After reading each Act answer the following questions
The Crucible - Act 1
1. As the play opens Reverend Parris is questioning his niece. What is he questioning her about and what exactly is his real concern?
2. Explain the relationship of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams.
3. What is the function of Rebecca Nurse in the play?
4. Exactly why is Reverend Hale in Salem?
5. Why does Abigail Williams accuse people at the end of this act?
6. Why does Betty Parris accuse people?
1. What conflicts are introduced in Act 1?
8. How does John Proctor feel about Reverend Parris?
9. What happened in the woods?
10. What is the dispute between John Proctor and Thomas Putnam?
11. What does Giles Corey reveal to Reverend Hale?
The Crucible - Act II Questions
1. Why has Mary Warren disobeyed her employers and gone to Salem?
2. Why hasn't John Proctor told the court what he knows? What does Elizabeth attribute his not telling to?
3. What news does Mary Warren reveal to John and Elizabeth about the trials?
4. What does Mary Warren mean when she says, "I saved her life today!"?
5. Why does Reverend Hale visit the Proctors?
6. What information does John Proctor reveal to Reverend Hale? What does the Reverend want John to do with the information?
7. What has Rebecca Nurse been accused of?
8. Why has Martha Corey been accused?
9. Why do Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick arrive at the Proctor home?
10. Explain why Cheever is both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it.
II. What does John ask Mary Warren to do? Why is she so afraid to do what he asks? Why does Mary warn John about testifying against Abigail?
The Crucible - Act 3 Questions
1. What accusation does Giles Cory make about Thomas Putnam? What proof does he have? What is he then asked to do because of that accusation?
2. What news do we learn about Rebecca Nurse?
3. What two pieces of evidence are brought out against Proctor in regard to his Christian nature?
4. When John Proctor arrives at court with Mary Warren, what does Reverend Parris accuse him of?
5. What is going to happen to the 91 people who signed the testament stating a good opinion of Elizabeth,
Martha Corey, and Rebecca Nurse?
6. What news does Danforth tell John Proctor about Elizabeth? What deal does he try to make with him?
7. What does Abigail do when people begin to suspect that she might be pretending?
8. What does John Proctor do to discredit Abigail?
9. What is Mary Warren's reaction to Abigail's performance?
10. What does Hale do when Proctor is arrested?
The Crucible - Act 4 Questions
1. Did John Proctor make the right decision? Was he martyr?
2. What does the play have to say to us today? What are some modern witch hunts?
3. Who is most responsible for what happened in Salem? (make a pie chart to show responsibility of several characters)
4. What role does sex and sexual repression play in The Crucible?
5. Why are Danforth, Hathorne and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that Abigail and the other girls lied?
6. Analyse Reverend Parris. What are his motivations in supporting witch trials?
7. What are the changes that Reverend Hale undergoes in the course of the story.