Crucible 9: 128-145

1) Danforth: “Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God’s law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering” (129).

 

            This quote shows that even after Danforth realizes he was wrong, he still will not free the other innocent people. He does this for the sake of his reputation. He has already killed other citizens, and it would prove his ineffectiveness as a judge if he set some free. The other citizens would be outraged at him if this happened, and Danforth cannot deal with this. He is far too stubborn and will not drop the charges against Proctor even when all the others tell him to.

            The citizens who are still to be executed are also concerned with their reputation as good Christians. They do not wish to lie and commit sin, but they also do not wish to die. Hale and Parris try to convince them that this pride is not worth dieing for. They say it is better to lie and confess, than to die for the sake of lies.

 

Why can’t Danforth let them go if they all know what Abigail has done?

 

 

2) Hale: “ Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion…Life, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious may justify the taking of it…for it may well be God dams a liar less then he that throws his life away for pride” (132)

 

            In this quote Hale acknowledges the change in his character. At the beginning of the play he judged accused people strictly because he believed in the ability of the court. When he realizes how controlled the court was by the lies of Abigail, he regrets what he has done. He blames himself for the death of Proctor.

            This quote also deals with the issue of pride. Hale tries to convince Elizabeth that it would be better for John to tell a lie in order to save himself. Proctor was too stubborn to convince in court, because he refuses to do the wrong thing in order to get out of this situation. Proctor then attempts to confess, but cannot in the end because it will be made known to all the other citizens. He does not want them to know that he gave into the lies of the court, and he dies for this.

 

Why can’t Danforth drop the charges because they know he is innocent? Why doesn’t Proctor confess then explain why he had to do it to all the others later on?

Crucible 8: 113-127

1) Proctor: “A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud–God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!” (120)

 

            This quote shows that Proctor is driven to insanity by his rage toward the situation. He cannot believe what has happened, and when he himself is accused he can no longer contain himself. This quote makes him look even more like a warlock or wizard to the others, but this quote is really about what is happening in Salem. He is expressing his opinion that God is dead in Salem because God appears to have failed Proctor. He says that Danforth will regret what he has done, and that the will both burn in Hell together.

            Proctor has gone completely insane because the ‘motto’ that he held to be true has failed him. “Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee” (95). Proctor from the beginning has tried to tell the truth, and he believed that God would make everything turn out as it should in the end. When he realizes that doing what was right in the court did not lead to the problem being resolved, he cannot believe it and curses everyone.

 

Will Danforth realize what is going on because of Proctor’s exclamation?

 

2) Parris: “I tell you what is said here, sir. Andover have thrown out the court, they say, and will have no part of witchcraft. There be such a faction here, feeding on that news, and I tell you true, sir, I fear there will be riot here” (127)

 

            Parris is warning Danforth that citizens in Andover overthrew the court, and that it could easily happen in Salem. Parris says that a riot is likely to happen when Rebecca Nurse or Proctor is executed because they are viewed as good citizens. Parris recommends that Danforth postpone the executions.

            This quote is the only sign on hope so far for the innocently accused people in Salem. There were 91 citizens who signed the petition saying that these people were respectable citizens, and there are probably many more that disagree with the court, like the families on the 400 people that Danforth sentenced. A rebellion is definitely possible, because there are enough people to support the cause. The only problem is that if they go against the court and are unable to overthrow it, then they too will be sentenced.

            Parris also has changed his character a lot since the court scene. He now seems to be more reasonable. He is even interacting with Hale who defended Proctor. It is possible that Parris has changed his opinion of the court too a negative one. This may have to do with the disappearance of his niece.

 

Will the court be overthrown, or will the citizens be too fearful to take a stand?

Crucible 7: 98-113

1) Hale: "I cannot say he is an honest man; I know him little. But in all justice, sir, a claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer. In God's name, sir, stop here; send him home and let him come again with a lawyer–" (99).

This quote is Hale once again trying to stand up to Danforth. Hale now seems like a much more reasonable character. He realizes what grave thing he has done. He now knows that he convicted many innocent people to trial in a court that he is beginning to see is incompetent. He at first trusted the judgment of the court and even ensured Proctor that, if Elizabeth was truly innocent, then the court will set her free. He now is very regretful because he no longer thinks that the court will come to the right decisions. He is trying to save Proctor from making a big mistake, and he is trying to relieve himself of some of his guilt by at least saving Proctor. He cannot take back his actions because then even he will be suspected. He feels terrible because he put the lives of many innocent people in the hands of an unjust court.

Will Hale be able to help Proctor and Elizabeth, so he can save at least two of the innocent people he convicted?

2) Mary Warren: "I–I cannot tell how, but I did. I–I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I– It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I–I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not" (107).

This quote is Mary Warren defending her claim that she never actually saw any spirits. She explains that the influence of others around her affected how she behaved. This explains how witch hysteria is like a disease in Salem. It is spreading like wildfire, and only because of a small group of girls influencing the whole town. All of the citizens are peer-pressuring each other into this madness, because if one person looks like they do not believe in witches, they will stand out from the crowd and be accused. This draws all the people together in one long chain of accusation against the very few people who refuse to lie to just save themselves.

Mary Warren seems to be telling the truth, but the only problem is that Abigail makes a much more convincing argument to Danforth. Abigail is much more confident, and does not stutter like Mary. Abigail also has the power of her other friends to help her too. They will go along with anything she says because she threatens to kill them if they do not.

Will Danforth see through Abigail's lies, and believe innocent Mary even though she looks far guiltier than Abigail?

Crucible 6: 83-98

1) Giles: “My proof is there! If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property—that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” (96).

            This quote from Giles is a daring accusation of Putnam. Giles thinks that Putnam is hoping his neighbors will be hanged just so he can buy their land. The court was trying Giles’s wife, Martha during this time, so he may be saying anything just to win her freedom, or Putnam may be truly trying to acquire more land.  This also came up earlier in the play, and it involved Proctor, Giles, and Putnam. In Act I Putnam said that his grandfather owned lots of the land in the area. Proctor then said that Putnam’s grandfather had a bad habit of giving away land that never belonged to him. Putnam may want his land back that he believed belonged to his grandfather. He may also be angry with Proctor for saying negative things about his grandfather. Putnam may now want revenge on all citizens living on what he believes to be ‘his land’.

 

Does Putnam really have the intention of hanging people just to get their land, or is Giles overreacting to the situation?

 

2) Danforth: “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (94).

            This quote is Deputy Governor Danforth explaining to Proctor that he is either with or against the court. Proctor is suspected of disrespecting the court. This leads to suspicion of him and even more suspicion of his wife of witchcraft. This could be very bad for Proctor because when Hale was at his house he said some very erratic things that could be used against him as evidence later on. For example, both he and his wife claim they don’t believe in witches, and he ripped up the warrant. Proctor is not doing a very good job at making himself look innocent. He is very angry because he cannot believe the ridiculousness of the situation. However, this anger is coming across in the wrong way. He is mocking how absurd the accusations are, and showing lots of anger. He should be acting very innocent and respectful of the court if he wants to earn their trust and thus his wife’s freedom. Anger is not the way to go about saving his wife.

Will Proctor’s anger toward the situation make him look more guilty than innocent? When will he realize it’s a better idea just to agree with the court in order to free his wife?

            

Crucible 5: 68-83

1) Proctor: "If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking in Salem—vengeance is walking in Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!" (77).

This quote perfectly describes what is happening in the plot. None of the characters had the courage to state this truth except for Proctor because he became enraged at the accusation of his wife. He knows that Abigail is desperately trying to frame his wife, so she can be with him. She does this out of vengeance. This is also the cause for many of the other accusations. When a person in Salem wants revenge over another, all they need to do is cry witchcraft to get it. Proctor realizes that the situation is ridiculous, and he seems to be the voice of reason so far. He also brings up the point that certain people will confess anything just to save themselves, but he does not think that confessing should absolve them of their sins. He has no faith in the court to make just decisions, and this is a good judgment because it is being corrupted by the lies of Abigail and false confessions of others.

Will Proctor get into trouble with the court because of all the things he said in defense of his wife in front of Hale and Cheever? Will he be the next one accused?

2) Proctor: "Good. Then her saintliness is done with. We will slide together into our pit; you will tell the court what you know" (80).

Proctor says this in response to Mary telling him that Abigail will ruin him with the story of his adultery. He thinks this would be a good thing if she tells the story because it will make herself look worse. However, as we have seen so far, whoever confesses will suddenly be forgiven of everything they have done, and all the blame will shift to the accused. It would be much wiser for Proctor himself to confess, instead of letting Abigail get away with another sin just because she confessed first. This happened earlier in the play when she confessed to dancing in the woods and all the blame went to Tituba, no one even realized that Abigail sinned too. So far confession leads to immediate forgiveness without penalty. Confessing should not lead to absolution, this is illogical. 

Will Proctor be able to confess after suffering from all the negative affects of confessing to his wife? Will Abigail confess first and get away yet again?

Hw 11/13/08

1) Mary Warren: "-and of all the ten she could not say a single one. She never knew no commandments, and they had her in a fat lie!" (58).

This quote states what the 'proof' is against Sarah Good. Every time she came to the door begging and Mary turned her away, she mumbled something. Mary accused her of muttering curses on her because she always got sick after this happened. The judge asked Sarah Good what she said, and she claimed it was the commandments. When the judge asked her to recite them, she could not say a single one. They use this supposed 'proof' to accuse her of witchcraft. This is very ridiculous. She was just claiming she said the commandments to make herself look good. Just because she was not saying the commandments does not automatically make her a witch, she could have been saying anything. The townspeople seem very eager to accuse anyone they can, even on faulty evidence.

Will the townspeople ever realize what they are doing, or are they too fearful of the Devil to do anything right? Will they just kill everyone accused to make sure the Devil is no longer in the town?

2) Hale: 'Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small" (67).

This quote perfectly describes how all of the citizens in Salem view their religion. If there is even one bad deed committed by a person they are automatically associated with the Devil. They have the wrong ideas about Christianity and they take it too an extreme. 

Is this quote a good piece of advice, or is it just how the townspeople in Salem view their faith?

HW 11/6/2008

1) Hale: "No, no. Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her" (38).

This quote is important because it shows that all the citizens trust Hale's judgement. There may be a rivalry between Parris and Hale because they are both reverends, and if one is respected more than another it may lead to competition. This quote also explain how the Devil acts. It says that his marks are obvious. This interpretation of the Devil's action will probablycome back later in the plot

How may this quote and what it states about the Devil affect the plot, or the characters' accusations of others as being witches?

2) Abigail: "Sometimes I wake and find myself standing in the open doorway and not a stitch on my body! I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Bardados songs and tempting me with–" (44).

This quote is Abigail trying to defend herself. She accuses Tituba of everything. She may be lying or telling the truth. Tituba denies all her claim and is shocked that Abigail said the things that she did. Abigail seems to be lying to cover for herself, or cause any other problems she can. She seems evil and crazy.

Is Abigail lying or not? Did she simply to get out of trouble or did she really want someone else to be punished?

Character List

Reverend Hale- feels superior to others, feels he wants to preserve goodness and God

 

Rev. Parris- priest in Salem, does not like children, believes he deserves more money and is under appreciated, tries hard to not make people accuse him a witchcraft

 

Mr. Putnam- daughter is sick, wants help from Hale to cure her, wanted Bayley to be minister

 

Ms. Putnam- daughter is sick, had 7 kids, but they all died at birth, dislikes Rebecca

 

Rebecca Nurse- her family was disagreed over the choice of Bayley as minister, the Putnams don't like her

 

Giles Corey- in a land dispute with Putnam, his wife reads Devilish books, he can't pray because of her reading

 

John Proctor- rebellious farmer who does not believe in witches, had an affair with Abigail but still seems to love his wife

 

Mrs. Proctor- spreading rumors about Abigail because she suspects what happened between her and Mr. Proctor

 

Betty Parris- daughter of Rev. Parris  ten years old, Hale tries to help her, tried to jump out of window, she might be possessed, others believe she can fly,

 

Abigail- danced with other girls as Tituba called upon the dead, drank blood potion to curse Mrs. Proctor for revenge, acts innocent, blames Tituba's, in love with John Proctor, seems evil, obsessed and crazy

 

Tituba-  slave of Parris, loves Betty and God, accused of conjuring the dead, she denies this and blames the white women 

Crucible HW 2

1) Putnam: I never heard you worried so on this society, Mr. Proctor. I do not think I saw you at Sabbath meeting since snow flew.

This quote demonstrates how important religion is to the people of Salem. Putnam then replies to this by saying that he does not go to the meetings because because Reverend Parris no longer mentions God. The other characters in the scene are shocked at this claim. Later Parris says he is the third priest in seven years

What do the citizens think about Parris? Do they respect their priests? Do they think he is worthy of being a priest?

2) Proctor: Your grandfather had a habit of willing land that never belonged to him, if I may say it plain.

This quote shows tension between the citizens. Proctor, Putnam, and Giles have a fight over land disputes. Fights over territory will certainly lead to anger between the characters. They may accuse each other of participating in which-craft to reclaim their land.

How will this quarrel between the major men of the town affect the rest of the plot?

The Crucible HW

Putnam: Don't you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark... Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more. (16)

This quote causes Parris to ask Abigail if it was her who was conjuring spirits last night. Abigail then admits that it was Tituba and Ruth, but still denies her,own involvement. This already shows suspicion, accusations, and denial coming into the play.  How will this rumor of a witch affect people's opinions of each other?

2) Abigail: "Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine" (20)

This quote is Abigail threatening to kill either of the other two girls if they tell about what else happened in the woods that night. The violent language makes her seem even more like a witch. She denies her association witchcraft, but she seems like a witch with the threatening language used in this quote. Will this quote foreshadow what is to come? Will Abigail be forced to kill the other girls to save herself?

The Crucible CW

Characterization

Parris: a serious Puritan who is suspicious of being accused as a witch, has no care for children

"He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side." (3)

Betty Parris: daughter of Rev. Parris 

"His daughter, Betty Parris, aged ten, is lying on the bed, inert" (3)

Tituba: a frightened slave who is new at Parris' house

"... she is also very frightened because her slave sense has warned her that, as always, trouble in this house eventually lands on her back" (8)

Martha Corey: suspected of being a witch

"Martha laid herself down on his chest and 'nearly suffocated him'" (7)

Importance of Background

This play is set during the time of the Salem witch trials, which will influence the actions of all the characters. This will affect the interactions between characters   because they will always be fearful of being suspected as a witch. The characters' religions will also be a major influence. The major influence in the entire community is religion. The community is a theocracy.

In Salem everyone is expected to be to be pious. If someone was not pious then they would be ostracized, and there are constantly two men patrolling the village to look for suspicious activity. Every citizen of the village was to follow the standards of their religion, and attempts at disunity would result in witch accusations.