| As the play begins, why has Reverend Parris sent for a doctor? | His daughter Betty is “sick” – as if in a coma. |
| What advice does the doctor send back? | That he can find no medical reason for her illness, and he should look for an “unnatural reason.” |
| What does Reverend Parris question Abigail about? | If her name in the village is “white” – meaning, is her reputation good. |
| What is Parris’ main concern? | His reputation as a minister and material possessions. |
| 5. What/Who did Parris see in the woods the night before? | He saw Abigail, Betty and other girls dancing in the woods. |
| What has Elizabeth Proctor said about Abigail? | Elizabeth knows that Abigail and her husband had an affair, so she fired her from their service. Abigail believes that Elizabeth has spread “rumors” about the affair. |
| Why does Abigail say she was dismissed by the Proctors’? | She claims that she was dismissed because she refused to be treated like a slave. She calls Elizabeth a “…bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman…”. |
| What rumors have circulated about Betty Parris? What proof later occurs that “proves” that she is a witch? | Villagers say they saw her flying over a barn. When Betty has a fit as people downstairs sing a psalm (a religious song), Mrs. Putnam claims that Betty cannot bear to hear the Lord’s name because she is a witch. |
| Why did Mrs. Putnam contact Tituba? | She has lost 7 children in childbirth and wants to know who is “killing” her babies. |
| Who does Abigail accuse of conjuring spirits at this point? | Tituba |
| What does Betty Parris reveal about what happened in the woods? | Betty reveals that Abigail drank blood as a charm to kill Elizabeth. |
| What threat does Abigail make to the other girls? | She threatens to “…come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” In other words, she threatens to hurt them physically if they tell. |
The Crucible Act One Questions and Answers
March 1, 2020