Act One

Notes

Characters 

• Reverend Samuel Parris 

  The minister of Salem, Betty’s father, and Abigail’s uncle. Tituba is his slave. As a minister, Parris delivers harsh fire and brimstone sermons that sometimes turn off his parishioners. As a father and master, he's inattentive and quick to anger. Parris's insecurity and obsessive concern with his reputation result from his near paranoid belief that someone is plotting to persecute him, steal his position, ruin his good name, or harm him in some other way. 

  • Widower 

  • No interest in children 

  • Father of Betty 

  • Uncle of Abigail 

  • Says he's not getting paid enough 

    ---

• Betty Parris 

  Reverend Parris's teenage daughter. In many ways she seems like a typical teenager rebelling against her overly protective father. A follower, she quickly falls in line with Abigail's plot. 

  • Fainted in the woods 

    ---

• Abigail Williams 

  The 17-year-old niece of Reverend Parris. Marauding Native Americans killed Abigail's parents when Abigail was young. While a servant in John Proctor’s household, Abigail briefly became John's lover before Elizabeth found out and fired her. Abigail is beautiful, intelligent, crafty, and vindictive. She's also a skillful liar. She is the leader of her group of girlfriends and is willing to do anything to protect herself. 

  • Niece of Parris 

  • Was fired by Elizabeth because of her affair with John 

    ---

• Tituba

  Slave of Reverend Parris, she is originally from Barbados. Tituba is terrified of Parris, who generally blames her for everything that goes wrong in the house. As a black female slave, she represents the lowest rung of Salem society. 

  • Parris’s slave 

  • Sang songs for the girls in the woods 

    • Abigail 

    • Betty 

    • Ruth 

    • Mercy 

    • Mary 

  • From Barbados 

  • Confesses because she feared being hung 

  • Blames Sarah Good and Osburn of witchcraft because Putnam said their names earlier 

• Thomas Putnam 

  The husband of Ann Putnam, and one of the richest farmers and landowners in all of Salem. Putnam is a bitter man who feels that the citizens of Salem have not given him the respect that he and his family deserve. He seeks to gain respect and revenge by increasing his wealth, landholdings, and influence however he can. 

  • Father of Ruth Putnam 

  • One of nine sons 

• Ann Putnam 

  The wife of Thomas Putnam. Mrs. Putnam is as bitter as her husband, but for different reasons: just one of the many babies she has given birth to has survived past infancy. 

  • Mother of Ruth Putnam 

  • 7 out of her 8 children died in infancy 

  • Quick to believe Tituba’s claim of Sarah Good and Osborne being witches as they were her midwives to her dead children 

  • Sent Ruth into the forest to conjure her sisters' spirits to find out what happened to them 

• Ruth Putnam 

  • Daughter of Thomas & Ann Putnam 

  • Her mother sent her into the forest with the girls to conjure her dead sisters’ spirits to find out why they all had died during infancy 

• Mercy Lewis 

  A teenage girl and a servant in the Putnam household. She is Abigail's closest friend and confidant, and the second in command of the group of girls behind the trials. 

  • Servant of the Putnam’s 

  • 18 

  • Fat, sly merciless 

• Mary Warren 

  A teenage girl and a servant in the Proctor household who replaces Abigail Williams. She is a generally good and quiet girl. She fears wrongdoing, but she fears Abigail even more. 

  • 17 

  • Naive, lonely, subservient 

  • John Proctor’s servant

• John Proctor 

  A farmer, and the husband of Elizabeth. Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams while she worked as a servant in his house. A powerful man in both build and character, Proctor refuses to follow people he considers hypocrites, including Reverend Parris. Feared and resented by the many people in Salem he has made feel foolish, Proctor has a powerful sense of personal integrity. For this reason, his affair with Abigail makes him see himself as a hypocrite. 

  • Farmer 

  • Middle 30s 

• Elizabeth Proctor 

  The wife of John Proctor. She fires Abigail Williams as her servant when she discovers that the girl is having an affair with Proctor. Elizabeth is a good woman known for never telling a lie. She loves her husband deeply but seems to have the sense that she doesn't deserve him, and therefore often responds coldly to him. His affair with Abigail had both shaken the trust she had in her husband and convinced her that she was right in her assumption that she didn't deserve him. 

  • John's wife 

• Francis Nurse 

  A wealthy farmer and landowner in Salem and the husband of Rebecca Nurse. Francis Nurse is generally considered by the Salem community to be a good man, but many people resent his recent rise to wealth. He's had arguments over land with Putnam that have risen even to the level of physical fights. Families related to Francis Nurse were involved in refusing to allow Putnam's wife's brother-in-law to become the minister of Salem, a slight that Putnam has not forgotten. 

  • Husband of Rebecca Nurse 

• Rebecca Nurse 

  The wife of the wealthy farmer Francis Nurse. Rebecca is a much beloved and admired figure in Salem for her religiousness and good sense. She has also served as the midwife at many births. 

  • 72 years old 

  • White haired 

  • Wife of Francis Nurse 

  • People had very high opinion of her 

  • 11 kids, 26 grandkids 

  • Disliked by Ann Putnam 

    • Because Ann is jealous that Rebecca’s children and grandchildren all survived childbirth

• Giles Corey 

  A farmer who owns a farm near Salem, Giles is an old man and somewhat of a rascal, but also very brave and moral at heart. In his many years he's been involved in numerous court cases and lawsuits, and therefore knows the law inside and out. He is married to Martha Corey. 

  • 83 

  • Canny, inquisitive, still powerful 

  • Making his wife sound like she is a witch 

    • Tells Hale that she has been reading books and when she is, he is unable to pray

• Reverend John Hale 

  A minister in the nearby Massachusetts town of Beverly, and an expert in identifying witchcraft. An intelligent man, Hale sees himself as a scientist and philosopher, a kind of physician of the soul. At the beginning of the play he's something of an innocent, taking for granted that the world is black and white and that he, with his expertise, can tell the difference between the two. By the end of the play his outlook has changed considerably. Unlike the other priests, his insistence on uncovering facts makes it impossible for him to overlook the evidence indicating that those condemned of witchcraft in Salem were innocent. 

  • Nearing 40 

  • Tight-skinned, eager eyed intellectual 

    Summoned to Salem to identify witches 

  • Later realizes that there is no witchcraft in Salem; only corruption 

  • Leaves and returns later 

Character Quotes 

• Reverend Parris 

• Tituba 

• Abigail Williams

Arthur Miller

• Thomas Putnam 

• Ann Putnam 

  • “There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!”

• Mary Warren  

• John Proctor 

  “I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more.” 

  Arthur Miller

   

• Elizabeth Proctor 

• Francis Nurse 

• Rebecca Nurse 

• Giles Corey 

• Reverend John Hale 

Plot 

• Betty fainted the night before and has yet to wake up 

• Ruth has as well 

• 7 out of Ann’s 8 children died in infancy 

• Tituba conjured Ruth’s sisters to come out of the grave 

• Betty wakes up, saying Abigail drank blood 

• Says Abby killed John Proctor's wife 

• Abby threatens to kill them if any of them tell on her 

• John had an affair with Abby 

• Reverend Parris believes he is not being paid enough 

• Tituba confesses and tells names of witches 

  • The names were just names Putnam had said earlier 

    • Sarah Good & Osburn (Ann Putnam’s past midwives)

• Abigail and Betty then join in, naming others 

Questions

1. In his introduction to the play, how does Miller explain what really motivated the people of Salem to accuse their neighbors, friends, and relatives of witchcraft?

   Miller explains that personal grievances and greed motivated the people of Salem to accuse their neighbors, friends, and relatives of witchcraft.

2. What were Abigail and the girls doing in the forest when Rev. Parris saw them?

   Abigail and the girls were dancing in the forest without clothes while Tituba sang.

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

   Parris is worried about evidence of witchcraft being discovered in his own house because he was worried about his reputation.

4. What does Rebecca Nurse think is wrong with the girls?

   Rebecca Nurse thinks the girls are faking witchcraft for attention.

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

   Mrs. Putnam is eager to prove there is witchcraft in the village because she has lost all but one of her children shortly after they were born and wants someone to blame.

6. What is the source of conflict between Rev. Parris and Proctor?

   The source of conflict between Rev. Parris and Proctor is that Proctor questions Parris’s beliefs and morals. John Proctor sees that Parris is more concerned with keeping his position as minister than practicing his true religion and devotion to God.

7. What is the relationship between Abigail Williams and John Proctor?

   John cheated on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail once. She is now obsessed with him, and wants him to be with her, but John refuses, feeling guilty.

8. How does Abigail feel about John’s wife, Elizabeth?

   Abigail is jealous of Elizabeth and despises her because of it.

9. What is unusual about Giles Corey?

   Giles never attended church before marrying his wife, Martha. He tells Hale that his wife reads books he doesn’t know about and files lawsuits regularly.

10. Why is Thomas Putnam such a bitter man?

    Thomas Putnam is a bitter man because he wants more land and power.

11. Who is Reverend Hale, and what does he accomplish?

    Hale is a reverend summoned to Salem to help identify witches.

12. Why does Tituba confess so readily? What does her confession initiate?

    Tituba confessed so readily because she fears being hung. Her confession causes Abigail and Betty to accuse other women as witches as well.

Vocabulary

1. Heathen (n.) -an irreligious or uncivilized person

2. Conjure (v.) - to practice magic

3. Faction (n.) - a group within a larger group

4. Abomination (n.) - a vile action, condition, or habit

5. Gibberish (n.) - meaningless talk; nonsense

6. Deference (n.) - respectful yielding to another

7. Naught (n.) - nothing

8. Dwindling (v.) - to shrink or diminish

9. Abyss (n.) - a vast chasm; Hell

10. Intimation (n.) - a hint; suggestion

11. Formidable (adj.) - strong; powerful; causing fear

12. Trepidation (n.) - tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation

13. Titillate (v.) - to excite agreeably

14. Notorious (adj.) widely and unfavorably known

15. Prodigious (adj.) - extraordinary; arousing admiration

16. Fathom (v.) - comprehend; understand

17. Defamation (n.) - the injuring of one’s reputation

18. Anarchy (n.) - confusion; chaos; disorder

19. Avidly (adv.) - enthusiastically, eagerly

20. Licentious (adj.) - sexually unrestrained; immoral

21. Blanched (adj.) - to become pale

22. Evade (v.) - to escape or avoid

Act Two

Plot

Characters 

• Ezekiel Cheever 

• Marshal Herrick 

  • Early 30s 

Plot 

• Elizabeth knows about the affair, the town does not 

• John knows the witchcraft allegations are a hoax 

• Elizabeth thinks John is in love with Abby 

• Mary Warren says Sarah Good confessed to sometimes making a compact with Lucifer 

• Mary says she saved Elizabeth when accused 

• Elizabeth thinks Abby will keep accusing her because she wants Elizabeth’s place as John’s wife 

• John fails the test of saying the 10 Commandments 

• Tells Hale that Abigail told him there was no witchcraft 

• Rebecca and Martha (Giles’s wife) are in jail 

• Rebecca charged with murder of Putnam’s babies 

• Martha charged with bewitching Walcott’s pigs 

• Cheever has a warrant for Elizabeth’s arrest 

• Abigail charged her 

• Parris found a needle in Abigail’s body in the same place as on the poppet that Elizabeth had (Mary Warren gave it to her) 

• Elizabeth is taken away by Herrick and Cheever 

• Proctor tells Mary she will go with him to court to tell the truth of Abigail, saying he will not let his wife and he goodness die for him 

Questions

Vocabulary

1. Daft (adj.) - foolish; crazy; mad 

2. Taint (n.) - to infect or contaminate  

3. Quail (v.) – to lose courage 

4. Inept (adj.) – lacking skill, incompetent 

5. Abundant (adj.) – well supplied 

6. Befuddle (v.) – to confuse 

7. Effrontery (n.) – shameless boldness 

8. Immaculate (adj.) – free from moral impurity 

9. Qualm (n.) – a feeling of uncertainty 

10. Probity (n.) – integrity; honesty 

11. Callous (adj.) – insensitive; unsympathetic 

12. Base (adj.) – morally low; contemptible 

13. Slovenly (adj.) – untidy; careless 

14. Unperturbed (adj.) – not disturbed 

15. Gaunt (adj.) – thin and bony 

16. Agape (adv.) – with mouth open (often in shock) 

17. Conciliatory (adj.) – tending to agree 

18. Beguile (v.) – to mislead; to deceive 

19. Reprieve (v.) – to delay or relieve punishment 

20. Retaliate (v.) – to respond appropriately 

21. Adamant (adj.) – unyielding; inflexible 

22. Cleave (v.) – to adhere closely 

23. Tantalize (v.) – to tease by arousing expectations

Characters 

• Judge Hathorne 

• Martha Corey

  • Is being tried at the beginning of the act

• Deputy Gov. Danforth 

  • A grave man in his sixties 

  • Of some humor and sophistication that does not, however, interfere with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause 

• Judge Stoughton 

• Judge Sewall 

Character Quotes 

Plot 

• Mary tells Danforth that they were all lying 

• Cheever tells Danforth John damned the court and ripped the warrant and Danforth questions if he has seen the devil 

• Danforth reveals Elizabeth claims she is pregnant 

• John Proctor has a testament signed by 91 people saying Rebecca, Martha, and Elizabeth are good women 

• Giles has been in court 33 times 

• Giles claims Thomas sent his daughter to cry witchcraft so he can buy more land 

  • Giles refuses to give the name and is arrested for contempt of the court 

• Danforth tells Mary if she lied in court she will go to jail for perjury 

• Abigail remains in her stance and says that Mary is lying  

• Abigail says Elizabeth had always kept poppets 

• Proctor tells about how Abigail and the girls were found dancing in the woods 

• Mary is asks to pretend to faint now and she says she cannot do it 

• Abby accuses Mary of sending a shadow on her and John attacks her, and reveals the affair John and Abby had in the past 

• Elizabeth is brought in the room to see if she talks about the affair (she doesn’t tell, unknowing that John said that he did have an affair to save John’s reputation) after already saying that Elizabeth would never lie 

• The girls all start to repeat Mary to make it seem she is possessing them 

• They say Mary’s spirit is a bird that is swooping down to hurt them 

• Mary starts to lie saying Proctor is the Devil’s man and that he would murder Mary if she didn’t help him overthrow the court 

• Mary cries to Abby and hugs her 

• Danforth tells Marshal to bring Proctor and Corey to the jail 

• Hale denounces the proceedings of what happened and quits the court 

  • Hale had started to believe John, Giles, and Francis (especially after Elizabeth lies for John, as a lie for his reputation would make sense to him)