the crucible

John Proctor

Had an affair with Abigail; tries to prove the courts are false and save his wife; hanged after being accused by Mary Warren and refusing to confess.

Elizabeth Proctor

Wife to John Proctor; throws out Abigail; lies in court because she thinks it will help John.

Abigail Williams

Had an affair with John; leader of the girls making accusations; accuses Elizabeth because she wants to be with John.

Reverend Parris

Uncle to Abigail and father to Betty; cares more about his reputation than anything.

Betty Parris

Pretends to be bewitched; Reverend Hale is called to cure her.

Reverend Hale

Specialist in witchcraft; quits the court when the innocent are killed; later tries to get the condemned to confess so they can live.

Judge Danforth

Leader of the court; only concerned with his authority.

Mary Warren

Servant to the Proctors; gives poppet to Elizabeth; part of the accusing girls but changes her mind briefly.

Giles Corey

Argues with Thomas Putnam about land; pressed to death because he will not enter a plea.

Martha Corey

Wife of Giles; hanged for witchcraft.

Rebecca Nurse

Oldest and most respected woman in Salem; refuses to confess; hanged with John Proctor.

Thomas Putnam

Wealthiest in Salem; accuses neighbors to gain their land.

Tituba

Slave to Reverend Parris; takes girls into the forest; blames others to save herself.

What did Parris see in the woods?

Girls dancing around a fire.

What do the people of Salem often argue about?

Land ownership.

Why did Tituba, Abigail, and Betty begin naming witches?

Hale puts the idea in their minds and they think it will save them from punishment.

What can be inferred about Puritan values in Act I?

Regular church attendance was seen as essential to a godly life.

What did the Puritans associate the forest with?

Disorder and evil.

How does Parris’s belief in the supernatural affect his response to Betty’s illness?

He calls Reverend Hale for help.

Parris’s concern for his daughter is mainly about what?

His reputation.

Why is Reverend Hale summoned?

He is an expert in witchcraft.

Who does Abigail say sent her spirit to choke her?

Elizabeth Proctor.

Describe John and Elizabeth’s relationship before and after the trials.

They are distant at first but grow to love and value each other more deeply.

Why does Proctor forget the commandment forbidding adultery?

He feels guilty about his own sin.

Why does Proctor rarely attend church?

He thinks Reverend Parris is too concerned with money and status.

Why does Abigail accuse Elizabeth?

She wants revenge and hopes to take Elizabeth’s place.

What does Hale’s interview with Proctor reveal?

Hale is troubled by the accusations but still supports the court.

What does Elizabeth mean by “The magistrate sits in your heart”?

Proctor judges himself for his guilt.

What is Proctor’s attitude toward Reverend Parris?

He believes Parris is greedy and ungodly.

What does the number of accusations in Act II suggest about human nature?

People want someone to blame when things go wrong.

What evidence is used to arrest Elizabeth?

The poppet with a needle stuck in it.

What are Tituba and Sarah Good doing in Act IV?

Waiting for the Devil to take them to Barbados.

How has Reverend Hale changed by Act III?

He has become skeptical of the court’s justice.

What are Danforth and Hathorne most concerned about?

Their authority being undermined.

Why does Proctor bring Mary Warren to court?

To save his wife from false accusation.

What does Judge Hathorne’s questioning of Martha Corey show?

The court assumes guilt instead of innocence.

What does Proctor mean when he says, “God damns our kind especially”?

Those who knowingly do wrong are the most guilty.

How does Abigail react when questioned by Danforth?

She acts hysterically and cries.

Why does Elizabeth lie about the affair?

To protect John.

How has John and Elizabeth’s relationship changed by Act IV?

They have come to truly love and forgive each other.

Why does Danforth treat Parris with contempt?

He thinks Parris was foolish to trust Abigail.

Why does Parris want Proctor and Rebecca to confess?

To prevent rebellion and save his own life.

What lesson has Elizabeth learned in prison?

That moral perfection is impossible; people are flawed.

What does Hale urge Elizabeth to do?

Persuade John to confess to save his life.

Why does Parris want to postpone the hangings?

He fears riots and revenge.

Why hasn’t Proctor confessed?

He refuses to lie to corrupt people.

What does Elizabeth blame herself for?

John’s affair with Abigail.

What’s ironic about calling the confessions “coming to God”?

The confessions are lies and sins against God.

Why does Proctor decide to confess at first?

He believes one more lie won’t make him worse.

Why does Hale want Proctor to confess?

To save Proctor from execution.

What message do Proctor and Rebecca’s deaths send?

It’s better to die for truth than live a lie.

Why does Parris urge Elizabeth to go to her husband?

To convince him to confess.

Why wasn’t Elizabeth hanged?

She was pregnant.