Name
Block
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Act One
The Exposition [What happens before the play opens]:
Several girls from the village and Tituba, Rev. Parris’s slave go out in the woods the night before. There is dancing; a girl gets naked,
and there is a pot of something cooking with some kind of animal in it. Mary Warren was there but she just watched. Abigail drank a
charm to kill Good Proctor.
New Characters
The Parris Home
Details
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Reverend Samuel Parris
central
antagonist
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Abigail Williams
central
antagonist
Tituba
Ann Putnam
Thomas Putnam
Significance
Attached to the meeting house
belongs to the village.
Act One takes place here.
Parris family lives here- Rev. Parris, Betty,
Abigail and Tituba
Parris is allowed to live in the house because he
is the minister.
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Minister of Salem Village
Harvard graduate
from the Barbados
Lives with daughter, niece and slave, Tituba
Interested only in himself
Wants more money and a house
Wants power and respect
Does not want to believe his daughter is witched
Is suspicious of Abigail’s relationship with the
Proctors
His sermons are filled with talk of hell and deeds
to the house
Believes there is a “faction in the village who
want to fire him
Comes to believe that Tituba is a witch who is
bewitching both Betty and Abigail.
Supports Abigail’s accusations about Tituba
Threatens to kill Tituba
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Important because if Parris owns the house the
village would have to buy it back from him if
they want to fire him.
Represents the fact that Parris knows many
people in the village want to get rid of him so he
wants to use the house to keep from getting fired.
Afraid that all of the allegations about witchcraft
will cause him to lose his job.
Wants to believe that the reason people don’t
respect him is because of the devil’s interference.
Concerned that Abigail’s actions will hurt him.
Relieved because if Tituba is responsible for his
daughter and niece’s actions, no one can blame
him.
Details
Significance
Mercy Lewis
Mary Warren
Betty Parris
John Proctor
central
protagonist
Giles Corey
Rebecca Nurse
Reverend John Hale
Additional Notes and Important Information:
Pay particular attention to each character’s position on the existence of witchcraft in Salem and his or her motives
behind that position.
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Act Two
What has happened between the end of Act One and the beginning of Act Two?
Setting
The Proctor Home
Details
Significance
[pay attention to the atmosphere as well as the physical
details]
New Characters
Elizabeth Proctor
Francis Nurse
Ezekiel Cheever
Marshall Herrick
Examples of external conflict thus far in the play –
Examples of internal conflict thus far in the play –
Look at the arguments between Reverend Hale and the Proctors during Hale’s questioning. What logical and
emotional claims do the Proctors offer to support their behavior?
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Act Three
What has happened between the end of Act Two and the beginning of Act Three?
Setting
The Salem Meeting House
Details
Significance
[Look at the stage direction description for key details
that suggest mood]
New Characters
Judge Hathorne
Deputy Governor Danforth
[Pay particular attention to the motives behind Gov.
Danforth’s decisions,]
central
antagonist
The Husbands’ Defense
Plan A –
Plan B –
Plan C –
Plan D – [DEFCON 5!!!]
Explain Elizabeth Proctor’s answer to Governor Danforth when asked if her husband is a lecher.
Explain Reverend Hale’s response to Elizabeth’s answer.
The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Act Four
What has happened between the end of Act Three and the beginning of Act Four?
Setting
The Salem Jail
Details
New Character
Sarah Good
Significance
[What is the purpose of this scene with Sarah Good and
Tituba?]
John Proctor’s Moral Dilemma – In the space below, outline the process John undergoes to reach his final
decision.
A dynamic character is one who undergoes change throughout a work. Identify at least three dynamic characters
in The Crucible and explain the changes you see in their characters.
Examine the following definitions of the word “crucible” according to Merriam-Webster online. Explain Miller’s
title using examples from the characters’ experiences in the play.
1 : a vessel of a very refractory material (as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance
that requires a high degree of heat 2 : a severe test 3 : a place or situation in which
concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development