In a literary text, a foil usually refers to a character that contrasts...
In a literary text, a foil usually refers to a character that contrasts with another character in order to emphasize or highlight specific character traits possessed by the other character. Because...
View ArticleBy way of evidence for his claim that Abigail wants to eliminate his...
By way of evidence for his claim that Abigail wants to eliminate his wife, John Proctor tells the court that he "[has] known her," and, further, that "A man will not cast away his good name" by...
View ArticleThe judges set up an ultimatum of sorts. They claim that anyone who is...
The judges set up an ultimatum of sorts. They claim that anyone who is innocent is happy about the work the courts are doing. This means, then, that anyone who questions the court or takes issue with...
View ArticleEven before Elizabeth Proctor's arrest in Act Two, John has her fetch...
Even before Elizabeth Proctor's arrest in Act Two, John has her fetch Mary Warren so that Mary can tell Ezekiel Cheever, the man who has come to arrest Elizabeth, that she had just made and given the...
View ArticleAbigail's disappearance makes plain her dishonesty and deceptiveness,...
Abigail's disappearance makes plain her dishonesty and deceptiveness, something the courts have been unwilling to see up until now. She lies to her uncle, telling him that she'll be spending the night...
View ArticleFrom the outset, it is clear Abigail is in command. She is the one who...
From the outset, it is clear Abigail is in command. She is the one who instructs the girls about what to do, and they all answer to her. This is pertinently illustrated when she threatens them in Act...
View ArticleNot only does John try to please Elizabeth, but Elizabeth tries to...
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 her...
View ArticleReverend Parris, as the town minister, is already in a position of...
Reverend Parris, as the town minister, is already in a position of authority, though he feels that his hold on this authority is tenuous, especially in light of recent events. He tells his niece,...
View ArticleHale came to Salem feeling quite confident in his abilities to root out...
Hale came to Salem feeling quite confident in his abilities to root out the Devil and force him to let go of good Christians. But as time passes, he becomes less and less confident about everything he...
View ArticleReverend Samuel Parris is not well-liked in the community of Salem,...
Reverend Samuel Parris is not well-liked in the community of Salem, despite his position as their spiritual leader. Consequently, he is insecure. His insecurity drives him to try to exert more power...
View ArticleMiller's assertion is, obviously, that the children were lying. They...
Miller's assertion is, obviously, that the children were lying. They saw, in the witch trials, not only an opportunity to get back at those who they despised, but also as an opportunity to legitimately...
View ArticleIn Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is the primary...
In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is the primary instigator of the trials on witchcraft. Among those she accuses is Elizabeth Proctor, who she hopes will be convicted and hanged....
View ArticleIn addition to robbing him of his life's savings -- thirty one pounds --...
In addition to robbing him of his life's savings -- thirty one pounds -- after breaking into his strongbox, Reverend Parris believes that his niece, Abigail Williams, has boarded a ship with her best...
View ArticleIn Act One, Parris chastizes Abigail for dancing in the forest with his...
In Act One, Parris chastizes Abigail for dancing in the forest with his daughter. Parris continually asks Abigail if she was involved in any type of witchcraft, but Abigail swears that she was not...
View ArticleReverend Parris wants to delay the executions because he fears...
Reverend Parris wants to delay the executions because he fears rebellion, and -- probably, just as he feared the loss of his own credibility and authority at the beginning of the play, he likely fears...
View ArticleArthur Miller's play, The Crucible, is set during the Salem Witch Trials...
Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, is set during the Salem Witch Trials and contains fictional and embellished events and characters, including John Proctor and Abigail Williams. In Act I, Scene II,...
View ArticleWhen John learns that Mary Warren has gone to the Salem against his...
When John learns that Mary Warren has gone to the Salem against his wishes, he asks Elizabeth why she let her go; Elizabeth tells him that she couldn't stop her, and that Mary is "a mouse no more."...
View ArticleWhen Mary returns to the Proctor home after her day in the Salem court,...
When Mary returns to the Proctor home after her day in the Salem court, John angrily threatens to whip her. He is angry because she has defied his order to stay away from Salem. Moreover, he is shocked...
View ArticleDanforth seems secure in himself, his authority, and the court; he is...
Danforth seems secure in himself, his authority, and the court; he is the deputy governor of the colony, after all, so he really has nothing to prove to the inhabitants of Salem. He is calm and...
View ArticleBy the time the play begins, the affair between Abigail Williams and...
By the time the play begins, the affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor has been over for seven months. Elizabeth, John's wife, suspected them and approached him with her suspicions, and when...
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