| Why is Reverend Parris praying at the beginning of Act One? Might he might have more than one reason? | He is praying for his daughter Betty and wife. Betty is listless. He may also be concerned with his own reputation. |
| What did Reverend Parris do before coming to Salem | He was a merchant in Barbados. |
| Why did Abigail drink the potion? | She wants to Elizabeth Proctor to die because she still likes John Proctor. |
| Who is Tituba? | Reverend Parris’s Slave from Barbados |
| what is the relationship between abigail and reverend parris? why does she live with him? | Abigail is Reverend Parris’s niece and an orphan. |
| What rumors are circulating around the village? | That people are involved in witchcraft, Betty has fallen ill after the girls were found by Reverend Parris dancing in the woods |
| Describe what Reverend Parris encounter in the woods. Why would this be an especially upsetting sight for a Puritan minister? | He found the girls dancing and believed they were conjouring up souls. He saw a dress and thought that he saw someone running naked |
| What happened to Abigail seven months before act one? | She had an affair with John Proctor and was fired by Elizabeth Proctor (his wife) |
| What reason does Abigail give for being dismissed from the Proctor residence? | She didn’t want to work like a slave and have her face blackened. |
| What similarity exists between Ruth Putman and Betty Parris? What difference do the Putmans notice? | Both girls have fallen ill and have attributed it to witchraft. They point out that Betty was seen flying. |
| Why did Mrs. Putnam contact Tituba? | She wanted to connect with the spirit of her children and find out why they died and see if Tituba can stop what is happening to Ruth. |
| What tradgedy occured in Mrs. Putnam’s life? | Seven of her children died before they were a day old. Ruth was the only survivor. |
| In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with the girls? What does this reveal about her character? | She threatens them to stick to the story that only dancing occured and that they did not drink blood. She lies to her benefit. |
| In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with Proctor? What do we learn about Abigail and Proctor in this scene? | She seeks power and lusts for him. She blames him for her loss of innocence. We learn that they had an affair |
| Who is Rebecca Nurse? What effect does her presence have on Betty? | She is Francis Nurse’s wife, she is accused of witchcraft. Rebecca Nurse’s presence calms Betty. |
| How does Mrs. Putnam feel about Rebecca? Why? | She feels that Rebecca is responsible for the deaths of her babies and that the deaths occurred by supernatural means. |
| Proctor is not a fan of Parris’s preaching. What reasons does he give for his dislike? | He does not like the Hell and Damnation approach that he accuses Parris uses for personal gain, such as firewood. He also says that all Parris talks about is Finances. |
| Explain the argument regarding Reverend Parris’s salary. | There is an argument about who is responsible for Reverend Parris’s firewood. Parris insists that his contract includes firewood. |
| Explain the land dispite between Putnam and Proctor. | Proctor harvests lumber from the tract that Putnam claims his grandfather left him. Proctor claims that he bought the land from Francis Nurse. |
| Who is Reverend Hale? For what reason is he called to Salem? | He is called to investigate the witchcraft. He is a young minister known to be an expert on witchcraft. |
| What question does Giles Corey have for Reverend Hale? | He asks what it means to read strange books because he often finds his wife reading books? |
| Who is Giles Corey? How does John Proctor seem to feel about Giles? | Older farmer |
| Why does Abigail blame Tituba for the incident in the woods? What effect does this accusation have on reverend Hale’s questioning of Abigail? | Abigail blames Titiba calling the devil and making her drink the blood so that she can pass the blame? Hale begins to question Tituba and ask her to open herself up to God. |
| Why does Tituba confess to seeing the devil? What women does she claim to have seen with the devil? what effect do these accusation have on Reverend Hale’s questioning of Tituba? | Tituba confesses to seeing the devil and that he told her to kill Paris and that the devil showed her Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Hale calls for the marshal to bring irons to arrest the accused witches |
| Why does Abigail join Tituba in the calling of names? What effect does this have on the other girls in the room? | She accuses Bridget Bishop and Betty sits up and chants more names. |
| Act one ends with the following stage direction “On their ecstatic cries” What does this direction imply? | It implies a sense of abnormality as the girls announce innocent villagers names. |
| Pg 48: Example of Dramatic Irony | ” It is well seasoned”- John Proctor |
| Dramatic Irony #2 | ” I took great care” |
| Metaphor | Comparsion without using like or as pg 48 ” This farm’s a continent when you go foot by foot droppin’ seeds in it |
| Metaphor #2 | ” How many that mouse frighten you”……. He is calling Mary Warren a mouse- a mouse small,not forceful |
| Irony #3 | How can a mouse frighten you? Most people are scared of a mouse everytime it’s been seen |
| Internal Conflict | He knows what he should tell what Abigail told him BUT he is worried that they won’t believe doing what is right vs staying out of the town with witch hunt |
The Crucible Questions
February 28, 2020