The Crucible Act II

At the beginning of this act, John Proctor says “It is winter in here yet.” Why is this pertinent (relevant) to what is going on?

•  it uses the setting's atmosphere to symbolize the coldness and lack of warmth in his marriage with Elizabeth Proctor, a direct result of his affair with Abigail Williams.

Why has Mary Warren disobeyed her employers and gone to Salem?

By joining the group of girls led by Abigail Williams, Mary has been given an important role as an official of the court. This gives her a powerful voice in a society where she previously had none, being a young servant girl.

• Feels it is her civic duty

What did Abigail Williams reveal to John Proctor?

accusations of witchcraft were untrue and that the whole thing had "naught to do with witchcraft.

Why hasn’t John Proctor told the court what he knows? What does Elizabeth attribute his not telling to?

John Proctor has hesitated to tell the court what he knows because he is afraid of the scandal and shame that would come with admitting his affair with Abigail Williams. Revealing the affair would expose his own sins and tarnish his reputation

• She connects his silence to his guilt and internal conflict regarding his past actions, particularly his affair with Abigail. She also feels his hesitation stems from him thinking he would not be so reluctant if he had to discredit a different girl

What lie did John Proctor tell to Elizabeth which makes her more suspicious of him?

He was not alone with Abigail when they spoke

What news does Mary Warren reveal to John and Elizabeth about the trials?

• 14 then 39 girls have been accused 

• Goody Osburn is to hang  

• Sarah Good confessed (to making a compact with Lucifer) and will therefore live.

How does Mary Warren behave toward her employers?

• She starts to disobey them when she goes to court 

• Gets terrified when john says he will whip her 

• Is loyal towards Elizbeth when she gives her a poppet and testifies to save her in court 

What does Mary Warren mean when she says, “I saved your life today!”?

• She defended Elizabeth in court when she was accused of witchcraft 

What does Elizabeth realize when she finds out that she has been accused?

• Abigail is still in love with Proctor because he made a promise to her in bed, and now she is trying to get rid of Elizabeth 

Why does Reverend Hale visit the Proctors?

• He is to speak with everyone who has been accused of witchcraft 

• Questions their Christian Character

  • One of their kids has yet to be baptized 

  • John only went to church 20 times in 17 weeks (68)  

How does John Proctor respond to the questions about why he has not been at church?

• He said he was to stay home with Elizabeth because she had been ill

• He complains that Parris preaches only "hellfire and bloody damnation.

What does Reverend Hale ask Proctor to do?

State the 10 commandments

Discuss the meaning of Elizabeth’s quote, “Adultery, John.”

• When proctor is asked to name his 10 amendments he forgets the one against adultery 

What information does John Proctor reveal to Reverend Hale? 

• Abigail had told him that it was not witchcraft

What does Reverend Hale want John to do with this information?

• bring this information to the court so it can be used as evidence to discredit Abigail Williams and the other accusers, thereby ending the witchcraft hysteria and saving the lives of the accused.

Why does Elizabeth say that she doesn’t believe in witches at this point?

• she understands that the accusations are purely motivated by malice and manipulation, not genuine supernatural evil.

What news does Giles Corey reveal to the Proctors and Reverend Hale?

Their wives had been accused and arrested for witchcraft

What has Rebecca Nurse been accused for?

• murder of Ann Putnam's babies by "supernatural murder."

Why has Martha Corey been accused?

• a man who was angry because a pig he bought from Martha died shortly after, claiming she bewitched him so he could not keep a pig alive.

Why did Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick arrive at the Proctor home?

• Too look for the poppet because Abigail had been stabbed with a needle 

• They have a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest 

Explain why Cheever is both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it?

• Abigail had been stabbed with a needle and said she had felt Elizabeth's spirit and this is now concrete evidence 

What does John Proctor ask Mary Warren to do?

• John Proctor asks Mary Warren to go to the court and testify that she made the poppet (doll) found in his house and that she was the one who stuck the needle in it.

Why is Mary so afraid to do what he asks?

• Mary Warren is intensely afraid to go to the court and testify against Abigail Williams because she fears vengeance from Abigail and the other girls, who have demonstrated immense power within the court.

Why does Mary Warren warn John about testifying against Abigail?

• Mary Warren warns John Proctor about testifying against Abigail Williams because she fears that Abigail will reveal their past adulterous affair in court, thus destroying John's reputation and invalidating his testimony.

What does John Proctor decide to do and why?

•  He decides to go to court and testify and tell the truth, bring both him and abigail down together

• He does this so Elizabeth doesn't die for him and his mistakes