Act 1: The Crucible Summary

✅ Key Events in Act 1:

1. Betty’s Illness & Panic:

o Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, lies unconscious after being caught dancing in
the woods.
o Rumors of witchcraft start spreading through Salem.
o Parris is more worried about his reputation than his daughter’s health.
2. Abigail’s Manipulation:
o Abigail denies witchcraft and threatens the other girls to stay silent.
o We learn she drank a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor, because she had an affair
with John Proctor and wants him back.
o Abigail lies and manipulates to protect herself and gain power.
3. Tension Between Characters:
o Conflicts between Parris and Proctor, Putnams and Nurses, and Giles Corey
and Putnam show deep divisions in the town.
o These grudges later fuel the accusations in the trials.
4. Hale Arrives:
o Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, arrives to investigate.
o He questions Tituba, who is pressured into confessing to witchcraft and naming
others.
5. Mass Hysteria Begins:
o Abigail seizes the moment and accuses others of consorting with the Devil.
o The other girls follow her lead, shouting out names.
o The act ends in chaos, as accusations explode and hysteria begins to take control.

🧠 Themes in Act 1:

 Reputation: Parris is obsessed with how the scandal will affect him.
 Power & Fear: Abigail gains control by using fear and lies.
 Hysteria: Rational thinking starts to fall apart as panic spreads.
 Jealousy & Revenge: Old grudges (like Putnam's land disputes) fuel the witch hunt.

Act 2: The Crucible Summary

✅ Key Events:

1. Tension Between John and Elizabeth:

o Their relationship is strained because of John’s affair with Abigail.
o Elizabeth is hurt and distant, while John tries to make amends.
 o John’s guilt is clear, especially when he forgets the commandment about adultery.
2. Mary Warren’s Role Grows:
o Mary Warren (their servant) is now a "official of the court" in the witch trials.
o She gives Elizabeth a poppet (doll) and proudly explains how the court trusts her.
o She says 39 people have been arrested for witchcraft so far.
3. Abigail's Power & Accusation:
o Abigail is now treated like a saint by the court.
o Elizabeth realizes that Abigail wants her dead to take her place as John’s wife.
o Elizabeth tells John to expose Abigail’s lies, but he hesitates.
4. Hale Visits the Proctors:
o Reverend Hale comes to test their Christian character.
o He questions their church attendance and asks John to recite the Ten
Commandments — John forgets the one about adultery.
o This moment shows Hale’s doubt and John’s inner guilt.
5. Elizabeth Is Arrested:
o Officials come to arrest Elizabeth, accusing her of using the poppet to harm
Abigail.
o The poppet has a needle in it — Abigail claimed she was stabbed in the stomach,
and Mary’s doll matches the story.
o Elizabeth is taken away, and John is furious.
6. Proctor’s Decision:
o John demands that Mary go to court and tell the truth about the poppet and
Abigail’s lies.
o Mary is afraid, warning John that Abigail will "charge lechery" (expose their
affair).
o Despite this, Proctor is determined to bring the truth to light.

🧠 Themes in Act 2:

 Guilt and Forgiveness: John struggles with his sin and Elizabeth’s disappointment.
 Power and Manipulation: Abigail uses fear to gain control and remove Elizabeth.
 Hysteria and Injustice: Innocent people are arrested based on weak evidence (like a
doll).
 Reputation: Proctor fears exposing the affair but realizes he must act to save his wife.
Quote Speaker Why It’s Important

“We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil Irony – logic twisted into
Hale
is precise.” paranoia.

“There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from Selfishness and obsession

Parris
my pulpit.” with status.

“You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” Betty Reveals Abigail’s motive.

“I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Fakes holiness for
Abigail
Jesus!” attention/power.

“There is either obedience or the church will Religious control and

Parris
burn like Hell is burning!” threats.

“Let either of you breathe a word... and I will Threatens girls – fear-
Abigail
bring a pointy reckoning...” based power.

“We are what we always were... but now the

Irony – children now rule
little crazy children are jangling the keys of the Proctor
Salem.
kingdom.”

Reputation matters more

“There be no blush about my name.” Abigail
than truth to her.

Putnam / Excuse for cruel acts in

“It’s God’s work we do.”
others God's name.

Quote Speaker Why It’s Important

“The magistrate sits in your heart that judges Guilt comes from within –
Elizabeth
you.” not others.

“I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your Emotional distance and
Elizabeth
heart.” honesty.

“We are only what we always were, but naked Metaphor – truth is
Proctor
now.” exposed.

“The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave Proctor He regrets the affair
Quote Speaker Why It’s Important

that girl.” deeply.

Marriage conflict –
“I’ll not have your suspicion any more.” Proctor
tension from guilt.

Truth – trials used for

“Vengeance is walking Salem.” Proctor
personal revenge.

“The world’s gone daft with this nonsense.” Proctor Hysteria replaces reason.

“She wants me dead. I knew all week it would

Elizabeth Abigail’s jealousy and plot.
come to this!”

Powerful critique of blind

“Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born
Proctor belief in accusers –
this morning as clean as God’s fingers?”
injustice.

Act One Questions

1. Why is Reverend Parris praying at the beginning of Act One? Might he have
more than one reason?
He is praying because his daughter Betty is unresponsive and he fears witchcraft. He is
also worried about his reputation and position in the town.
2. What did Reverend Parris do before coming to Salem?
He was a merchant in Barbados before becoming a minister.

3. Who is Tituba?
Tituba is Reverend Parris’s slave from Barbados.

4. What is the relationship between Abigail and Reverend Parris? Why does she
live with him?
Abigail is Parris's niece. She lives with him because her parents were killed by Native
Americans.

5. What rumours are circulating in the village?

There are rumours of witchcraft and that Betty has been bewitched.

6. What proof later occurs that Reverend Parris encountered the woods? Why
would this be considered especially frightening to a Puritan minister?
Parris saw the girls dancing in the forest, some naked. Dancing and being in the woods
at night were considered signs of witchcraft or sinful behavior in Puritan society.

7. What happened to Abigail seven months before Act One?

She was dismissed from the Proctor household by Elizabeth Proctor.

8. Why was Abigail dismissed from the Proctor household?

She had an affair with John Proctor, and Elizabeth suspected it.

9. What similarity exists between Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris? What difference
do the Putnams note?
Both girls are in a trance-like state. The difference is that Ruth’s eyes are open while
Betty's are closed.

10. What tragedy occurred in Mrs. Putnam’s life?

She has lost seven of her eight babies shortly after birth.

11. Why did Mrs. Putnam contact Tituba?

To speak to her dead babies through spirits and find out why they died.
12. In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with the girls?
She becomes threatening and aggressive, warning them to keep silent.

13. What does this reveal about her character?

Abigail is manipulative, deceitful, and willing to threaten others to protect herself.

14. In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with Proctor?
She becomes flirtatious and tries to rekindle their affair.

15. What do we learn about Abigail and Proctor in this scene?

They had an affair, and Abigail still desires him, but Proctor wants to end it.

16. Who is Rebecca Nurse? What effect does her presence have on Betty?
Rebecca is a respected, elderly woman in Salem. Her calm presence soothes Betty.

17. How does Mrs. Putnam feel about Rebecca? Why?

She is jealous and resentful because Rebecca has many healthy children and
grandchildren.

18. Who is Giles Corey? How does John Proctor seem to feel about Giles?
Giles is an elderly but inquisitive man. Proctor seems to respect him, though finds him
odd.

19. Proctor is not a fan of Parris’ preaching. What reasons does he give for his
dislike?
He believes Parris talks more about damnation and material wealth than God and
salvation.

20. Explain the argument regarding Reverend Parris’ salary. What does this reveal
about Reverend Parris?
Parris demands the deed to his house and more firewood. This reveals his materialism
and pride.
21. Explain the land dispute between Putnam and Proctor. What does Proctor tell
us about Putnam?
They argue over land boundaries. Proctor says Putnam is trying to take land by
accusing others of witchcraft.

22. Who is Reverend Hale? For what reason is he called to Salem?

He is a minister and witchcraft expert from Beverly, called to investigate possible
witchcraft.

23. What question does Giles Corey have for Reverend Hale?
He wonders why his wife reads strange books that he cannot pray when she reads.

24. Why does Abigail blame Tituba for the incident in the woods? What effect
does this accusation have on Reverend Hale’s questioning of Abigail?
She wants to avoid punishment. Hale shifts focus to Tituba, seeing her as the source of
witchcraft.

25. Why does Tituba confess to seeing the devil? Which women does she claim
to have seen with the devil? What effect do these accusations have on Reverend
Hale’s questioning of Tituba?
She confesses under threat of beating/death. She names Goody Good and Goody
Osburn. Hale begins to believe in a wider conspiracy and encourages further
confessions.

26. Why does Abigail join Tituba in the calling of names? What effect does this
have on the other girls in the room?
She sees Tituba being praised and spared and joins in to protect herself. The other
girls, like Betty, follow suit, creating mass hysteria.

27. Act One ends with the following stage direction: “On their ecstatic cries.”
What does this direction imply?
It implies a frenzy or hysteria has taken over the girls as they cry out more names,
showing how quickly fear spreads and takes control.

ACT TWO – THE CRUCIBLE – Correct Numbered Answers

1. How much time has elapsed between Acts One and Two?
Eight days have passed.
2. What has happened in this time period? What role does Abigail play in the proceedings?
The witch trials have escalated. Abigail has become a powerful figure, leading accusations and
influencing the court.

3. Describe the relationship between John and Elizabeth.

Their relationship is tense and strained due to John's affair with Abigail. Elizabeth struggles to
trust him, and John is frustrated by her coldness.

4. Why does John hesitate in exposing Abigail as a fraud?

He lacks evidence and fears that admitting the affair will damage his name and reputation.

5. What does Mary Warren give to Elizabeth? Why?

She gives Elizabeth a homemade poppet (doll) as a gift.

6. Why does the court decide to hang Goody Osburn but not Sarah Good?
Goody Osburn would not confess, while Sarah Good did. Also, Sarah Good is seen as mentally
unstable and less threatening.

7. On what evidence does the court convict Goody Osburn?

Mary Warren testifies that Goody Osburn cursed her and tried to choke her in court. The court
takes this and other spectral evidence as proof.

8. Describe Mary’s reaction when Proctor forbids her to return to court. What does she
share?
Mary is defiant and insists she is helping with God's work. She reveals that Elizabeth has been
mentioned in court.

9. Who accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft?

Abigail Williams.

10. What does Abigail stand to gain if Elizabeth is found guilty of witchcraft?
She hopes to replace Elizabeth as John Proctor’s wife.

11. Why does Reverend Hale visit the Proctor household?

He is investigating the Christian character of households mentioned in the court proceedings,
including the Proctors.

12. Why does Reverend Hale find the Proctors' home suspicious? What “softness” does he
find in the church records regarding the Proctors? What explanation does John give?
One of their sons is not baptized, and they don’t attend church regularly. John says he dislikes
Reverend Parris’s sermons and focus on money.

13. When asked to recite the commandments, John remembers all but one. What is the
significance of the forgotten commandment?
He forgets “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” which is ironic and symbolic of his guilt over his
affair with Abigail.

14. What are John and Elizabeth’s feelings on the existence of witches? How does Reverend
Hale react to this?
Elizabeth denies belief in witches if it means a good woman like her can be accused. Hale is
unsettled but tries to remain neutral.

15. Why do Giles Corey and Francis Nurse arrive at the Proctor house?
They report that their wives, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, have been arrested.

16. What charge has been brought against Rebecca Nurse?

She is accused of the supernatural murder of the Putnams’ babies.

17. On what charge is Martha Corey arrested?

For allegedly cursing a man’s pigs so they die after she sold them to him.

18. Who is Ezekiel Cheever? For what reason does he arrive at the Proctor household?
He is a court official who comes to arrest Elizabeth based on the charge brought by Abigail.

19. Why is the presence of a poppet in the Proctor house an important piece of “evidence”?
Abigail claimed Elizabeth used the doll for witchcraft. The poppet had a needle in it, and Abigail
was found with a needle in her stomach.

20. Who watched Mary sew the poppet? What does this reveal?
Abigail saw Mary sew it and saw her place the needle. This reveals that Abigail planned to frame
Elizabeth.
21. Describe Reverend Hale’s reaction to the evening’s arrests.
He begins to doubt the justice of the court and is troubled by the number and nature of the
accusations.

22. Why doesn’t Mary willingly go to court to tell what she knows?
She is afraid that Abigail will retaliate and hurt her, or accuse her of witchcraft too.

23. Does Mary know about the affair between Proctor and Abigail? How do we know?
Yes. When John pressures her to testify, she says Abigail will "charge lechery" — meaning
Abigail will expose the affair to protect herself.

24. How does Proctor plan to bring Elizabeth home? Does he think this will be easy?
Explain your inference.
He plans to expose Abigail’s lies and confess the affair to the court. He knows it will be very
difficult and risks his reputation, but he’s determined to save Elizabeth.