THE CRUCIBLE
BY ARTHUR MILLER
SETTING
• This book took place in the 1600s in Salem
Massachusetts
POINT OF VIEW
• The crucible is a play so the audience and reader
are entirely outside the action
• The narrator actually inserts himself into the play
several times to describe characters and tells us
what we should think about them
MAIN CHARACTERS
• John Procter: protagonist, prideful in his name, late 30s, and married
to Elizabeth
• Abigail: antagonist, vengeful, selfish, manipulative, liar, teenager,
rebel,17 years old
• Elizabeth: married to John, honest, mid 30s, has children with John,
accused of being a witch
• Mary Warren: worked for the Procter's, 17 year old, she's very guilty for
making Elizabeth doll
• Rev. Parris: a priest, has a daughter that is very sick , very greedy,
CONFLICT
• Abigail gets into an external conflict with Reverend
Parris about why Betty is inert in her bed.
• Abigail gets into an external conflict with Elizabeth
Proctor when she accuses her of witchcraft.
• Elizabeth Proctor gets into an internal conflict within
herself because she doesn't know whether or not to
tell the truth or lie in court.
• John Proctor has an internal conflict with himself
because he doesn’t know if he should sign the
paper for Danforth or keep pride in his name and
family.
FORESHADOWING
• When john proctor tore up his contract about
confessing he’s a witch the author gives us a hint
that MR. proctor will be executed because of that.
SYMBOLS
• The judges found a doll in Elizabeth’s house. The
poppet symbolized the witchcraft she was accused
of.
IRONY
• When abigail was blaming Elizabeth proctor for
being a witch everyone else blames someone for
being a witch and that was unexpected
PLOT SUMMARY
• Act I of The Crucible opens with Salem’s minister, the Reverend Parris,
watching over his sick daughter Betty, wondering what is wrong with
her. We soon learn that the entire town is buzzing with rumors that
Betty is sick because of witchcraft. Rev. Parris had seen both Betty
and his niece Abigail dancing in the forest with his slave, Tituba, the
night before. That evening in the forest, he also saw a cauldron and
a frog leaping into it. When first questioned, Abigail denies that she or
Betty have been involved in witchcraft, but she admits that they
were dancing in the forest with Tituba.
• Act II opens in the Proctors’ kitchen. Proctor and his wife Elizabeth
mourn that their own household helper, Mary Warren, is caught up in
the frenzy of accusations. Elizabeth is afraid. They know that Abigail is
behind these accusations, and Elizabeth urges Proctor to go to town
and reveal that Abigail basically said it was all a hoax. Elizabeth
makes an allusion to the affair Proctor had with Abigail, and catches
him in a lie – he told her he was not alone with Abigail at the Parris
home, but in fact he was.
THEME
• The theme of the crucible is that it’s easier to do
bad things then it is to do good things. Also, it’s
much easier to lie than to tell the truth.