At the beginning of Act One, Reverend Parris and Abigail are alone with...
At the beginning of Act One, Reverend Parris and Abigail are alone with Betty Parris in Betty's bedroom. Her eyes are closed, and she is unable to wake up. Just the night before, Parris says that his...
View ArticleDanforth actually will hear Proctor's evidence. He cautions Proctor to...
Danforth actually will hear Proctor's evidence. He cautions Proctor to be sure that he tells the absolute truth because "We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment." This is actually some...
View ArticleCertainly there are a great many examples of dramatic irony in Act...
Certainly there are a great many examples of dramatic irony in Act Three. Dramatic irony occurs when there is a discrepancy between what the reader knows and what a character knows. When a reader knows...
View ArticleFear. Everyone in this community has something to fear, and when those...
Fear. Everyone in this community has something to fear, and when those fears unite, it results in a hysteria that sweeps through the community. Mr. Parris fears losing his position and status in the...
View ArticleIn Act One, Betty Parris, the daughter of the minister, has taken ill,...
In Act One, Betty Parris, the daughter of the minister, has taken ill, and Reverend Parris doesn't know why. He is especially concerned, however, because -- last night -- he found his niece and...
View ArticleIn Act Four, although there are no lines spoken by any person condemned...
In Act Four, although there are no lines spoken by any person condemned to die that day other than John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse, it stands to reason that both Mary Easty and Martha Corey are also...
View ArticleDuring this time, it was considered a little dangerous to allow women to...
During this time, it was considered a little dangerous to allow women to read, especially books that were not religious in nature. Giles Corey is somewhat concerned, first, because his wife reads so...
View ArticleIn Act One, Betty Parris, the daughter of the minister, has taken ill,...
In Act One, Betty Parris, the daughter of the minister, has taken ill, and Reverend Parris doesn't know why. He is especially concerned, however, because -- last night -- he found his niece and...
View ArticleIn the film adaptation of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, John Proctor...
In the film adaptation of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, John Proctor tells Reverend Hale the information that Abigail told him, that Betty Parris's and Ruth Putnam's illness has nothing to do with...
View ArticleAt the beginning of Act Three, aside from the clamor of the four voices...
At the beginning of Act Three, aside from the clamor of the four voices we know -- Hathorne's, Martha Corey's, Giles Corey's, and Danforth's -- the stage direction helps to convey to readers the level...
View ArticleCertainly, the Puritans valued honesty and humility, and Reverend Parris...
Certainly, the Puritans valued honesty and humility, and Reverend Parris possesses neither of these qualities. In Act One, he admits his knowledge of his daughter's and niece's illegal activities in...
View ArticleIn Act Three, Francis Nurse, John Proctor, and Giles Corey present a...
In Act Three, Francis Nurse, John Proctor, and Giles Corey present a petition to the court, signed by ninety-one people who attest that they have known their wives for many years and never saw any sign...
View ArticleThe word "crucible" has two definitions that are especially pertinent to...
The word "crucible" has two definitions that are especially pertinent to the play. First, it is a piece of lab equipment, a container that would be used to hold something that it is being heated to...
View ArticleOn the morning that John Proctor is facing hanging, his sentence for...
On the morning that John Proctor is facing hanging, his sentence for being convicted of witchcraft, he and Elizabeth have a few minutes to speak before he is taken away. He is considering confessing --...
View ArticleReverend Parris's anger and concern are both the result of real concern...
Reverend Parris's anger and concern are both the result of real concern for his child and concern for himself and his status in the town. Abigail, his niece, tells him that "Betty's not witched [....]....
View ArticleGiles Corey is expelled from court because he basically burst into a...
Giles Corey is expelled from court because he basically burst into a trial without ceremony or introduction, demanding that the court hear his evidence. Danforth calls his intrusion a "contemptuous...
View ArticleI think Miller includes this odd conversation among Sarah Good, Tituba,...
I think Miller includes this odd conversation among Sarah Good, Tituba, and Herrick in order to further point out the hypocrisy in Salem. Sarah and Tituba say that the Devil is coming for them, that...
View ArticleWhen Mary Warren returns to the Proctors' home after a long day in the...
When Mary Warren returns to the Proctors' home after a long day in the court, she presents Elizabeth Proctor with a poppet, or rag doll, that she made to pass the hours sitting. It seems to be meant as...
View ArticleIt would be easy for someone in the town to believe that Tituba works...
It would be easy for someone in the town to believe that Tituba works for the Devil. She's from Barbados, she's a slave, she's black, and she's a woman. Reverend Parris already suspects her; he said to...
View ArticleThe word "crucible" has two definitions that are especially pertinent to...
The word "crucible" has two definitions that are especially pertinent to the play. First, it is a piece of lab equipment, a container that would be used to hold something that it is being heated to...
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