The Crucible:Acts III and IV Exam Review

Themes

Integrity v. Reputation Hysteria feeds itself and grows Social order v. Personal freedom Hysteria changes people’s reception of

reality Hysteria v. Logic

John Proctor

Condemns himself by saying that just and moral Salem can be overthrown by a whore like Abigail Williams.

Confesses to adultery in court in hopes of condemning Abigail Williams.

Says multiple times that his wife cannot lie. Signs his name to a written confession but tears

it up because he realizes it means the town will think he named his friends as witches.

Makes the decision to hang with Rebecca and Martha.

Refuses to let Elizabeth take any blame for his sins.

Elizabeth Proctor

Admits blame for her husband’s adultery because she was “a cold wife.”

Lies about John’s adultery to protect her husband’s good name.

Tells John that he must decide whether or not to confess; she cannot make the decision for him.

Refuses Hale’s request plead with John because she will not take away John’s newfound sense of goodness by begging him to avoid the gallows.

Tells John that she has forgiven him, but it means nothing if he cannot forgive himself

Mary Warren

Comes to the court at the insistence of John Proctor to confess that she never saw spirits or witches or the Devil.

confesses that Proctor made her sign her name in the Devil’s book and persuaded her testify against the girls in court.

Is unable to pretend to faint when asked to do so by Danforth and Parris.

Abby claims Mary has sent her spirit into a bird that nobody else can see, a bird that now wants to harm Abby and the other girls.

Reverend Hale

Condemns the proceedings and “quits” the court.

Now feels the witchcraft trials were completely unwarranted, and he feels that their “blood is on his head.”

Returns to Salem after spending three months “like our Lord in the wilderness.”

Tries to encourage those condemned to death to confess.

Urges Danforth to listen to Giles, Francis, and John Proctor and points out that there is “prodigious fear” in the country of the courts.

Danforth

Refuses to hear a single plea about postponing the hangings.

He fears that any postponement would look like “floundering” on his part.

Dismisses all the evidence against Abigail when Elizabeth fails to corroborate John’s tale of adultery.

Informs Proctor that his wife says she is pregnant.

Tells Mary Warren to confess herself or she will hang.

Allows Elizabeth to speak with her husband in order to get him to confess.

Giles Corey

Attempts to defend his wife by going to the court and showing the judges proof that the accusation is based on Thomas Putnam’s “reaching out for land.”

Is arrested because he refuses to name the person who told him what Putnam said about George Jacobs.

Refuses to confess to or deny the charges of witchcraft.

Is pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea. By refusing to enter a plea, he ensures that his

sons can legally inherit his property. Says that he “broke charity” with his wife by

revealing that she reads books other than the Bible.

Reverend Parris

Accuses Giles Corey, Francis Nurse, and John Proctor of trying to overthrow the court.

Admits that Abigail has robbed him of 31 pounds and run away with Mercy Lewis.

Waits three days to reveal that his niece has deceived him.

Encourages Danforth to let Elizabeth speak to Proctor, to convince him to confess.

Has received threats on his life from angry townspeople.

Is more interested in protecting his life than doing what’s right.

Why is Mary Warren's testimony critical?

If Mary Warren can prove that the witchcraft is all Abigail's creation, it will free the wives of Proctor, Nurse, and Corey and ease Hale's conscience.

At this point, she is the only person not entirely under Abigail's control who can stop the proceedings with few personal repercussions.

If she succeeds, Abigail will fall from her seat of glory, the women will be pardoned, and things will be able to return to normal in Salem.

If not, Abigail will retain her control, the women will eventually hang, and the madness will continue.

Giles Corey’s charge against Putnam?

Giles Corey charges Putnam for making his daughter cry witchery on George Jacobs.

Giles feels that Putnam had the motivation for doing it because if Jacobs dies, he will forfeit his property.

Putnam is the only man in the community who is wealthy enough to buy that land-- a likely scenario considering his materialistic attitude revealed earlier.

Giles Corey's proof is that a friend heard Putnam mention the plan.

Corey will not supply the name to the court because he already saw what happened to the ninety-one petitioners.

He is noble enough to refuse to allow that fate to befall another friend.

In calling Abigail a whore, what charge and punishment does Proctor open himself for? Why has he made this confession?

In calling Abigail a whore, John Proctor has thrown away his good name and has opened himself for charges (and corresponding punishment) of lechery, one of the worst crimes in Puritan society.

He makes this confession in hopes of discrediting Abigail and stopping the proceedings. This is a major leap into the waters of community involvement for John Proctor.

He has gone to the extreme of throwing away something very valuable to him-- his good reputation-- in order to save his wife and the wives of his friends.

He realizes that even if the witch trials are stopped he will still be punished for lechery, but the potential benefits outweigh the risk.

The deposition signed by the ninety-one shows

the desire for privacy becomes an automatic sign of guilt, as the goal of the trials is to find precisely what is not seen.

that both judges remain caught in the hysteria and fail to listen to clear, factual evidence when determining guilt and innocence.

the power of the court to invade the private lives of citizens.

the extent to which the court believes in guilt by association.

Proctor’s refusal to hand over the signed confession proves

a true understanding of what a good reputation means, and his defense of his name enables him to muster the courage to die heroically.

He knows the display of his name on a confession will lend credibility to the executions of Rebecca Nurse, Marta Corey, and others.

He has a desire not to dishonor his fellow prisoners’ decisions to not confess.

how Proctor fixates on his name and on how it will be destroyed if he allows the confession to be posted on the church door.

“If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again.”

Abigail gets defensive when questioned by Danforth.

Abigail insists that she suffers greatly to fulfill her duty pointing out the Devil's people.

Abigail claims Mary Warren send out her spirit in the form of a bird to attack her face (beauty) and ironically reminds Mary that vanity is a sin.

Abigail threatens Danforth directly and says that the powers of Hell have the ability to turn even his wits.

Proctor admits that he had an affair with Abigail Williams.

Abigail threats toward Danforth show that she is over-reaching her authority.

“…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 together!”

John Proctor is arrested and taken, along with Giles Corey, to jail.

Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of being the “Devil’s man.”

Proctor claims that the Devil, if he exists at all, exists within people, and not through ghosts or spirits.

When you know someone is committing a wrong, but you don’t do anything about it, you are more guilty than the person who committed the wrong.

“I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves.

Hale feels a deep responsibility for his contribution to the deaths of others.

Hale recognizes the evil of the witch trials, and his response is not open defiance but surrender.

Hale returns to Salem after three month in the wilderness because he feels guilty about having contributed to the hysteria in Salem regarding the accusations of witchcraft.

Hale’s goal is to convince the remaining accused to confess to witchcraft in an attempt to end the trials.

Ironically, Hale finds himself faced with encouraging the accused to lie to save their lives.

“We have thought it too convenient to be credited. However, if I should tell you now that I will let her be kept another month; and if she begin to show her natural signs, you shall have her living yet another year until she is delivered - what say you to that? (John Proctor is struck silent.) Come now. You say your only purpose is to save your wife. Good, then, she is saved at least this year, and a year is long. What say ' you, sir? It is done now. (In convict, Proctor glances at Francis and Giles.) Will you drop this charge?”  “I - I think I cannot.”

“In the proper place-where my beasts are bedded. On the last night of my joy, some eight months past. She used to serve me in my house, sir. (He has to clamp his jaw to keep from weeping.) A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you – see her what she is. My wife, my dear good wife, took this girl soon after, sir, and put her out on the highroad. And being what she is, a lump of vanity, sir – (He is being overcome.) Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. (Angrily against himself, he turns away from the Governor for a moment. Then, as though to cry out is his only means of speech left) She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance, and you must see it now.

“Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more. I will not receive a single plea for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang. Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. 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. If retaliation is your fear, know this- I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statuses. Now draw yourselves up like men and help me, as you are bound by Heaven to do. Have you spoken with them all, Mr. 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; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Beware, Goody Proctor—cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Life, women, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God’s judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride.”

“He may have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him.”

Why does Proctor not drop the charges against the court when he hears that his wife is pregnant and will be spared for at least a year?

Proctor does not drop the charges against the court because he sees how his friends are suffering on account of their wives' condemnation.

He has taken the first step into community involvement and solving his personal problems is no longer enough.

Proctor knows that he holds the key-- he can no longer turn back.

Why does Proctor say that his wife must be pregnant if she has said so?

Proctor states that his wife must be pregnant because lying is simply against her nature.

This statement becomes vital later on in the act to validate John Proctor’s confession of lechery.

Miller has Proctor state this information three times to foreshadow what Elizabeth will do.

How has Reverend Hale changed?

Hale is no longer bold and confident in his search for witches.

He has strong misgivings about the validity of the entire process.

Now he is open, willing, and even eager to hear evidence that may prove that witchcraft is not present in Salem.

Unfortunately the trials have progressed to such a level that he is powerless to stop them.

How does the questioning of Mary Warren differ from the questioning of Abigail? Why?

Mary Warren is questioned in a way that makes it clear that Danforth is very skeptical-- at best-- about her evidence. Danforth also puts Mary in a position that essentially damns her if she

recants her former testimony. He reminds her that God damns all liars and that she will be sent to

jail for lying now or having lied before. Therefore, the atmosphere that Danforth creates makes it extremely

difficult for Mary to tell the truth as she knows it. On the contrary, Abigail is given the benefit of the doubt

when she testifies. The judges have no choice-- her testimony is the basis of all the

hearings. While Mary does not have to be believed, Abigail must in order to

justify the incarceration of so many of the town's citizens.

Why can't Mary give a show of pretense when asked by the court?

Mary can't give a show of pretense because the atmosphere is entirely different.

When she did it in the court, all the other girls were doing the same thing and the judges were encouraging it. It was the acceptable thing to do-- not fainting and screaming would

be considered improper. In the court, she was simply giving them what they wanted to see.

This time, to do so would be to act against the girls-- the accepted authority in the courtroom. The judges still believe that the girls are acting truthfully and their

attitudes make that clear. With her only support in the room being John Proctor, it is little wonder

that Mary cannot give a show of pretense.