The Crucible Act 1, The Crucible

Parris is the minister in Salem.

Who is Reverend Parris?

Parris's daughter

Who is Betty?

His niece.

Who is Abigail?

Parris's black slave from Barbados.

Who is Tituba?

She won't wake up.

What is wrong with Betty?

To see if Hale' experience with witch trials would show that there is no witchcraft.

Why does Parris suggest calling Reverend Hale?

Wealthy and suspicious of everyone; Ann lost 8 babies

Who are Ann and Thomas Putnam? What is their motivation for suggesting witchcraft?

Betty was caught in the woods practicing witchcraft.

What do they suggest is Betty's problem?

The Putnam's daughter. She is sick.

Who is Ruth? What is wrong with her?

They believe she is conjuring spirits of their dead babies.

How do the Putnam's tie their problem to Betty's?

She is a maid in the Putnam's home.

Who is Mercy Lewis?

They were in the forest dancing, Abigail drank blood, and Mercy Lewis was naked.

What does the conversation between Abigail, Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, and Betty reveal about their recent activities?

A farmer.

Who is John Proctor?

He does not want to continue his relationship because he cannot forgive himself.

How does John Proctor feel about his relationship with Abigail?

He had an affair with Abigail when she was a former servant at his house.

What is John Proctor's relationship to Abigail?

Mary is his servant.

What is John's relationship to Mary Warren?

Elderly puritan who has been in court many times.

Who is Giles Corey?

An old woman with 26 grandchildren.

Who is Rebecca Nurse?

He wants more money; a decent salary.

What does Rev. Parris want from his church?

Putnam accuses Proctor of taking trees off his land. He wants all the land he can steal from people as possible.

What is the Putnams' grievance over land?

He asks many questions which forces her to lie to save herself.

How does Hale confuse Tituba?

The girls shout names as accusations. The girls do not want themselves to get in trouble, so they blame others.

How and by whom are the other villagers accused of witchcraft?

The girls were dancing and some of them were not wearing clothes. There was a frog in the pot and Tituba was chanting.

What were Abigail and the girls doing in the forest when Reverend Parris saw them?

Parris wants to remain minister and fears any evidence that may harm his reputation.

Why is Parris so worried about the evidence of witchcraft being discovered in his own house?

She thinks that the girls are faking witchcraft to get attention.

What does Rebecca Nurse think is wrong with the girls?

She has lost all but one of her children shortly after they were born and wants someone to blame (a scapegoat).

Why is Mrs. Putnam so eager to prove there is witchcraft in the village?

Proctor questions Parris's beliefs and morals. He sees that Parris is more concerned with keeping his position as minister than with practicing his true religion and devotion to God.

What is the source of the conflict between Parris and Proctor?

John cheated on Elizabeth, his wife, with Abigail once. Abigail is now obsessed with John and wants to be his wife, but John feels guilty after commiting adultury.

What is the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor?

Abigail is jealous of Elizabeth and thus despises her.

How does Abigail feel about John's wife, Elizabeth?

He never attended church before he married his wife. He reports that his wife reads books that he does not know about. Also, he files lawsuits regularly.

What is unusual about Giles Corey?

He wants more land and therefore, more power.

Why is Thomas Putnam such a bitter man?

He is a reverend who is summoned to Salem to identify witches. He puts the majority of Salem in jail, but later realizes that there is no witchcraft in Salem-only corruption. He leaves and returns later.

Who is Reverend Hale, and what does he accomplish?