The Crucible Review

Front 1

What is ironic about the fact that the Puritans came to this country for religious freedom?

Back 1

The Puritans came to this country for religious freedom; however, when they got here they persecuted others as they had been persecuted. They turned their colony into a place almost as bad as the place they had left.

Front 2

Explain how the witch hunt years were a time of general revenge.

Back 2

Being under strict laws and commandments, the Puritans had to repress a lot of their anger and spirit of revenge towards their neighbors. When the witch hunts started, it was an excellent opportunity for them to "let their hair down" and get revenge on their neighbors for whatever petty squabbles they had been having.

Front 3

Parris's slave woman from Barbados. She went with the girls into the forest and was accused of conjuring spirits and accused of being a witch. Later, she confessed to being a witch to save her own life.

Back 3

Tituba.

Front 4

Parris's niece. She lived with Parris because her own parents had been killed by Indians. She is the main instigator of the witch hunt; she enjoyed the attention and she tried to get revenge on several people in the village, particularly Elizabeth Proctor. She wanted to take Elizabeth's place as John Proctor's wife.

Back 4

Abigail Williams.

Front 5

Parris's daughter. In the opening scene, she had had some sort of a fit, and the only explanation the people of Salem can find for her condition is the presence of witchcraft in their village.

Back 5

Betty.

Front 6

Why does Mrs. Putnam believe there are witches in Salem?

Back 6

She lost many babies in their first few days of life, and the child of her only successful childbirth (Ruth) is acting peculiar. Witchcraft is the answer to these strange events.

Front 7

He is bitter because his candidate for minister was rejected, and his attempt to break his father's will had failed. He considered himself to be the intellectual superior to most of the people in Salem, and yet he often did not get his own way. He was a greedy, frustrated, bitter man.

Back 7

Thomas Putnam.

Front 8

He is a strong, fit man. He is a farmer. Basically, he is an even-tempered man, soft-spoken, but full of authority and confidence.

Back 8

John Proctor.

Front 9

What happened between Abigail and John Proctor prior to the opening of the play?

Back 9

They had an affair.

Front 10

What was the "sign" that Betty was bewitched?

Back 10

She could not stand to hear the Lord's name.

Front 11

A level-headed man, greatly respected by many of the village people. He was known for his calm nature and abilities as an arbitrator.

Back 11

Francis Nurse.

Front 12

Francis Nurse's wife. She was a truly good woman, kind and gentle in manner. She helped to deliver some of the Putnam's babies.

Back 12

Rebecca Nurse.

Front 13

Explain the political relationship between the Putnam and Nurse families.

Back 13

The Nurses were not liked by the Putnams because of some land disputes, and this conflict was somewhat revenged by the Putnams when Ann Putnam accused Rebecca of bewitching her newborn babies (implying she was responsible for their deaths).

Front 14

What is Rebecca's explanation of the girls' behavior?

Back 14

She thinks the girls have made up their story to get some attention and that in a few days when the sport wears off, the whole thing should be forgotten. Not much attention should be paid to the girls.

Front 15

What are Proctor's reasons for not regularly attending church?

Back 15

He doesn't like Parris. He thinks there is too little mention of God in church and too much mention of fire and brimstone. He also doesn't Parris is a very good minister because he seems too concerned with material wealth.

Front 16

What does Parris want in addition to his salary?

Back 16

Parris wants the deed to his house and firewood.

Front 17

What do Putnam and Proctor argue about?

Back 17

They argue about lumber and the ownership of a piece of land on which the lumber grows.

Front 18

He is an expert in witchcraft. He comes to Salem to do what he can to help the town rid itself of witchcraft.

Back 18

Rev. John Hale

Front 19

To what exactly did Tituba confess? Why?

Back 19

Tituba confessed that she conjured spirits and met with the devil and signed his book. Parris was leading her to give those answers. If she had not "confessed," she would have hanged; she was trying to save her own life.

Front 20

What do the girls do at the end of Act 1?

Back 20

They admit that they were bewitched, and they started naming the names of people they had seen with the devil.

Front 21

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

Back 21

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

Front 22

What is John's response to Elizabeth's prodding to go to Salem and tell the authorities the truth about the girls' lying?

Back 22

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

Front 23

What gift did Mary give Elizabeth?

Back 23

A poppet (doll) she made while sitting in court.

Front 24

The following was the "evidence" against which character:

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

Back 24

Sarah Good.

Front 25

Why does Elizabeth think Abigail wants to kill her?

Back 25

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

Front 26

Why did Hale come to Proctor's house?

Back 26

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 them to witchcraft.

Front 27

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

Back 27

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).

Front 28

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

Back 28

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.

Front 29

On what charge(s) was Rebecca Nurse arrested?

Back 29

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

Front 30

Why does Cheever come to the Proctor house?

Back 30

He comes to arrest Elizabeth.

Front 31

What is the significance of the needle in the poppet?

Back 31

Abigail had accused Elizabeth of sticking a needle in her (Abby's) stomach through the use of a poppet. 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.

Front 32

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

Back 32

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

Front 33

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

Back 33

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

Front 34

Why do Giles and Francis want to talk to Danforth?

Back 34

They go to try to persuade the judge that their wives are good women, not witches.

Front 35

When court is taking place, what is Parris's argument against Proctor?

Back 35

Parris says that Proctor is trying to overthrow the court.

Front 36

What does Mary tell Danforth?

Back 36

The girls had been lying.

Front 37

When Danforth hears that Elizabeth is pregnant, what does he allow?

Back 37

He allows her time to see if her "natural signs" appear. If they do not, and she is truly pregnant, he will allow her for one year before she is hanged, to have her baby. The point is that if Proctor is just trying to save Elizabeth, he need not continue with his arguments; she is saved for another year.

Front 38

What paper did ninety-one people sign?

Back 38

They signed that Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Martha were all good, upstanding, God-loving citizens.

Front 39

Of what does Giles accuse Putnam?

Back 39

He accuses him of killing his neighbors for their land.

Front 40

What is Hale's problem as Proctor and his friends present evidence to Danforth?

Back 40

Hale begins to realize that Proctor and his friends have a valid point and that the people who had been accused and sentenced so far could very well have been innocent.

Front 41

Hawthorne thinks of a test for Mary. What is it? Can she do it? Why or why not?

Back 41

He asks Mary to faint, as she fainted in the courtroom. No, she can't do it in front of Hawthorne on demand. She says that she was able to in the courtroom because the mood was set and she got caught up in the mood with the other girls, which enabled her to do it there.

Front 42

Proctor calls Abigail and whore, and he confesses his lechery. Danforth tests Proctor's statement by calling for Elizabeth and asking her why Abigail was dismissed. What does Elizabeth say?

Back 42

She lies to protect John.

Front 43

What do the girls do to Mary? What is her response?

Back 43

They pretend that her spirit is coming to get them, that she is herself doing some bewitching. Mary tells them to stop, but when they don't, she ends up breaking down and joining them (for her own protection).

Front 44

What happens to Proctor?

Back 44

He is jailed for his contempt of the court and his suspicious activities.

Front 45

What does Hale do?

Back 45

He quits the court.

Front 46

What did Abigail do in the end?

Back 46

She stole money from her uncle (Parris) and disappeared (reportedly left on a ship).

Front 47

What is Danforth's reasoning for why a pardon would not be just?

Back 47

If he would pardon the remaining accused, the people who had been hanged would have died in vain, unjustly. Rather than admit that the court could have been wrong and therefore admit the others may have been hanged unjustly, he thought it better to continue hanging people so all accused would get the same treatment from the court.

Front 48

Why does Hale come back to Salem?

Back 48

Hale has come back to Salem to encourage the accused to confess and save their lives (whether they are guilty or not).

Front 49

What does Hale want Elizabeth to do?

Back 49

Hale wants Elizabeth to convince Proctor to confess.

Front 50

He was pressed to death during questioning.

Back 50

Giles Corey.

Front 51

What "confession" did Elizabeth make to John?

Back 51

She tells him that after much thought, she feels she is also responsible for his affair with Abigail. She thinks if she had been a better, warmer wife, he would not have been inclined to place his affections elsewhere.

Front 52

What did Proctor do after he signed the confession? Why?

Back 52

He held the confession and would not give it up to be publicly posted. He knew he was not guilty and did not want to have his lie used to make other innocent people give up their goodness.