Questions and Answers for The Crucible
The Crucible
Why did Arthur Miller choose to name the play "The Crucible"?
As defined in dictionary.com, one of the meanings of "crucible" is "a severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial. A "crucible" is also "a vessel made of a...
The Crucible
There Are Wheels Within Wheels Meaning
In act one of The Crucible, Mrs. Putnam and her husband visit Reverend Parris's home and begin discussing the arrival of witchcraft in the community of Salem. When Rebecca Nurse arrives, she warns...
The Crucible
In "The Crucible", Act IV, what is the condition of Salem at this point in time? Why?
Act IV of The Crucible contains many events that contribute to Salem's condition. At the beginning of the act, three months have passed and the trials have demoralized many in the village....
The Crucible
In "The Crucible", what is John Proctor complaint against Parris' sermons? Which two men does Proctor have...
In act one, John Proctor voices his displeasure with Reverend Parris for requesting Reverend Hale's presence to look for signs of witchcraft without first holding a meeting to discuss the matter....
The Crucible
In the second act of The Crucible, what does Mary Warren give to Elizabeth?
When Mary Warren gets home from a long day in court, she gives a handmade doll to Elizabeth Proctor, her employer. She tells Elizabeth, "We must all love each other now, Goody Proctor," and she...
The Crucible
How do the forms of rhetoric (logos, ethos, and pathos) play a part in The Crucible? If you have any quotes from the...
The Crucible is a play about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. We see the citizens employ logos, pathos, and ethos as they discuss their theories on what's happening, accuse others around them, and...
The Crucible
In The Crucible what do the girls do at the end of Act One?
This stage of the play marks a very disturbing shift from what has been "play" or "sport" with the girls dancing naked with Tituba in the woods to something that casts its dark shadow over all of...
The Crucible
What are Abigail's feelings toward John Proctor in The Crucible? Why is she antagonistic toward Elizabeth Proctor?
Abigail is a selfish vindictive girl. She wants to feel like she has power. She is a bully and threatens her friends to keep quiet about the truth. Abigail had become the housekeeper for John and...
The Crucible
Why does Abigail start accusing people in act one of The Crucible?
Since her parents were killed, Abigail has spent her life as a poor relation in the house of the Reverend Parris. This cannot have been an easy or agreeable position, but it has given her a...
The Crucible
What does Giles Corey reveal about his wife to Reverend Hale in The Crucible by Arthur Miller?
Arthur Miller gives us some insight into the octogenarian Giles Corey in his author's notes in act one of The Crucible. Giles is a rather comical and stubborn man, but he is also good-hearted and...
The Crucible
Could any of the characters in The Crucible have done more to end the hysteria in Salem?
Reverend Hale could certainly have done a lot more to end the hysteria. As both a man of God and an expert in witchcraft he should've been able to see straight away that there was no foundation to...
The Crucible
In act 2 of The Crucible, what are examples of irony?
There are many instances of irony in act 2 of The Crucible. Elizabeth encourages John to go to Ezekiel Cheever for assistance (since the two are well acquainted) when, at that moment, Cheever is...
The Crucible
Discuss the meaning of Elizabeth Proctor saying, "Adultery, John" in Act II.
It's a none-too-gentle reminder from Elizabeth that John's committed adultery. It's instructive that John wants to be thought of as a fine, upstanding member of this deeply devout religious...
The Crucible
On what charge(s) was Rebecca Nurse arrested?
The godly Rebecca Nurse, an upstanding member of the Puritan community, was known for her service and altruistic compassion in Salem. She was the resident midwife and had been at the bedside of...
The Crucible
Compare and contrast Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale.
One way in which the Reverends Parris and Hale are similar is that, however ill-intentioned the one and well-intentioned the other, they both fail the people of Salem. Reverend Parris is more...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, what are some quotes about revenge?
At the beginning of the play, Reverend Parris is more worried about his own occupation and status throughout the community than he is about his daughter's well-being. When Abigail mentions that...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, explain Elizabeth Proctor's statement: "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would...
Elizabeth believes that her husband, John, still has feelings for Abigail Williams, and so she is afraid that the reason he hesitates in revealing Abigail as a liar is that he doesn't want to see...
The Crucible
What is the significance of this quote, and how does it revealHale's character? “Let you not mistake your own duty...
Engaging in religion can be as sinful as maintaining a heathen or pagan lifestyle. Even in our society today, churches and mosques and synagogues are filled with people who go through the motions...
The Crucible
What role does Parris play in Act 3 of "The Crucible"?
In Act Three, Reverend Parris tries to install himself as a deputy to the court. He has no official position within the court, but he is clearly trying to get on Deputy Governor Danforth's good...
The Crucible
How does Reverend John Hale change throughout The Crucible by Arthur Miller?
The Reverend Hale enters The Crucible in act 1 with the assurance of an expert who has been invited because of his specialist knowledge. His books, he says, are heavy because they are "weighted...
The Crucible
In Act III, what quotation did Proctor use to help Mary Warren remain brave in The Crucible?
In Act 3, John Proctor does, in fact, twice refer to the same scripture in his wish to encourage Mary Warren and to strengthen her resolve. When he first speaks to her in court before taking out...
The Crucible
What can you tell in Act 2 about the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor?
Not only does John try to please Elizabeth, but Elizabeth tries to please John, too. When he goes to taste the stew she's prepared, "She sits and watches him taste it." Then, when he compliments...
The Crucible
What does Rebecca Nurse think is wrong with the girls in act one?
Rebecca Nurse is somewhat of an expert on children, having had several children of her own and then, by her own count, twenty-six grandchildren. Rebecca seems certain, from the outset, that Betty's...
The Crucible
Describe the character of Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible.
Elizabeth Proctor is depicted as a morally upright woman, who is somewhat dull and callous, particularly towards the beginning of the play. When the audience is introduced to Elizabeth Proctor in...
The Crucible
What does Abigail say about Mary's testimony, and why does she lie in The Crucible?
In Act III, scene i of The Crucible, Abigail accuses Mary of lying in her testimony because she wants to keep her own ruse going. She still hopes that somehow, these false accusations of...
The Crucible
What does Giles Corey accuse his wife of in The Crucible?
In act 1, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem and is considered an expert in anything involving supernatural forces, demons, spirits, and witchcraft. At Reverend Parris's home, Hale shows off his...
The Crucible
At the beginning of this act, John Proctor says, "It is winter in here yet." Why is this pertinent to what is going on?
At the beginning of act 2, Miller depicts the tension that exists between John and Elizabeth Proctor following his affair with Abigail Williams. When John returns home from farming, he tastes...
The Crucible
What is the significance of the scene between Elizabeth and John Proctor in Act II of The Crucible?
The beginning of this Act clearly shows that John and Elizabeth's marriage is under significant strain. The scene at the beginning, before Elizabeth enters, shows John tasting the food that...
The Crucible
Did John Proctor die in the end of the play?
Yes, John Proctor is hanged in the play's final scene. On the day of his scheduled execution, John is urged to confess to save himself from hanging. With two children and a pregnant wife, Proctor...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, why doesn't John Proctor tell the court immediately what he knows concerning what has been happening ?
John Proctor has, appropriately enough, been utterly bewitched by Abigail Williams. And by the time we get to act 2, he's still very much in thrall to her seductive charms. For him to accuse her...
The Crucible
How does Elizabeth Proctor change from act I to act IV in The Crucible?
When we're first introduced to Elizabeth Proctor in act 1, she comes across as quite a cold, aloof figure. This is undoubtedly deliberate on Miller's part, as he wants to provide John Proctor with...
The Crucible
What is Reverend Hale's role and significance in The Crucible?
Reverend Hale's character helps to show that those who wash their hands of responsibility of wrongdoing, so to speak, are just as responsible as those who commit the wrongdoing. Tellingly, at the...
The Crucible
How is Abigail portrayed in Act 1 of "The Crucible"? Use textual evidence to support your claim.
In act 1 of The Crucible, Abigail Williams is portrayed as a "strikingly beautiful girl" of seventeen with the ability to disguise the truth about everything. She blatantly lies about...
The Crucible
In this quotation, how is Parris afraid to conform to society and how does this relate to his reputation? "Parris:...
Putnam is trying to strong arm Parris into accepting and broadcasting the idea that there are witches in the town, saying, "I have taken your part in all contention here, and I would continue; but...
The Crucible
Why does Mary Warren change her testimony and turn on John Proctor in The Crucible?
Mary Warren has always been understandably reluctant to support the Proctors with legal testimony. She is bound to be called a liar, since her story now is that she was lying and dissimulating...
The Crucible
Why did the Putnams dislike the Nurses?
Rebecca married Francis Nurse, who was a highly respected man in Salem who owned three hundred acres of land. It was said that Francis Nurse originally rented the land and gradually paid for it....
The Crucible
Analyze the cartoon "Fire!", considering the action, words, symbols, messages, and audience reactions.
Since this question is posted under the title of The Crucible, it will be assumed that the responses should be relevant to the historical setting of both the play and the issues of the McCarthy...
The Crucible
How many people die in Arthur Miller's The Crucible?
In Arthur Miller's classic play The Crucible, he chronicles the events that transpired during the Salem witch trials in the spring of 1692. Historically, more than two hundred people were accused...
The Crucible
What is Rebecca Nurse accused of in Act 2 of The Crucible by Arthur Miller?
Rebecca Nurse is accused of witchcraft along with eight other women and men in Arthur Miller's Tony Award-winning play of 1953, The Crucible. The horrific events are set into motion when a group of...
The Crucible
What are Elizabeth and John Proctor's motivations throughout The Crucible?
Both Elizabeth and John Proctor's motivations change throughout the play. Initially, Elizabeth seems motivated to please John and repair her marriage. Although Elizabeth struggles to forgive John,...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, why won't Danforth pardon the prisoners?
The fact that Danforth's credibility might suffer is an important one. But it goes beyond his status as an official of the court. This man, whose intelligence and charisma have allowed him to be...
The Crucible
Who is to blame for the tragic events of The Crucible?
Most people tend to feel that Abigail Williams is to blame for what happened in The Crucible. She is the master manipulator who fools an entire town into believing that witches are running amok....
The Crucible
What does "do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee" mean in The Crucible by Arthur Miller?
The quote you mention can be found in act three of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It is spoken by John Proctor as he tries to impart some courage to his servant girl, Marry Warren. Mary Warren is...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, what are Elizabeth Proctor's internal and external conflicts?
In Act Two, we see Elizabeth's conflict with her husband, John. He asks if she is sad again, and "she doesn't want friction, yet she must" say, You come so late I thought you'd gone to Salem this...
The Crucible
What does Reverend Parris' trying to say in the below quote from The Crucible? "There is either obedience or the...
In this quotation, Parris seems to claim that either an individual is with him and the church on the side of righteousness and goodness, or that individual is a sinner who works against the church...
The Crucible
Foreshadowing In The Crucible
There are several things that happen in Act One that, if you pay close attention, foreshadow some future events. You have to pay close attention to what the characters say about each other, and...
The Crucible
In The Crucible, Hale says, "They [the books] must be [heavy]; they are weighted with authority." What is the...
This statement, spoken by the renowned witch hunter Reverend Hale, shows the tremendous faith he has in his own education, as well as his overconfidence and even cockiness when it comes to his...
The Crucible
In "The Crucible" what news does Mary Warren reveal to John and Elizabeth about the trials?
In Act 2, scene I, it is revealed that Mary Warren is now an official of the court. She has gone from a meek and timid character to a defiant and important character. Because of this newly...
The Crucible
What are the internal and external conflicts of Reverend Hale in The Crucible?
Reverend Hale's external conflicts initially relate to his attempts to discern evidence of witchcraft in Salem, then to find and arrest those who have been accused. Finally, he comes into...
The Crucible
What is the significance of the title The Crucible as it relates to the major characters and theocracy?
A crucible is a container, usually made of ceramic or some kind of metal, in which substances are melted down via subjection to high temperatures. It is often used to describe a trial an individual...
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