| Describe the questioning of Martha Corey. Does this seem like a fair process? Explain. | They repeatedly asked her is she was a witch which she denies truthfully. This doesn’t seem like a fair process bc they accuse her w/o hearing what she has to say and only going by what the accuser said. |
| Why do Giles and Francis interrupt the court? | bc they want to prove that their wives are innocent and are indeed not witches, proving the girls are liars |
| Explain the reactions of each of the following people to the interruption: Danforth, Hathorne, Parris, and Hale. | danforth- offendedhathorne- offended parris-worried and nervous hale- shocked |
| What does Danforth tell Proctor about Elizabeth? Why does he choose this point to share this piece of information? How does John react to the news? | he tells him the elizabeth is pregnant and chooses this bc he thought it would make John back down since she would live for another year. John was shocked but did not waver. |
| What document does Proctor present to Danforth? Why? | he presents a list of his neighbors declaring their good opinion of Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and his wife |
| What about Danforth’s reaction to the document upsets Francis? | Danforth wants to bring the people on the list for interrogation but Francis promised them they would not be in harm’s way. |
| What claim does Giles present through his deposition? | That Putnam has his daughter Ruth accusing people just so he could cheaply buy the land and gain east money |
| How does Mr. Putnam react to Giles’ claim? | he denies it |
| why won’t giles give the name of the person referred to in the deposition? what does this show about giles’ character? | bc he knows the trouble the person will get in if he tells them his name, Giles will not give them the name. this shows that he’s a man of his word. |
| describe hales reaction to these events. in what ways has his opinion changed since act 2? how do we know? | hale is shaken and starts to doubt the girls as these events unravel–since act 2, he was suspicious of anyone but now he can genuinely see that Proctor, Francis, and Giles are putting their lives on the line just to prove that all this witch hysteria is pretense. We know this when Hale advises Proctor to get a lawyer |
| in your opinion, why is mary unable to “faint” on command? | bc she isn’t able to get into the role as the girl who got attacked by spirits. she doesn’t feel the excitement she gets when she and the girls act out |
| how does danforth react to the news of Abigail’s dancing? does his opinion of her seem changed? how can we tell? | danforth is extremely shocked and his opinion of her seems to change to suspicion. we can tell as he starts to constantly drill her with questions |
| why does abigail claim a cold wind has stuck her? what is she trying to achieve by this diversion? | bc john was so close to closing in on her, she claimed cold wind struck her. she is trying to stop Danforth from probing in anymore before she gets in trouble |
| what does danforth have elizabeth brought into the courtroom? | bc he wanted to clarify if the story john said is true |
| why does elizabeth lie? | bc she loves john and she knows that if she tells them the truth, john’s name will be tainted and put into jail as an adulator so she did it to protect him |
| what is hale’s reaction to these events? why does he believe proctor? | hale is disgusted by how easily influenced they are towards the girls and he believes proctor bc no one would put themselves on the line yet there he was no backing down, telling the truth and nothing but the truth |
| abigail claims that mary is threatening her in the form of a bird. why does abigail make this claim? what does she hope to achieve by such a scene? does she succeed? explain. | she makes this claim bc she wants to show mary that if she continues on with her story, abigail will get her hanged as a witch for betraying her. She tries to divert it from the actual story and she succeeds as everyone is wondering what is going on. |
| why does mary change her story and accuse proctor? | bc she doesn’t want to die and wanted to save herself |
| at what point does proctor give up? how can we tell? | when mary gave up and started to pretend that proctor was the one threatening her to makeup the “story” was the point where Proctor gave up. you could tell nu the comments after mary backs down |
| what is reverend hales reaction? | he is so angry and disgusted by the judgement that he quits the court |
| with which character do you most sympathize in this act? why? | proctor bc he’s trying so hard to save his wife but nothing is working |
| do you think parris really believes the girls’ accusations? explain your answer with support from the text | no bc he starts questioning them too |
| do you think giles corey will eventually give the name of his deposition informant? explain your answer with support from the text | no bc he doesn’t want him to get arrested |
| why might danforth and hathrone be reluctant to accept that the girls are frauds? | bc of how many people they’ve arrested and how many arrest warrants they’ve signed |
| if you were hale, would you have quit the court? does it matter if hale quits or stays? explain. | no bc he cows the girls are lying so he should have stayed to help prove they were lying and yes |
The Crucible- Act 3 Study Guide Questions
March 4, 2020