page 128-145

"Proctor: Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this? She cannot answer. You would not; if tongs of fire were singeing you you would not! It is evil. Good, then-it is evil, and I do it!" (138).

Proctor is torn weather or not to save himself by falsely confessing to witchcraft and give up his friends, or to be hanged. Proctor has been honest and truthful throughout the entire play, and now we see his honesty faltering. Of course he wants to live, especially for Elizabeth, his wife. However, because of Proctor's truthful and just heart, he cannot bear to falsely give up a confession and lie to live. To help him make his decision, he compares himself to what Elizabeth would do, and finds that since she would not lie to save herself, it must be an evil choice.




"Elizabeth, supporting herself from collapse, grips the bars of the window, and with a cry: He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" (145).

Elizabeth will not convince Proctor to make a false confession even though she wants him to live. This shows how honest and truthful the Proctors are. Also, by not falsely confessing, it seems that Proctor is finally forgiving himself for everything that he as done wrong. Elizabeth knows that Proctor has always felt bad for his actions and now that it seems like doing the ultimate right thing allowed Proctor to forgive himself, and Elizabeth does not want to take that away from him.

1. Do those trying to convince Proctor to confess honestly believe he is a witch, or are they trying to make up for what they have done?
2. Does someone who confesses clear their name with the justice of the town of Salem, but not necessarily with God?

page 113-127

Proctor: "You are pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore!" (120).

Proctor makes this remark after the girls pretended to see a bird that was the spirt of the Devil and of Mary Warren, and after he was betrayed by Mary Warren. Danforth, as he has done all along, continues to not believe or hear out any argument that is against his beliefs or Abigail's, and this is all of Proctor's arguement. Proctor is frustrated that no one believes the truth and that he is betrayed by Mary Warren. God has left the town of Salem, along with justice. This quote is Proctor's loss of hope in unconvering because the town simply refuses to accept it, and God. While they put down justice and God, they are protecting and glorifying a group of liars and whores.


Parris: "Excellency, it profit nothing you should blame me. I cannot think they would run off except they fear to keep in Salem any more. He is pleading. Mark it, sir, Abigail had close knowledge of the town, and since the news of Andover has broken here-" (127).

This quote is the beginning of everyone starting to realize that Abigail fooled everyone. Parris noted that he believes Abigail and Mercy Lewis stole all of his money and ran away. He feels the only reason they would do this would be because they were scared about staying in Salem, especially since the town of Andover rebelled against witch trials. He is beginning to connect that if they were telling the truth, they would have no reason to leave Salem. Therefore they must have been lying. This information is shared with Danforth. Hopefully now the truth will start coming together for everyone who has not been just throughout this time.

1. Why does Proctor's quote at the end of page 120 state that he will burn with those such as Danforth?
2. Why in the world did Mary Warren decide to stab Proctor in the back?

page 98-113

"Abigail: I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin' out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil's people-and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a-" (108).

This is a quote that characterizes Abigail perfectly. She claims that she is hurt and offended when she is suspected of lying or cheating. She is controlling and manipulative of everyone who disagrees with her. She is able to persuade and manipulate Danforth into never trying to cross her. Abigail is true to this theme throughout the entire book. She forces the girls to go along with her lies, and uses Mary Warren. She threatens Proctor about him telling the truth about their relationship. She also fools Parris with her lies and is on her way to tricking and controlling Danforth. She is a dishonest and manipulative person.



"Proctor: She thought only to save my name!" (113).

This quote from Proctor occurred after he confessed that he cheated on his wife with Abigail, and when Elizabeth was brought in the courtroom, the story she presented did not match up to Proctor's. The only reason that Elizabeth did not state that Proctor cheated was because she wanted to protect him and save his name. She thought she was doing the right thing. This shows us what kind of people the Proctors are. Proctor has been nothing but honest, both with his wife and in court. We see here that Goody Proctor is like her husband, trying to do the right thing. It makes us see that the Proctors are good, sensible people and in this hard time of lies and deceit that is a respectable quality to find.

1. Did Hale want Proctor to get a lawyer so the argument would be better and the people accused of witchcraft would be freed?
2. Why does Danforth not like Mr. Parris if they are, for the most part, on the same side?

page 83-98

"Danforth: I pray you, Mr. Parris. Do you know, Mr. Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?"(88).

Mr. Danforth in this passage is somewhat twisting the truth and reasonableness. Mr. Proctor brought up this seemingly unfathomable possibility to Danforth that the girls are lying about witches. Proctor is bringing the up the truth, supported by evidence, and Danforth's response makes this proposal seem outrageous since the trial is based on the idea that the chldren are speaking straight from Heaven. Danforth's idea of what is right is twisted, Proctor's logic and evidence is nothing compared to God speaking through a group of teenage girls. It shows how disorderly this society is becoming.



"Danforth: But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there is no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time- we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now by God's grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it"(94).

This quote shows the obsession of keeping up power and titles. Proctor is not trying to go against the court or insult Danforth, he is trying to free his wife and set the truth free about the lying girls. This quote by Danforth is one example of the insecurity of people with high statuses and how much they value their credibility and authority. Danforth's hostility and defense of himself and the court is excessive when Proctor brought up the truth. The town and people in authority would rather maintain their good names than be honest and do their jobs well.

1. Is Goody Proctor lying about being pregnant?
2. Will Proctor's evidence and Mary Warren be accepted as evidence? Or will the court continue along with relying on the thoughts and words of others?

crucible pg. 69-83

"Giles: It's a pity, Ezekiel, that an honest tailor might have gone to Heaven must burn in Hell. You'll burn for this, do you know it?" (72).

This quote notes how because of all of this witchcraft madness, innocent people who would normally go to Heaven, are now going to be killed and go to Hell because they are accused of being witches. This is showing how insane the town is going. These people being accused have nothing to do with the devil and should have a clean name, and even if we have no control over if someone goes to Heaven or Hell, everyone here on earth still will perceive them as if they went to Hell. The second sentence in the quote reestablishes how wrong this act really is and that the people who are persecuting the so-called witches are the ones actually in the wrong and they are the ones who will end up going to Hell.


"Proctor: Pontius Pilate! God will not let you wash your hands of this" (77).

This quote is simple, but it gives a lot of insight into how wrong this witch hunt really is. Proctor made a very bold statement by comparing those who are being accused of witches to Jesus, who was condemned and sent to death by Pilate. The point he was trying to make by this was neither should have died because they committed no wrong actions. The second part of this quote continues to explain that these people who are accused of witchcraft are not really wrong at all. It is the people who are accusing them that are the sinners and are doing something unforgiveable by sending these innocent people to their deaths.

1. Why would Abigail want to accuse Proctor of something since she says she is truly in love with him?
2. Since Goody Proctor's spirit didn't do it, how did Abigail get stabbed with a needle at dinner?

Crucible pg 36-49

• "Hale, with a tasty love of intellectual pursuit: Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises" (39).
  

This quote describes the thoughts about witchcraft overall during this time period and how it affects certain types of people. Almost everyone who knows of Betty's condition in the town thinks that the source behind it is witchcraft. They don't even really consider any other possible causes. However, Reverend Hale is an educated man from out of town. He at least brings the possibility of there being a reason behind everything that has gone on. However, the possibility of witchcraft is still left open by Reverend Hale. This shows that almost everyone around this time believed in witchcraft, and although educated people like Reverend Hale had better reasoning than uneducated people, they still saw witchcraft as being real.

• "Hale: You have confessed yourself to witchcraft, and that speaks a wish to come to Heaven's side. And we will bless you, Tituba" (46).

This shows how unfair this situation is becoming. Hale and Parris who are questioning Tituba get a confession out of her. Instead of being angry, they want to bribe her into giving out more names of who may be involved with the Devil. This raises the question of do they really believe in witchcraft, or are they simply looking for those who disobey the rules and who are going against society. It gives insight into finding out what the real motives and thoughts Hale and Parris have about witchcraft.

1. Was Betty really unable to get up or has she been faking the whole time?
2. Why did Mrs. Putnam send her daughter to have Tituba conjure up the dead?

Character List

Reverend Parris- Betty's father, mid 40s, Reverend of Salem, insecure, preaches about damnation, does not like children
Abigail- 17 years old, Reverend Parris' niece, used to work for Mrs. Proctor but had an affair with John Proctor so got fired and now no one likes her, danced in the woods with everyone, lies about what went on in the woods, crazy, can't tell what she is lying and telling the truth about
Mrs. Ann Putnam- having similar problems like Betty with her own daughter, first 7 children died at birth
Mr. Putnam-
Tituba- Slave from Barbados, caring, in woods with girls, many people thing she can talk with dead/devil, confesses herself to witchcraft, gives names of those who are with the devil
Mercy- Putnam servant, danced in woods
Mary Warren- Proctor servant, danced in woods
Betty Parris- age 10, Reverend Parris' daughter, was in woods, now thought to be possessed
John Proctor- farmer in mid 30s, had an affair with Abigail, tries to do the right thing, does not agree with Parris' teachings
Rebecca Nurse- wife of Francis, 72, white hair, thought highly of, good morals
Giles Corey- suspicious of his wife Martha and books, 80s, blamed for everything, innocent and brave, stopped praying
Reverend John Hale- Minister of Beverley, educated, knows about and believes in witchcraft

page 20-36

"These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. It is another trait we inherited from them. and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us" (20).

This quote presents the issue of what the religion of the people of Salem is fundamentally about, and how it has affected our lives today. The people of Salem like having sinners. They put down people who sin in very cruel ways. Not having sins washed away leaves a mark, and the people of Salem like keeping this mark on those who sin, and making sure they don't have it themselves They take sin very seriously, and take pride in themselves when they are not in a state of sin and someon else is. However, the people of Salem fail to realize that they themselves are sinners. They are told this whenever they go to Church, but it seems that they hold themselves to higher standards since they restrict their fun and replace it with solemness and prayer. This hypocrisy is still prevalent today. We are quick ignore or push aside our own sins but we can somehow point out the sins in others immediately.

"Proctor: I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more" (29).

This quote gives insight into the darkness of how the people of Salem live their lives and what their religion is now about, and it also gives hope that one day it will end. All the people hear about is sin, hell, and damnation. The people hear how awful everything is, and they do not hear about God. Their religion has become looking for the sins in others and marking them, instead of finding God's goodness inside everyone. This passage is hopeful because although almost entirely the whole town of Salem who believes in sin first and God second, Proctor represents at least one person who feels differently and a character who seems like a voice of reason and is more relatable to us.

1. What is truly the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor?
2. What were the girls doing in the woods, were they dancing, pretending, or really trying to perform witchcraft?

Reverend Samuel Parris- mid 40's, insecure, snobby, widower, disliked children, used to be a merchant, now minister

"At the time of these events Parris was in his middle forties.  In history he cut a villanious path...and mouths shut until bidden to speak" (Miller 4).

Betty Parris- 10 years old, daughter of Reverend Parris, sick in bed not awake

Tituba- slave from Barbados, 40's, cautious of trouble, caring, hard working