The Crucible Act 2

Elizabeth wants John to go into Salem to tell the authorities that the girls are not telling the truth.

Where does Elizabeth want John to go, and what does she want him to do there?

She is a servant

Mary Warren's role in the Proctor household

Tense because John betrayed Elizabeth

What is the mood between John and Elizabeth at the beginning of Act II?

He is reluctant to go. He understands that he probably should go, but he does not want to get personally involved with the activity.

What is John's response to her prodding?

Mary gave Elizabeth a "poppet" (doll) she had made while sitting in court.

What gift did Mary give Elizabeth?

She confessed to witchcraft. The girls said she nearly choked them to death (and they acted so) in court. She mumbled when after begging for cider and bread, she had been turned away. She could not recite the commandments in court.

What was the "evidence" against Sarah Good?

She bewitched Walcott's pigs with her books so they die.

For what crime is Martha Corey indicted?

"For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam's babies."

For what crime is Rebecca Nurse indicted?

Vengeance is walking Salem.

What does Proctor say is walking Salem?

If she goes back, that makes him further involved. Also, he believes that the accusations are false and the girls are frauds. It isn't a just court in Proctor's eyes.

Why doesn't Proctor want Mary to go back to court?

Elizabeth knows of John's affair with Abby. She believes that Abby wants to take her place as John's wife.

Why does Elizabeth think Abigail wants to kill her?

Hale came out to question all accused persons for himself, so that he would have some knowledge of the people before they appeared in court or jail. He came to Proctor's house to question them to see if either of them had any suspicious activities which would relate to witchcraft.

Why did Hale come to Proctor's house?

Abagail and the girls were just "sporting" in the forest and no one is guilty.

What information does Elizabeth urge John to declare to the court?

Proctor does not go to church regularly. His youngest son has not been baptized. He does not have total faith in Parris, the minister. It takes both Parris and Elizabeth to remember all of the commandments. (He significantly forgot adultery.

What things are "suspicious" about Proctor and his family?

If she is accused of being a witch, she cannot believe in witches. However, if the Bible says that witches exist, she cannot dispute the Bible.

Hale asks Elizabeth if she believes in witches. What is her reply?

Elizabeth says this because she knows Abigail mentioned her name to the court.

Who says: "On the noose, the noose is up!"?

She was arrested for the "marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam's babies."

On what charge(s) was Rebecca Nurse arrested?

Cheever comes to arrest Elizabeth.

Why does Cheever come to the Proctor house?

Abigail had accused Elizabeth of sticking a needle in her (Abby's) stomach through the use of a "poppet" (doll). Cheever asked to see the doll that was in Elizabeth's house (the one that Mary had given her). When he looked under the dress, there was a needle stuck in the abdomen of the doll. On the basis of this evidence, Cheever determined that witchcraft was possible and did, in fact, take Elizabeth to prison.

Explain the significance of the needle in the "poppet."

They will hang.

What will happen to those who don't confess to witchcraft?

She will tell that they had an affair; she will discredit his name by calling him a lecher.

What will happen to Proctor if he tries to discredit Abby?

She doesn't want to testify because she is afraid of Abigail. She knows Abigail will "get her" if she goes against her.

Why doesn't Mary want to testify about the doll?

crone

an old woman

blasphemy

irreverence or disrespect towards something holy

wrath

divine punishment

abomination

an immoral or loathsome act

ameliorate

to improve

deference

a submission to an opinion of others

grapple

to struggle or fight

indignant

showing justified anger

evasive

trying to avoid

monstrous

enormous

taint

to corrupt morally

obstruct

to block

reprimand

to criticize harshly

perplexed

filled with uncertainty

quail

to pull back in fear

flushed

blush

vengeance

the act of inflicting punishment or injury in return for an injury received

menacingly

threateningly

resentment

the act of feeling or exhibiting annoyance or indignation

wily

clever