Ten-year-old Betty Parris has contracted a mysterious illness that renders her mute and bedridden
. Her father, Reverend Samuel Parris, caught her dancing in the woods the night before with a group of girls. The group included his teenage niece, Abigail Williams, and his slave, Tituba.
What is The Crucible about short summary?
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller
about the Salem witch trials of 1692
. Reverend Parris finds some girls dancing naked in the forest who claim they were bewitched. A special court investigates these allegations. Over a hundred of Salem’s citizens are accused of witchcraft.
What is the main idea of The Crucible Act 1?
The
idea of guilt by association
is central to the events in The Crucible, as it is one of the many ways in which the private, moral behavior of citizens can be regulated. An individual must fear that the sins of his or her friends and associates will taint his or her own name.
What major events happened in Act 1 of The Crucible?
- Reverend Parris saw all the girls in the forest dancing naked and his servant Tituba.
- Abigail makes the girls swear to never tell the truth.
- Abigail tells Hale that Tituba was with the devil.
- Marry Warren is now an official of the court.
- Elizabeth prompts John to reveal Abigail is not telling the truth.
Who was accused of witchcraft in The Crucible Act 1?
Elizabeth Proctor
is accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams because Abigail wants to marry Elizabeth’s husband, John, with whom she had an affair while serving in the Proctor household.
Who has the most power in The Crucible Act 1?
Abigail Williams
has the most power in The Crucible. Just one word from Abigail is enough to send an innocent person to their death if they are convicted as a witch. Abigail relishes her newfound power because as a young woman in a patriarchal, Puritan society, she’s never had any power before.
Why does Abigail confess at the end of Act 1?
Abigail is afraid the other girls will confess what was truly going on in the woods and she doesn’t want to get into trouble. She admits that
Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits only to save Betty from being accused of witchcraft
.
What is the main point of The Crucible?
The main purpose of The Crucible is
to draw parallels between the events of the Salem witch craze and what was happening in America at the time of the play’s writing
, during McCarthyism.
What is The Crucible a metaphor for?
Trial By Fire
. The term crucible can also be used metaphorically, which brings us to our next definition: a test or a trial. Folks use the term crucible to refer to a difficult test. And there sure are a lot of tests going on in The Crucible.
What is the message of The Crucible?
One of the main messages of “The Crucible” is that
mob mentality in any situation, religious or political, leads to thoughtless (and therefore unethical and illogical) actions
. In this play, those actions lead to the persecution of innocent people.
Who lost 7 babies in The Crucible?
| A B | Tituba slave who “conjures” spirits | Ann Putnam lost 7 babies at birth | Reverend Hale minister from Beverly | Reverend Parris Harvard educated Salem minister |
|---|
What are two major events in The Crucible?
The major events in act 2 of The Crucible include
John’s heated argument with Elizabeth
, Mary Warren’s statement about the authority of the court, and Reverend Hale’s independent investigation. Elizabeth’s arrest warrant, the discovery of the poppet, and Abigail’s allegations are also considered major events in act 2.
What happens if you confessed to witchcraft?
Historically, a confession was the single best way for the court to
gain a conviction and an execution for charges of witchcraft
. The irony is that none of the accused Salem witches who confessed were convicted or executed but all 19 people who refused to confess were found guilty and executed.
What are Mr and Mr Putnam’s grievances?
Thomas Putnam has many grievances one of them is
his wife’s brother in law
, James Barley had been turned down as the minister of Salem. The reasons to why this happened was most likely because, Thomas and his brother jailed a former Salem minister for not paying his debts.
Who has the most power in Act 3 crucible?
Danforth
has more power because Danforth is the Deputy Governor and Hathorne is only Salem’s judge.
Who has the most power in the crucible Act 4?
In Act IV,
Danforth
is still the most powerful in the court of Salem. Everyone is is either under his authority, a respectful citizen, or executed. He still directs Cheever, Hathorne, and Herrick, and he also ultimately determines those who will be tried for witchery and executed.
