Act I - Review
CHARACTER CHART
• You should have all character descriptions and
motivations completed except for Elizabeth Proctor
and Judge Danforth
• Make sure your descriptions are detailed and the
motivation analysis is complete
• Refer back to the pages you wrote down if you need to
add information
QUESTIONS #1 - 6 –
Check your answers; make sure your answers are in complete sentences!
Where and when is the opening scene of the play set?
The play is set in a small, upper bedroom in the home of Rev. Sammuel Parris in Salem, Massachusetts, Spring
of 1692.
Why has Parris sent for Reverend Hale from Beverly?
Parris sent for Rev. Hale because he believes that Hale can confirm that there is no “ unnantural cause” for
Betty’s sickness. He also knows that Hale has had experience with accusations of witchcraft in his own parish.
What do we learn about the events in the forest and Abigail Williams' connections with the
Proctor family?
Abigail and the other girls were dancing in the forest and “casting spells” with Tituba. Abigail drank blood in
an attempt to complete a charm that would kill Goody Proctor.
Abigrail was the Proctor’s servant until she was fired seven months aga.
What does Ann Putnam claim in the play about her dead infant children?
Ann Putnam claims that her babies were murdered by evil spirits.
Before the arrival of John Hale, what are some of the subjects for petty disagreement among
the characters?
The Salem residents bicker about firewood, land boundaries, the contents of the sermons in church and
money.
According to the stage directions, how does John Hale enter for the first time?
John Hale enters with half a dozen very large books weighing him down.
QUESTIONS #7 - 10 –
Check your answers; make sure your answers are in complete sentences!
What happens when John Hale interrogates Tituba? How does the scene’s atmosphere become hysterical?
Hale is very firm but treats Tituba kindly and points her to God instead of condemning her. However, Parris
continues to demand things from her and Putnam threatens hanging, so Tituba confesses.
Miller colors the play with dialect, or specific regional speech. Pick out some examples of dialect in this act.
”Goody” = Mrs.
“Aye” = Yes
“Witchery’s a hangin’ error, a hangin’ like they done in Boston two year ago.”
“I don’t truck with no devil.”
(Other acceptable examples)
One of Miller's major subjects in the play is the nature of authority. How are each of the following characters
linked with the idea of authority in Act One?
a. Samuel Parris – He is the minister – the head of the church and government in a theocracy; he is in the
most powerful position in the village
a. Thomas Putnam – He is from a well-to-do family and owns a lot of land; because of he owns more than
others, he feels he has more authority
a. Rebecca Nurse – She is married to a well-respected man and she is known for being sensible and fair so
people look to her for answers and reason.
How would you describe the atmosphere or mood at the end of this act? What might this atmosphere
foreshadow about future events in the town of Salem?
At the end of this act, the atmosphere is chaotic or hysterical which leads the reader to believe it is only going
to get worse.
“Defining Hysteria” & “Conflicts in Salem”
pg. 6 & 7 in packet
• You may work on both of these activities with a partner
List the following conflicts on your chart and then go back and explain
why each “pair” is in conflict (“Reasons”) – use the page numbers for
specificity.
1. Rebecca Nurse vs. Ann Putnam (pg. 151 – 154)
2. Abigail vs. John Proctor (pg. 148 – 150)
3. Rev. Parris vs. John Proctor (pg. 151 – 154)
4. Rev. Parris vs. Giles Corey (pg. 151 – 154)
5. Thomas Putnam vs. John Proctor (pg. 151 – 154)
6. Tituba vs. Rev. Hale and other interrogators (Parris and Putnam) (pg. 160
– 162)
7. Abigail vs. Rev. Parris (pg. 142 – 144)
NEXT CLASS…
• You will have an Act I packet…I will check the
character chart, Act I questions, “Defining
Hysteria…” activity and the “Conflicts in Salem”
chart (pg. 3 – 7).
• Study for your Act I quiz:
• Plot points
• Act I Vocabulary words (pg. 2)
• Miscellaneous Terms:
• situational Irony, dramatic irony, hysteria, crucible
(both), monologue