Study Questions
1. What news does Danforth give John Proctor about his wife?

2. Why did the court not believe this assertion at first?

3. What does Proctor tell Danforth about his doubts?

4. What offer is made to Proctor by Danforth?

5. What happens to the people who signed the deposition upholding the three women?

6. What does Giles Corey charge in his deposition againstThomas Putnam?

7. How does Putnam answer, and who is believed?

8. What does Mary Warren’s deposition claim?

9. What does Hale suggest after the deposition is read?

10. Why does Danforth not allow Proctor to obtain a lawyer?

Answers
1. Proctor is told that his wife claims she is pregnant.

2. The court first assumed that Elizabeth was lying about pregnancy to avoid hanging.

3. Proctor tells Danforth that Elizabeth is incapable of telling a lie.

4. Danforth offers to Elizabeth one year to bear her child, hoping that this will allow him to drop his charges against the court.

5. All 91 signers are ordered arrested for questioning.

6. Corey charges Putnam with attempting to kill his neighbors in order to buy their land.

7. Putnam claims the accusation is a lie, and since the charge cannot be proved, Putnam is believed.

8. Mary’s deposition claims she never dealt with Satan and that her friends are lying.

9. Hale advises Proctor to return to the court with a lawyer to present such serious evidence.

10. Danforth claims that the evidence against those accused is invisible and that a lawyer would only call extraneous witnesses.