The crucible- study guide

time; setting

salem mass; 1692

parris

minister in salem; at first oesnt want to aknowledge witchcraft (will taint rep.) then joins the accusations against abigal and the girls; them tris to stop the accusations and executions

motivation: his reputation

betty

parris’s daughter; parris finds her dancing in the woods; accuses tituba for doing witchcraft; one of the first to be “afflicted”

motivation: staying out of trouble

abigail

parris’s niece; falsely accuses others, including elizabeth proctor, so she can have john proctor to herself; pretends to see spirits and instructs the other girls to act with her

motivation: divert attention away from herself and kill elizabeth proctor

tituba

parris’s slave; parris sees her casting spells and doing witchcraft with the girls that night; accuses others when she accused; eventually confesses and doesnt die

motivation: self-preservation when threatened with violence if she doesnt confess

ann putna

wife of thomas puman; belives that a witch killed for 7 infant children

motivation: vengance for her children

thomas putnam

wealthy landowner; bitter that his candidate for minister, bayley, was not chosen- holds this grudge; had burroughs jailed for debts he did not owe; overall a very manipulative person

motivation: greed

ruth

putnam’s daughter; accuses people of witchcraft; people say that ruth’s accusations helped thomas get land

mary warren

proctor’s servant; goes along with abigail by falsely accusing witchcraft but alter admits that she lied, THEN says proctor forced her to claim that she lied about lying about seeing witchcraft

motvation: fear of abigail

mercy lewis

putnam’s servant; falsely accuses witchcraft with the girls

motvation: friend to abigail

john proctor

salem farmer and former lover of abigail; denounces parris and doesnt go to church regularly because all parris talks about is the devil and hell; tries to disprove the theory of witchcraft; is eventually jailed (admits of his adultery and elizabeth tried to protect him, court sides with abigail; arrsted as a witch) and confessed in the room privately to witchcratf but does not sign his name on the confession to keep his integrity intact

motivation: justice (for his wife), not revealing the truth about Abigail, his good name

elizabeth proctor

john proctor’s wife; honest person

motivation: reveal the truth

reverend hale

minister in beverly who is called by parris to deal with the betty’s coniditon; supports witchcraft thoery but later denounces them when he learns abigail lied

motivation: save salem, save lives, make accused confess to save themselves

rebecca nurse

wife of francis nurse; very repsected because of her kindness; argues against the witch investigations; mrs putnm accuses her of witchcraft

motvation: wants to show how dumb the trials are and the witch theory

francis nurse

farmer of salem; respected and called upon to settle disputes

motvation: save wife

susanna walcott

abigail’s friend; goes along and falsely accusing others of witchcraft

giles corey

challenges the court because he realizes its corrupt (thomas uses it to steal land; accuses putnam of using his daughter to get land by falsely accusing people; detained and killed by heavy stones because he refused to enter a guilty or not guilty plea

motivation: expose the court

sarah good

beggar in salem; one of the first accused of witchcraft beause she is an easy target (homeless)

judge hathorne

judge in court; the hanging judge

danforth

signs death sentences for those who refuse to confess; refuses to delay any execution

motivation: delay shows weakness

cheever

appointed by court to assist in arresting people

herrick

appointed by court to assist in arresting people

hopkins

jailer