GCSE English Literature, Exploring Modern Texts, The Crucible

1. The
Crucible
By Arthur
Miller

2. Defining a “crucible”
 Crucible:
 A container for melting something
 Testing circumstances: a place or set of
circumstances where people or things are
subjected to forces that test them

3. Abigail Williams
 Orphaned niece of Reverend
Parris
 She is extremely jealous of
Elizabeth Proctor and uses her
power in the town to rid herself
of people who have insulted
her in the past.
 She is the leader of the girls.

4. John Proctor
 Husband to Elizabeth
 He knows that the girls are
pretending but cannot
convince the town
 An individual and critical
thinker; strong personality
 He refuses to admit to
witchcraft or to consider
Abigail as anything more than
a liar.

5. Elizabeth Proctor
 Wife of John Proctor
 She feels responsible for
the withering relationship
between her husband
and herself.
 Described as a cold
woman.

6. Tituba
 Servant to the Parris
household
 She is a native of Barbados.
 She is enlisted by Ruth
Putnam and Abigail to cast
spells and create charms.
 When Abigail turns on her to
save herself from
punishment, Tituba
confesses to all and saves
herself.

7. Reverend Parris
 Pastor of the church in
Salem
 He is the father of Betty and
the uncle of Abigail Williams.
 He believes that he is being
persecuted and that the
townspeople do not respect
his position as a man of God.
 Needs to prove to the
community that he is holy.

8. Deputy Governor Danforth
 He seems to feel
particularly strongly that
the girls are honest.
 He is sensitive to the
presence of the devil
and reacts explosively
to whatever evidence is
presented.

9. The Girls
 Betty Parris- Daughter of the
Reverend, cousin to Abigail
Williams. She is a weak girl who
goes along with her cousin as soon
as she is threatened.
 Susanna Walcott- Easily guided by
Abigail.
 Mercy Lewis- Servant to the Putnam
household. She is a merciless girl
who seems to delight in the girls'
activities.
 Mary Warren-Servant to the Proctor
household. She is not strong
enough to fight Abigail.

10. Reverend Hale
 An expert on witches;
wants to save the
witches, not kill them.
 An honest man;
intelligent.
 Feels sympathy for
the accused.
 Starts to question the
court.

11. Ethical Scenario
 You have been wrongfully accused of cheating on an
exam. If you admit to cheating, you will serve a lunch
detention, have the chance to take the test again,
and have the incident recorded in your permanent
school record. If you maintain your innocence, you
will receive a zero on the exam and an after-school
detention.You will not, however, be labeled a cheater
on your school records.What are the plusses and
minuses of each choice?Would you rather be labeled
a cheater and receive less punishment, or defend
your innocence and receive a larger punishment?

12. Describe the Reverend Paris. What
clues do you receive that he will be
one of the villains of the play?
• “villainous path”
• persecution complex
• no interest in children
• easily insulted

13. Describe the life of the Puritans,
according to Arthur Miller.
• they had no novelists
• wouldn’t allow books to
be read
• no celebrations
• focus on prayer
• hard work kept people
out of trouble more
than religion

14. What beliefs and ideas did the
Puritans have about the woods around
them?
• “Devil’s last preserve”
• “last place on earth that
was not paying homage
to God”
• they couldn’t convert the
Natives
• “heathens” took the lives
of their family members,
• area of mystery and
feelings of persecution

15. Describe the general revenge that Miller
speaks of in reference to the Salem
witch hunts.
• hatred of neighbors
• land-lust
• accusing the neighbor of
witchcraft was pious
• “old scores can be settled on a
plane of heavenly combat
between Lucifer and the Lord”,
• jealousy of the happiness of others

16. • Paris expresses concern
for his daughter, but his
comments to Abigail
suggest that he has
another motive for
wanting to know what
happened in the forest.
What does his
conversation with
Abigail suggest about his
personality?
• self-interested
• concerned about his
reputation in the
village
• he may be difficult to
get along with since
he is on the verge of
losing his job

17. What do we learn about Abigail’s
character, specifically in lines 131-
147?
• “your name in town – it
is entirely white, is it
not?”
• proud – will not be a
slave to anyone
• refuses work she
considers below her
• troublemaker – can’t
find a job

18. • How are Betty Paris and
Ruth Putnam behaving?
What do the
townspeople think
about their trance?
• What did Reverend
Paris see in the woods?

19. Describe the Putnams.
• Mrs. Putnam is a “twisted
soul”, “death-ridden” and
“haunted by dreams”
• Believes in the
accusations of witchcraft
and blames witches for
the deaths of her seven
children.
• Putnam is a “man with
many grievances”: his
brother in law was
denied the minister job in
Salem.
• Vindictive = had a man jailed
for debts he didn’t owe
because he got the minister
job. Putnam thought the
village wronged his family.
• Tried to change his father’s
will, by force.
• Many of the accusations in
Salem are in the handwriting
of Thomas Putnam, or he
was a key witness. He used
his daughter to point fingers
at people.

20. Why do you think Parris tries to
change the Putnams’ beliefs about
witchcraft at this point?
• Parris wants the
Putnams’ support so
that he won’t have to
leave Salem
• he knows Putnam is a
bitter and vengeful man
that wants to ruin his
reputation since Parris is
in the job that his family
wanted

21. • Putnam continues to
talk about witchcraft to
ruin the name of Parris
and his family.
• Tituba is consulted
about the girls’ health
because she knows
how to talk to the dead
• Mercy Lewis’ name is
ironic because Miller
describes her as
“merciless”

22. What does Putnam attempt to get
Parris to do?
• admit to the gathered
village that there are
witches in Salem
• before accusations
start flying; he wants
Parris to admit the
influence of a witch in
his own home, to make
a stand against the
Devil

23. Describe Mary Warren. What does
Mary want the girls to do? Why?
• subservient, naïve,
lonely
• confess and be
whipped for
dancing and “the
other things”,
better than
hanging for
witchcraft. She
only looked.

24. What new conclusions can you draw
about Abigail, given her comments in
lines 353-364 and what Betty reveals
about her?
• she drank blood, a charm to kill John
Proctor’s wife
• she takes charge - a natural leader
• dominates the conversation, threatens
the other girls if they do not support her
story
• cruel and intimidating - a bully
• her family was killed by Indians as she
watched
• has feelings for Proctor

25. On the basis of Miller’s mini-essay, what
role do you think John Proctor will play:
hero, villain, major character, minor,
foil? Explain.
• did not tolerate
hypocrites
• even-tempered
• powerful of body
• not easily led
• made up his own mind
• made fools feel foolish and
not much liked
• lies were spread in town
about him
•troubled soul
• sinner against his own
vision of conduct
•thinks of himself as a fraud
• respected and feared
• quiet confidence and
hidden force

26. Reread the stage directions in lines 391-
404. What does Proctor’s facial
expression reveal about his attitude
toward Abigail as he first addresses
her?
• familiarity, jest, maybe
flirtation
• Abigail grows angry with
Proctor because he has
refused her need for
further physical intimacy
What has caused Abigail to
lose her job at the Proctor’s
house?
Why might Abigail resist
Proctor’s decision to end the
affair? Do you think she really
loves him?

27. As Proctor responds to Abigail’s insults
about Elizabeth in lines 457-463, what
do his words and the stage directions
suggest about his view of his marriage?
• wants to protect
Elizabeth and his
marriage, he scolds
Abby, he is angry
with himself for the
affair

28. • As Betty listens to her
father’s sermon she
cannot hear the Lord’s
name mentioned
• The Putnams take it as a
sign of witchcraft
• Does Miller want the
audience/readers to believe
that Betty is indeed
bewitched or possessed by a
demonic force? Make two
lists: one stating reasons
why the audience is meant
to believe the girls are
bewitched, and the other
giving evidence that
contradicts that view.

29. The relationship between Francis and
Rebecca Nurse and Thomas Putnam is
complicated and unfriendly.
• LAND: Nurse had a
land war with a
Putnam relative in the
past; people resent his
social status since he
rented his land and
made enough to buy it.
• MINISTRY: Nurses
opposed Putnam’s
choice for minister.
• WITCHCRAFT: Rebecca
and her husband are
well respected in the
community, but were
accused by Putnam’s
wife and daughter.

30. In what sense do Rebecca Nurse’s
words in lines 522-530 set her apart
from the other characters?
• she is calm and has a
calming effect on Betty, who
quiets down in her presence;
the voice of reason, she uses
past experience rather than
emotion and rumor to think
about the girl’s illness

31. What do the comments from Rebecca
and Proctor suggest about the
likelihood of their being caught up in a
hysteria over witchcraft?
• Rebecca and John urge Parris not to
search for “loose spirits” (535-6), she
pushes Proctor to stay calm and
suggests that Parris send the
Reverend Hale, a witch hunter, away
to secure peace in the community.

32. Discuss Parris’ greed and ego.
• he demands free firewood
even though his contract
allows him 6 pounds to buy it
• he demanded a deed to his
house
• concerned with money and
possession – not religion
• feels persecuted,
• demands respect and
threatens disobedience with
Hell

33. What does Proctor criticize about
Parris’ sermons? (lines 580-4)
• Parris preaches hell and
damnation instead of
about God.
• Proctor hasn’t been
seen at church for a
while.
• He doesn’t like the
Reverend.

34. What personal conflicts are revealed
between the villagers of Salem?
• Rebecca vs. Mrs. Putnam (over sick
children)
• Putnam vs. Proctor (regarding Proctor’s
spiritual condition)
• Proctor vs. Parris (regarding Parris’s
preaching style)
• Giles vs. Parris (regarding Parris’s salary
and benefits)

35. • John Proctor is accused
leading a faction against
Parris
• Putnam believes John is
taking wood from land
that belongs to Putnam
• (Putnam believes he got
the land from his
grandfather’s will, when
in fact the grandfather
never owned it to give it
away. Proctor bought it
off the Nurses).

36. Describe Giles Corey. What is he
known for in town?
• he is famous for bringing
charges against his
neighbors
• he believes they are
always telling lies about
him and sues them for
defamation of character
– usually without proof

37. What can you infer about Proctor’s
personality and attitudes from his
remark in line 646?
• not easily led by others –
especially if he disagrees with
their morality
• he does not like people who
abuse power in an attempt to
control others
• he is not afraid to say what
he thinks – even if it seems
rebellious

38. What is dangerous about Proctor’s
behavior?
• his individualism
can get him in
trouble, since it
is not valued in
the community

39. Describe Mr. Hale.
• eager-eyed intellectual
• proud of his errand – witch hunting
• considers himself a specialist
• happy to use his knowledge publicly
• studies the invisible world
• believes in the underworld and Lucifer’s minions
• not one of his lines has ever made the audience laugh
• considers himself superior to the villagers
• his goal is light and goodness
• is supposed to be impartial

40. The Devil according to Miller:
• Cosmology is divided into the
works of God and the works of the
Devil (morality vs. sin)
• Until Christianity, good and evil,
positive and negative were part of
the same continuum/force.
Underworld was never a hostile
area, just the death side of life. All
gods were useful. Christianity
necessitated the idea of man’s
worthlessness until redeemed, and
created the Devil as a weapon to
whip men into surrender.
• Devil used politically; rebels of
history were accused of having
communed with the Devil
• Political ideas (such as
communism and anti-
communism) are described as
holly or hellish. Political
acceptance of communism is an
alliance with Red hell, inhumane,
diabolically malevolent.
• People’s fear of the Devil was
used to force obedience to
authority
• “The Devil is a wily one, and, until
an hour before he fell, even God
thought him beautiful in Heaven”
– hard to discover the motivations
of people’s actions, can’t always
predict what people will do
• Our opposites are always robed in
sexual sin

41. Why does Miller believe that there
was Devil worship in Salem?
• women indulged in
communities of women
• selected young men to
love in the woods
• worshiped the gods of
fun and pleasure
because they were
denied any power

42. • Hale appears on the scene with
heavy books, weighed down with
authority.
• They will back up the opinions of
Hale in regard to witchcraft
• He recognize Rebecca Nurse
because she looks like a good soul
should - her works of charity are
known in his town
• Hale will not be quick to believe the
charges of witchcraft
– is called a “sensible man”
– he asks for his judgment to be accepted
by the town, even if he rules against
witchcraft
– says they should not go by superstition
and look to the precise marks of the
devil (lines 751-6))

43. What do you find about the reason
Ruth (Mrs. Putnam’s daughter) was
attempting to communicate with her
dead sisters?
• she was sent by Mrs. Putnam to instruct
Tituba to communicate with the dead so
that Mrs. Putnam can find out who
murdered her babies – hypocritical: use a
witch to look for witchcraft; Mrs. Putnam is
willing to use witchcraft to her own benefit

44. How does Miller describe Giles Corey?
• early 80s
• a comic hero
• a scapegoat that was
blamed for lots – missing
cows and fires
• innocent and brave
• didn’t care for public
opinion
• only started praying
recently when he married
Martha
• he claims that his wife
reads strange books and
that he cannot say his
prayers when she does
this

45. Pay attention to Hale’s questioning of
Betty (leading the witness)
• Hale puts in the mind of
Betty (and possibly the
other bystanders) in
regard to being afflicted
by witches
– tells Betty that the spirit
afflicting her does not have
to be a man or woman, it
can be animal and invisible
to others
– leads the way for the use
of spectral evidence during
the trials)

46. Hysteria
• Hale helps to create the
hysteria about witches that is
starting to sweep through
Salem
– pressures the girls so they feel
trapped and start looking to
shift the attention onto
someone else

47. Abigail’s responses
• The kettle that was
present during the dancing
in the forest was for soup
• Frog “jumped in, we never
put it in”
• Abi turns on Tituba to shift
attention, since Tituba is
an easy target as a slave
and Barbados native -
she’s already an outcast in
the community and
thought of as different and
• Abigail says Tituba made
her drink blood and laugh
in church
Why do you think Abi laughs in
church?

48. Tituba
• Parris threatens a lethal
whipping if she doesn’t
confess
• Putnam threatens to hang her
• she is blessed by the priests
and encouraged to name
others - assured safety and
help
• Hale says she is God’s
instrument and her mission is
to help cleanse the village –
makes her feel important and
appeals to her vanity
A confession was supposed
to be a wish to come to
Heaven’s side, so those that
confessed were spared (but
were liars in the eyes of God,
and therefore damned to Hell
after death).

49. • Putnam suggests the names of Goody Osborn
and Sarah Good.
• Tituba just tells them what they want to hear.
• Abigail and Betty take advantage of the
situation to make sure they will not be
blamed for dancing in the forest
– begin to call out names, Abigail says she signed the
Devils book but wants to go back to Jesus, her
previous irreligious behavior is ascribed to
witchcraft – not her criticism and lack of faith
• Hale gives them confidence and authority by
saying they are doing God’s work
• The more afraid these characters are of being
persecuted and punished the more willing
they are to implicate others

50. What are Tituba’s true feelings toward
Parris? How do we find them out?
• she claims the Devil wanted
her to kill Parris because he is
mean, no goodly man, not
gentle – she hates him

51. What do the characters in the play
believe about witches?
• exist and are the agents
of the Devil
• can control people and
charm children
• can take the form of
animals