Crucible, Act 1 Notes

Crucible, Act 1 notes

Rev. Parris

Middle forties, bad reputation, not liked by others, controlling, widower, doesn’t like children & not good with them
Crying/kneeling/praying beside his daughter, Betty, wondering why she’s unconscious
Spent some years as a merchant before entering the ministry

Tituba

40-years-old; Rev. Parris’ slave from Barbados
Cares for Betty, but fears Parris, blamed for what has happened (whipped)

Abigail

17,beautiful, orphan, niece of Rev. Parris living with him; conceals motives – lies
Caught conjuring spirits in the forest, but she says they were just dancing

Parris

1/p.10 – “There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit.” – There is a faction (group) in the church that is trying to get him fired; has many enemies.

Seems more worried about his ______than ______
Sent for Rev. Hale to find out what’s wrong

Abigail

Her name (reputation) is…; used to work for Goody Proctor but got fired 7 months ago; no one else has hired her since; doesn’t like Goody Proctor.

Thomas Putnam

Wealthy landowner, near 50.
His daughter, Ruth, is also sick, but with eyes open; believes it’s “unnatural causes”
His motives: to get back at the village for not voting for his brother-in-law as minister and not honoring the family name; and to get revenge for what his father did in giving most of the inheritance/land to his step-brother.
His wife, Ann Putnam, had seven babies die within a day of birth; she sent Ruth to Tituba to contact the dead to find out who murdered the babies.
Urges Parris to head off his enemies and announce the discovery of witchcraft first before they accuse him.

Abigail

In the forest, she drank blood and cast a spell to kill Goody Proctor.
She threatens the girls to say no more – only that they danced and Tituba contacted Ruth’s dead sisters.

John Proctor

Farmer, mid-thirties, in his prime, does not like hypocrites
Feels like a fraud because he has sinned.

He had an affair with Abigail 7 months ago!

Says he has no feelings for Abigail, but he looks up at her window.

Abigail

Wants Goody Proctor dead because/so…

1/p.24 – “I never knew what pretense Salem was… the lying lessons I was taught…” - Abigail sees that all of Salem…

Rebecca Nurse

72 years-old, white-haired, wife of Francis Nurse

Giles Cory

83 years-old, muscular, sharp, inquisitive, powerful

Francis Nurse

Owns 300 acres that family & friends live on and population growing (Topsfield); Putnam does not like his rise to power

Rebecca Nurse

Betty calms in her presence (Ann Putnam suspicious)
She has 11 children and 26 grandchildren; she knows how children behave, she thinks Betty …

1/p.28 - “There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits.” She fears that a witch-hunt will cause even more disputes.

Man vs. Man Conflicts: The Two Opposing Sides

Directions: As you read p.27-32, fill-in the person on the left who is arguing with the person on the right for each topic.

Rev. ParrisJohn Proctor

Mr. PutnamGiles Cory

Ann PutnamRebecca Nurse

(Abigail Williams)(Francis Nurse)

______

______&______

______

Based on these pages, what conclusion can you draw about the townspeople of Salem?

Man vs. Man Conflicts: The Two Opposing Sides

Rev. ParrisJohn Proctor

Mr. PutnamGiles Cory

Ann PutnamRebecca Nurse

(Abigail Williams)(Francis Nurse)

Man vs. Man (p.27-31)

Rev. Parris Proctor

PutnamRebecca Nurse

Parris

PutnamProctor

ParrisProctor

& Giles Cory

ParrisProctor

Putnam Proctor

Rev. John Hale

From Beverly, near 40, intellectual, feels the pride of being a specialist who is called upon; only has had ONE prior experience (the accused wasn’t really a witch, and victim wasn’t really possessed, just needed rest.)

1/p.38 - “We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise;” - Hale is looking for hard evidence.

Giles Corey

Shares with Rev. Hale that his wife, Martha… and when he tried to pray, he couldn’t until she… then he could…
Only started attending church after marrying Martha, so new at praying – stumbles on his own when praying.
Doesn’t mean to say that Martha is a witch.

Tituba

She is angry at Parris and all slaveholders and says that they work for the devil.
1/p.47 – “Look! I have white people belong to me.” – Tituba says that those who own slaves work for the Devil, therefore Parris is doing the Devil’s work.
Counseled by Hale, Tituba wants to return to God’s glory:

Step 1: admit her guilt/sin publicly (witchcraft)

Step 2: prove allegiance to God by naming others who work for the Devil (pass guilt/blame to others)

Putnam

Suggests the first names as witches: _____ & ______.

Abigail

After Tituba confesses, Abigail … because…