Study Questions for Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Act I
1. Describe Rev. Parris. What was his attitude towards children?
2. According to Miller, what factors were responsible for the witch hysteria?
3. According to Puritan belief, where did the Devil live?
4. Who had authority in Salem Village?
5. Identify sources of arguments between Salem neighbors.
6. Before he came to Salem, Parris was a . . .
7. Why has Parris called the doctor to his home?
8. Who is Abigail Williams—how is she described and what is her relationship to Parris?
9. When asked about the events in the forest, what does Abigail tell Parris happened?
10. Who fired Abigail?
11. Who was James Bayley, and what job was he denied?
12. Why did Thomas Putnam feel that his honor had been destroyed when the village elected Burroughs as
minister?
13. Describe Ann Putnam. What happened to her children, and what does she think of this?
14. How does Proctor feel about hypocrites and how does this reflect on himself?
15. Why has Proctor come to town?
16. How does Proctor feel about Abigail now?
17. What is Betty’s reaction when she hears the singing below? What does Parris do?
18. Describe Rebecca Nurse.
19. Identify two reasons the village turned against Rebecca Nurse.
20. What was Topsfield?
21. Describe Giles Corey.
22. How does Rebecca react to Ruth?
23. Why does Rebecca say to wait to call in Rev. Hale?
24. Why does Proctor refuse to go to church?
25. According to Rebecca Nurse, why are families staying away from the church?
26. How educated is Parris?
27. What complaint does Parris have concerning his salary? What suggests that he values money over
god?
28. Who has a habit of suing people in the village?
29. Why does Putnam get angry when Proctor asks Giles for help in dragging lumber?
30. Describe Revered Hale—to what profession is he compared?
31. What happened the last time Hale thought he had found a witch?
32. Does Arthur Miller believe that witchcraft was being practiced in Salem Village?
33. Giles questions what behavior of his wife’s?
34. What happened in the forest with Tituba and the girls?
35. What names did the girls give at the end of the act, and why those names?
36. Who discovered the girls dancing in the forest?
Act II
1. How would you describe the relationship between Proctor and his wife?
2. What reason did Mary Warren give Elizabeth Proctor for going to town?
3. How many people have been jailed. What power does the court have over these people?
4. What does Elizabeth want her husband to do?
5. Why does Proctor hesitate in proclaiming Abigail a fraud?
6. Does Elizabeth know of the affair? How is this shown?
7. What gift does Mary Warren give Elizabeth?
8. To what did Sarah Good confess?
9. How does Elizabeth rationalize Sarah Good’s mumbling?
10. According to Mary Warren, the women will not hang if they . . .
11. Whose life does Mary claim to have saved?
12. Why does Elizabeth think she was named?
13. What does Elizabeth want John to do?
14. Why does Hale visit the Proctors?
15. What questions does he ask?
16. Why does the issue of the candlesticks bother Proctor?
17. Why did the Proctors only have two of their children baptized?
18. Which commandment could Proctor not remember?
19. When Proctor tells Hale that Abigail made up the witchcraft story, what is Hale’s response?
20. According to Proctor, why have the people confessed?
21. Hale tells the Proctors, “God keep you both, let . . .”—what does he tell them to do?
22. Why has Giles come to the Proctors’ house?
23. With what has Rebecca Nurse been charged?
24. What is the charge against Martha Corey?
25. What incriminating evidence is found against Elizabeth?
26. What does Proctor want Mary Warren to tell the court?
27. For what reason has Cheever come to the Proctor house?
28. Why does Mary Warren tell Proctor, “I cannot, I cannot”?
Act III
1. Describe Judge Hathorne.
2. Describe Deputy Governor Danforth.
3. How does Giles Corey feel about telling people about his wife’s reading?
4. Why did Mary Warren appear before Danforth?
5. What proof does Proctor have that states that Mary Warren lied?
6. How does Proctor react to Mary Warren’s testimony?
7. What do we learn about Elizabeth Proctor?
8. What does Parris keep insisting that Proctor has come to do?
9. Ninety-one members of the church have signed a letter attesting to . . .
10. Why do Proctor and Francis Nurse fear for the safety of the people who signed the letter?
11. What accusations does Giles make against Putnam?
12. What does Putnam stand to gain by charging people with witchcraft?
13. Why was Giles charged with contempt of court?
14. Hale tells Proctor that he should return with a . . .
15. According to Danforth, why is witchcraft a difficult crime to prove?
16. Danforth states that if Mary Warren is lying in her deposition, her punishment will be . . .
17. Does Parris admit to seeing the girls dancing in the forest?
18. How does Mary Warren explain her fainting during the trials?
19. How does Abigail distract Danforth?
20. What does Proctor do to Abigail? What does he tell the court?
21. When questioned about her husband’s affair, what does Elizabeth tell them?
22. How does Abigail cause Mary Warren to reverse her testimony?
Act IV
1. What is the antecedent action that precedes this act?
2. How has Herrick changed from the previous act?
3. Why has Hale returned to the jail?
4. How does Hathorne describe Parris?
5. To what does Cheever attribute Parris’ madness?
6. Parris is deeply troubled by Abigail’s actions—what did she do?
7. What has happened in Andover?
8. What does Parris propose to Danforth and why?
9. What is the incident with dagger?
10. Why won’t Danforth discuss a pardon or postponement?
11. What details do we learn about Proctor’s imprisonment?
12. How does Hale now view his position as a minister?
13. What does Hale want Elizabeth to do?
14. What was Giles Corey’s fate. Why did he do it?
15. How does Elizabeth respond when John asks for her forgiveness? What does she mean?
16. How has Elizabeth come to view John’s adultery? How did she view herself as a wife?
17. What does Proctor do to this confession and why?
18. What is the final scene of the play?
19. What do Elizabeth’s final words suggest?
20. According to Miller, how does the witch trial hysteria come to an end?