Study Guide: The Crucible

Act One

1. Who are Reverend Parris, Betty, and Abigail? What is their relationship?

2. Who is Tituba? What is her relationship to the family?

3. What is wrong with Betty?

4. Why does Parris suggest calling in Reverend Hale?

5. What do Ann and Thomas Putnam suggest is Betty's problem?

6. Rev. Parris is worried that Abigail's actions have jeopardized something

important—what?

7. What is wrong with Ruth?

8. What has Abigail, Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, and Betty done the night before?

9. What will Abigail bring to those who breathe a word of the truth?

10. What kind of man is John Proctor?

11. What event occurred between Abigail and John Proctor prior to Act 1?

12. What does Abigail say about Elizabeth Proctor?

13. How many children does Ann Putnam have?

14. How many children does Rebecca Nurse have? Grandchildren?

15. What does Rebecca say about Betty's condition?

16. Give an example that Parris is an ineffective minister.

17. Why did Putnam get mad at Proctor over wood?

18. What does Giles Corey say about his wife?

19. How is Tituba treated before she confesses? After?

20. How are the other villagers accused of witchcraft?

 Act Two

1. What is the mood of the scene between Elizabeth and John Proctor?

2. What does Elizabeth encourage John to do about the girls?

3. What does Elizabeth mean, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt,
would you falter now? I think not?"

4. What is the gift Mary Warren gives to Elizabeth?

5. What role is Mary Warren playing at the trial?

6. How many have been arrested for witchcraft at this point?

7. Mary Warren tells Proctor that those accused will not hang if they ____________?

8. Why does Mary Warren think Elizabeth should speak civilly to her?

9. Why does Rev. Hale come to the Proctor's home?

10. What does Proctor tell Hale about why the children were ill? Who told him?

11. What event begins to change Hale's opinion about the arrests?

12. Who accused Elizabeth?

13. Which of the Ten Commandments does Proctor forget?

14. Why did Walcott accuse Martha Corey of being a witch?

15. Who does Proctor say is Pontius Pilate? Why is that important?

16. What does Proctor want Mary Warren to do after Elizabeth is arrested?

17. What is her response to this?

 Act Three

1. What does Giles Corey do during the interrogation of his wife in court?

2. What female does Proctor bring into court with him?

3. What does Mary Warren tell Judge Danforth?

4. What does Proctor do on Sunday while others think he should be in church?

5. What news does Judge Danforth tell Proctor about Elizabeth?

6. How does this save Elizabeth’s life (for awhile)?

7. Why does Proctor refuse to stop after Elizabeth’s life is spared?

8. What document does Proctor present to Danforth?

9. How many people have signed the document?

10. What does Danforth do to those who signed the document?

11. Explain the statement by Danforth: "a person is either with this court or he or she
must be counted against it, their be no road between."

12. Proctor tells Mary Warren, "Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to
thee." How is this ironic?

13. What accusation does Giles Corey make against Thomas Putnam?

14. What information does Corey withhold from the court?

15. On who’s side is Rev. Hale?

16. Does Mary Warren actually admit that she lied even when she knew innocent
people would hang by her evidence?

17. What can Mary Warren not do when requested?

18. What secret does John openly admit to Danforth?

19. What does Elizabeth do to protect John Proctor's name?

20. What does Rev. Hale say that shows he no longer believes the testimony of the
girls?

21. What do the girls do to while Mary Warren is speaking?

22. At the end, who does Mary Warren accuse?

 Act Four

1. What time of day does Act IV open?

2. Whose presence in the jail makes Danforth upset?

3. Cheever says that cows are running freely in the streets. Where are their owners?

4. Who has robbed Parris and vanished from the town?

5. What fell from Parris’s door that he see as a threat to his life?

6. How many people have hanged already?

7. Why does Danforth refuse to postpone any hangings?

8. Who has been arrested and detained in the dungeon.

9. Rev. Hale offers four signs that the town is being ruined; list them.

10. What 3 people will hang when the sun rises in a few hours?
11. Does Rebecca confess to witchcraft?

12. Why was Giles Corey smart for not admitting or denying the charges against him?

13. What were Giles Corey's dying words?

14. What does Proctor admit to?

15. What will Proctor not sign?

16. If he signs this, what will it do to his friends’ reputations?

17. What does Proctor do to his confession?

18. What happens to John Proctor?