The Crucible

1. The Crucible

2. The Crucible • During 1692, The Salem Witch Trials occurred in New England. Many were accused of witchcraft. • Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 about the witch trials. He wrote the play during a time of unrest in America during anti-communist “witch hunts.” • The term “witch-hunt” refers to whenever a person decides to target another person for reasons which may, or may not, be obvious.

3. The Crucible • Even though the Puritans did believe in witches and goblins during the Salem Witch Trials, their fear of the Indians fueled the fear. Also, there were false accusations made to meet a political agenda. This is why Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in the 1950’s - he compared the accusations that were being made then to those made during the Salem Witch trials.

4. Intro to The Crucible • 1. 1692 • 2. 6 months • 3. 150 • 4. 23 • 5. young girls • 6. an apparition would come to you in the night telling you to sign the Devil’s book

5. Intro to The Crucible • 7. The Indians and Indian War • 8. main frontier • 9. He was a minister who didn’t baptize his children and who disagreed with the war. Accusations were made against him, and he was hanged.

6. Intro to The Crucible • 10. They were not hanged like today’s executions, so they suffocated or were strangled to death. • 11. His death was by means of death by weight or crushing. • 12. His last words were “more weight.”

7. Intro to The Crucible • 13. If one were accused of being a witch, the land that was left would be seized by the government. False accusations were made so land could be seized. • 14. Lack of sunlight could cause hysteria in the girls due to a chemical imbalance. • 15. During a wet growing season, ergot may have grown in the rye and can survive the baking process; this may have made the girls sick.

8. Intro to The Crucible • 16. Once a few girls became sick, the fear of Indians and witches, allowed the belief that they were “bewitched” to spread just by suggestion. This was shown and proven in the video that people can believe in things based on suggestion.

9. Intro to The Crucible • Most likely explanation of the Salem Witch Trials: • Some girls became sick from something like ergot poisoning • The Puritans already were fearful of the Indians and Indian war • This fear of the Indians and the girls’ sickness escalated their fear of witchcraft • The Magistrates twisted the girls’ testimonies • The judges allowed the accusation to continue to suit their political needs

10. The Crucible • The word crucible comes from the Latin word for “cross.” A crucible is any pot made of material strong enough to withstand the intense heat necessary to melt down metals. Crucible also means “a severe trial or test.” • What test or trial have you had to go through that is your “crucible?”

11. The Crucible, Act One guided reading • Is Parris more concerned about Betty or his reputation (1239)? • Support with textual information-what did Parris say that leads you to believe what you wrote in your response.

12. The Crucible, Act One guided reading • Reverend Parris questions Abigail’s reputation. Who fired Abigail? (1240) • Textual evidence: • Who heard that Betty flew? • Textual evidence:

13. The Crucible, Act One guided reading • What is the suspected cause of Betty’s illness? (1241) • When the girls are alone, what do they discuss about the night before? • What does Betty think they should do? • What is Abigail’s reaction?

14. The Crucible, Act One • 1. Reverend Parris is the minister of the village. He is Betty’s father and Abigail’s uncle. Abigail lives with them. • 2. Tituba is the servant from Barbados for the Parris family. She is very close to Betty. • 3. Betty is in bed pretending to be sick. She is unresponsive and seems to be sleeping.

15. The Crucible, Act One • 4. The doctor can’t find a medical reason for Betty’s behavior. • 5. The Putnams are neighbors who have a sick daughter, Ruth. They suggest Betty is witched because Tom Putnam is angry his brother in law didn’t become minister. • 6. He worries that she has jeopardized his position as minister.

16. The Crucible, Act One • 7. Ruth is the Putnams’ daughter. She is acting the same as Betty. The connection is they were both in the forest the night before. • 8. The girls were in the forest dancing. They were with Tituba who made a potion and Abigail wished that Proctor’s wife would die. Some drank blood.

17. The Crucible, Act One • 9. She says she will bring a pointy reckoning in the dark night. This reveals she is manipulative, violent, and a bully. • 10. Proctor is handsome, upstanding in the community, and strong. He speaks the truth and calls out others who are false.

18. The Crucible, Act One • 11. Abigail and John had an affair. • 12. She said Elizabeth told lies about her and called her a cold, sniveling woman. • 13. Francis Nurse was in a land battle with Putnam. The Nurses also prevented Putnam’s brother in law from becoming minister.

19. The Crucible, Act One • 14. Rebecca says Betty is playing and will come around when she bores of this game. • 15. Parris only speaks about hell and damnation during his sermons. They also say he is only concerned about money and the deed to his house.

20. The Crucible, Act One • 16. Putnam’s father left the largest portion of land to the stepbrother and was denied when he tried to break the will. • 17. Giles is old, new to religion, and grumpy. • 18. Reverend Hale is educated and takes his role as demonologist very seriously.

21. The Crucible, Act One • 19. Hale fires questions at Tituba and makes her nervous. During the conversation, Tituba realizes that to save herself, she must accuse others. • 20. The girls join in on the accusations when they see Tituba is not in trouble. The girls are motivated by their involvement in dancing in the woods and want to get out of trouble. Eleven are accused.

22. Write a potential problem you foresee as accusations from the girls are believed as being true just based on their words.

23. The Crucible, Act Two • 1. They have issues in their marriage because of John’s affair and Elizabeth doesn’t trust him. She is a good housewife and he is trying to earn her trust again. • 2. This scene is to show the reader how tense their relationship is from the affair.

24. The Crucible, Act Two • 3. Mary brings her a poppet (a rag doll). • 4. She reports that many are being accused of witchcraft. Her role in the trial is to report whether or not she has witnessed any witchcraft. John doesn’t want his household involved in the trials. • 5. 39

25. The Crucible, Act Two • 6. You have to confess that you are a witch. • 7. Mary Warren has a role in the trials now and she is threatening Elizabeth with this comment.

26. The Crucible, Act Two • 8. Hale comes to investigate the Proctor household. He may be called as a witness during the trial. • 9. Abigail accused Elizabeth because she wants John Proctor as her own. • 10. He forgets adultery. This is significant because he committed adultery with Abigail.

27. The Crucible, Act Two • 11. Walcott bought the pig from Corey and she won’t give the money back to Walcott. He says she bewitched the pig and that’s why it died. • 12. allusion: reference to another piece of lit. He compares Hale to PP because he knows something is wrong but won’t stand up and speak the truth.

28. The Crucible, Act Two • 13. He wants Mary to tell that she put the pin in the doll because Abigail told her to. She won’t tell because she is afraid of what Abigail will do to her. • 14. Her motives are to keep Abigail happy. She gave her the poppet to make Elizabeth look guilty. • 15. She confesses. • 16. They believed she was out of the Devil’s control if she confessed.

29. The Crucible, Act Two • 17. Vengeance • 18. Abigail’s motivation for accusing Elizabeth; Walcott’s accusation of Corey. • 19. Proctor says this ironic statement because the trials themselves are black mischief and evil. • 20. She is a kind and a good Christian woman. • 21. He is the one that Elizabeth told John to go to about Abigail.

30. Do Now • Explain why Proctor compares Reverend Hale to Pontius Pilate. • Why is this reference called an allusion? (explain this as fully as you can based on what I explained in class yesterday and name the literary piece that is being compared)

31. The Crucible, Act Three • 1. It gives us background info about Martha’s arrest. It also shows us how hard-hearted the courts have become and their willingness to arrest anyone who interferes with their proceedings. They are favoring anyone who sides with their already made arrests and discredits anyone trying to prove the truth. It shows the snap judgments and prejudiced nature of the judges themselves.

32. The Crucible, Act Three • 2. • The first says Thomas Putnam was given a great deal of land. • The second says 91 people give their good opinion of Rebecca and Martha. • The third states the girls are lying.

33. The Crucible, Act Three • 3. They accuse and arrest whoever comes to the defense of those accused of being a witch. • 4. He confesses to adultery with Abigail. • 5. He tries to explain the motivation behind Abigail’s accusation of Elizabeth in order to save Elizabeth.

34. The Crucible, Act Three • 6. Mary tells him it was all pretend. • 7. Elizabeth tells him John never committed adultery, and John is imprisoned as a liar. • 8. He tells John she is pregnant. • 9. They will not hang Elizabeth until after the baby is born.

35. The Crucible, Act Three • 10. There are 91 signatures for Martha, Rebecca and Elizabeth. • 11. Mary has never seen spirits.

36. The Crucible, Act Three • 12. This is true because you can’t be in the middle when it deals with the law or the courts. • 13. If you are honest with God, you will be safe.

37. The Crucible, Act Three • 14. Corey claims that Putnam wanted Jacob’s property and accused him. • 15. He withholds the name of the witness. • 16. If they signed the Devil’s book. • 17. Hale is beginning to realize that the trials are evil, and people are making false accusations.

38. The Crucible, Act Three • 18. Mary cannot faint. Hathorne points out that if she can’t pretend faint, she must have fainted earlier from the witches. • 19. He had an affair with Abigail. • 20. Elizabeth tries to say John is lying about the affair in order to save her. • 21. She says John is a witch and has been bewitching her.

39. The Crucible, Act Three • 22. Hale says Abigail seems false to him and he views Proctor as an honest man. • 23. The girls start to repeat Mary’s words and act like Mary’s spirit is attacking them. Mary is confused and bullied. • 24. Opinion

40. The Crucible, Act Four • 1. Morning • 2. Mr. Hale and others in the town urge those accused to confess to save themselves. • 3. Herrick is drunk. • 4. Abigail because the truth is out about her having an affair with John.

41. The Crucible, Act Four • 5. 12 have hanged and it’s not fair that the others accused are still alive. • 6. orphans are wandering house to house; abandoned cattle are loose on the roads; rotting crops and making the town smell; no one knows if they will be accused and die. • 7. John Proctor

42. The Crucible, Act Four • 8. No • 9. His property would stay in family and he kept his good name. • 10. more weight • 11. He will not sign a document confessing to witchcraft. • 12. whether or not to confess

43. The Crucible, Act Four • 13. She doesn’t want her husband to die, but she won’t order him to confess. • 14. He will not incriminate others who have been accused. • 15. He will not tarnish his name; it is all he has. • 16. Proctor thinks Danforth is using him to get others to confess.

44. The Crucible, Act Four • 17. Proctor tears it up. • 18. He does not sign a confession, so he is hanged. • 19. Proctor has remained true to himself and not lied and confessed. • 20. opinion

45. The Crucible, Act Four

46. The Crucible, Act Four

47. The Crucible, Act Four

48. The Crucible, Act Four