"?

Grief stricken; blames it on the cows [because owners are all in jail; no one to take care of the cows]

  1. What did Abigail do?
  2. Stole money from Parris & ran away
  3. Knows they’re going to figure out she lied soon
  4. Parris says, "You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me." What "sort" does he mean, and what is the danger to him?
  5. Says they can’t execute these good people because the town will riot for them
  6. This will be bad for him [Parris] because he runs the whole town so he will lose his job/money
  7. Explain Danforth's reason that a pardon would not be just.
  8. He wants to be right [he was executed a lot of people already]
  9. Can’t admit he might be wrong
  10. Why has Hale come back to Salem?
  11. Knows it is all lies and everyone is innocent
  12. Wants to help save the innocent people
  13. What does Hale want Elizabeth to do?
  14. Wants her to convince John to confess [lie to save himself]
  15. It is better to lie to save yourself than to die in God’s eyes
  16. What happened to Giles?
  17. Tortured to give up his source; doesn’t give up the name so he dies
  1. What "confession" did Elizabeth make to John?
  2. Asks him to forgive her for keeping a “cold house” [didn’t keep him happy before the affair started so she blames herself]
  3. What did Proctor do after he signed the confession?Why?
  4. He rips it up
  5. Doesn’t want the paper to get nailed up on the church with his name on it
  6. "I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Explain.
  7. Said by Proctor
  8. Says he has lied, given his soul, said he loves the devil, but just wants his name/reputation -> judges don’t care -> he gets hanged