The Crucible - Act I
• Salem Witch Museum
Background
• The word crucible comes from the Latin
word for “cross.”
• A crucible is any pot made of strong
enough material to withstand the heat
necessary to melt down metals.
• Crucible also means “a severe trial or
test.”
Opening Commentary
• What does the opening paragraph of the
commentary tell the reader about Parris?
• The commentary prejudices readers
against Parris saying that he is a villain.
Miller wants readers to know right away
that Parris’s motives are base.
Tone
• What is a time-honored activity among the
people at Salem?
• Minding one another’s business is the
activity.
• This reveals the tone, or the attitude of
the writer towards the people. The tone is
judgmental.
Character Motivations
• What motives does Miller suggest for the
accusations of witchcraft? Note: The
penalty for witchcraft was death.
– Petty quarrels over property
– Other disagreements of long-standing
Word Study
• Dissembling – disguising one’s real nature
or motives
• Which character appears at this point to
have the capacity for “dissembling”?
– Abigail
Parris’s Motives
• Why is Parris so quick to dismiss the possibility
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that Betty’s ailment is the result of “unnatural
causes”?
He knows that if people believe this rumor, he
will be in serious trouble.
Why is Parris unwilling to tell the congregation
that he discovered the girls dancing in the
forest?
They will blame him for being an irresponsible
guardian.
Irony
• What do his references about his
“enemies” reveal about Parris’s
personality?
• His statements suggest that he is a
hostile, and even paranoid, man.
• What is ironic about Parris’s personality?
• He is a minister, yet he is suspicious,
hostile, and cold.
Girls’ Motivations
• Why did the girls dance naked in the
woods when they knew they would be
punished if they were caught?
• Abigail’s statement, “It were sport,”
together with her feigned innocence and
her unwillingness to tell the truth suggest
that Reverend Parris’s repressive ways
prompted the girls to rebel.
Putnam’s Motivations
• What does Miller tell you about Putnam’s
motives?
• Putnam resents the fact that his brotherin-law was not accepted as minister of
Salem. He avenged himself on the man
who got the job by having him jailed.
Abigail’s Motivations
• Why does Abigail accuse Tituba and Ruth
of “conjuring spirits”?
• Since Mrs. Putnam has already admitted
that she asked Ruth to ask Tituba to
communicate with the dead, Abigail makes
a safe accusation. She won’t be blamed
for the accusation, nor will she be
punished for her behavior in the woods.
Putnam’s Motivations
• What are the Putnams’ motives for
blaming Ruth’s illness on witchcraft?
• They don’t want to take any blame for
having sent Ruth on a dangerous errand
or making Ruth participate in the sin of
“conjuring up the dead. Therefore, they
look for a witch as a scapegoat.
Abigail's Motivations
• What does the conversation between
Abigail and Mercy reveal about the two
young women?
• They don’t think Ruth and Betty are
bewitched. They know they have done
something wrong and they may get into
trouble. Abigail wants to make sure that
they all tell the same story.
Characterization
• Assess Abigail’s personality.
– She is mean to the other girls.
– She is a leader who rules the group by
inspiring fear.
– She hates Goody Proctor.
Characterization
• Assess John Proctor.
– Proctor is a loner.
– He relies on his own judgment.
– He is not necessarily popular.
– He doesn’t like hypocrites.
John and Abigail
• What does her behavior toward John
reveal?
• She wants John back in her life.
• What does John’s behavior toward Abigail
reveal?
• He has made up his mind that the affair is
over. He does not love her or want her to
take his wife’s place.
Abigail
• Given Abigail’s character, how is she likely
to react to John’s reaction?
– She may threaten John.
– She has already “drunk a charm to kill Goody
Proctor”; she may try something like that
again.
Character Motivation
• What was Abigail’s motivation for drinking the
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blood?
She wants to take the place of Goody Proctor.
What was John’s motivation for taking Abigail as
a lover?
He was captivated by her beauty. He could have
responded to her feelings for him. He could have
allowed lust to get the better of him.
Rebecca’s Motivations
• What are Rebecca Nurse’s motives for her
actions?
• Rebecca wants peace in the community.
She doesn’t want Hale coming among
them because she doesn’t welcome the
strife that rumors of witchcraft will cause
between neighbors. She is tolerant and
calm and tries to make everyone else see
reason and get along better.
Parris’s Motivations
• What was Parris’s motive for calling Hale
without consulting the congregation?
• He knows he is not popular in the parish.
He doesn’t want to call attention to his
lack of control over his daughter and
niece.
Conflict
• What is the source of conflict between Proctor
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and Parris?
Proctor thinks Parris is unfit to preach; he also
thinks Parris is too concerned with the material
advantages of being a minister.
Parris resents Proctor’s contempt; he believes
that the congregation should show their respect
for the church by showing respect for his
wishes.
Characterization
• What is Hale’s area of expertise?
– He is a learned man and an expert in
demonology.
– Hale has examines and acquitted one accused
witch and her child.
– Most of his experience with witchcraft comes
from books.
Abigail’s Motivations
• What does Abigail’s reply to Hale’s
questions reveal about her character?
• To divert attention from herself, she
accuses Tituba. She is willing to sacrifice
others to save herself.
Abigail’s Motivations
• Why does Abigail attack Tituba rather than
one of the other girls?
• Because Tituba is a slave and from a
foreign culture, she is in a weak position.
Abigail knows that her word is likely to be
taken over Tituba’s.
Tituba’s Motivations
• Why does Tituba confess to Parris and
Hale?
• She confesses because the alternative is
death.
• She is shocked that Abigail would turn on
her. She knows no one will believe her
against Abigail. She also does not want
Abigail hanged.
Tituba’s “Confession”
• She confesses to witchcraft and to having seen
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an unidentified woman with the Devil.
The “confession” is entirely the result of
suggestions that Hale and Parris make to her.
They prompt her, telling her what they want to
hear, and she tries to satisfy them without
actually accusing any innocent people.