The Crucible

Test Review

The Crucible

Character Review

Abigail Williams Orphaned niece of Rev.

Parris Mistress of Proctor Leads “crying out”

during the trial Uses her power to rid

herself of Elizabeth Flees town when she

fears the villagers are about to turn on her

John Proctor Good man with human

frailties and a guilty secret

Often the voice of reason in the play

Accused of witchcraft Will not commit to a

confession to save himself

He finds goodness in himself when he decides not to confess

Elizabeth Proctor Wife of John Proctor She discovered an affair going on between her

husband and Abigail and turned Abigail out of her house

She is Abigail’s main target, but is saved from hanging by pregnancy

She feels responsibility for driving her husband to an affair

When John will not lie to save himself, she supports his decision because it is his way of redeeming himself and she cannot take it from him

Putnam Vindictive, bitter villager who believes he has

been wronged and cheated Leading village voice against the witches All but one of his children have died – he

needs someone to blame He is accused of coercing his daughter to

accuse people, for example, George Jacobs, in order to gain their forfeited land.

Mrs. PutnamWife of Thomas PutnamFirst plants the idea that Betty has been

bewitchedAll of her children except one have diedSent her daughter to Tituba to cast a

spell to discover the supposed murderer of her children

Ruth PutnamDaughter of the Putnams In a coma like state at the opening of

the play because she has supposedly been “bewitched”

Involved in the “crying out” at the trials

Mercy LewisPutnam’s servantAlso involved in the accusation of

witches (seems to enjoy it)When Abigail flees town, it is believed

Mercy goes with her

Mary Warren Proctor’s servant An easily swayed, weak young girl who plants

the evidence of witchcraft on Elizabeth Admits the accusations of the girls are false,

but then changes her story because she fears Abigail as the other girls start to turn against her

Used by Abigail to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft

Giles Corey Has brought numerous lawsuits against neighbors

before the courts Thrown in jail for contempt of court for not revealing

where information accusing Putnam of false witchcraft accusations against George Jacobs came from

Inadvertantly accuses his wife of witchcraft He is eventually pressed to death when he refuses to

enter a plea to the charges (pleading guilty or conviction would have meant forfeiture of his land, leaving his sons with no inheritance)

Dies for truth and honor. His last words were “more weight.”

HathorneOne of the judges at the trial

TitubaParris’s slave from BarbadosFirst accused witchEnlisted by Abigail and Ruth Putnam to

cast spells and charmsDue to pressure and fear, admits to

“consorting with the Devil” and names others as witches

Rebecca NurseWife of the respected Francis NurseMidwife Exemplary ChristianAccused witch who refuses to admit to

witchcraft and is hangedNews of her arrest and execution shows

how out of control the situation in Salem is.

Rev. Hale A minister who is a

recognized authority on witchcraft

At the play’s end tries to save the accused by convincing them to confess

Suffers guilt for he says the executed people’s blood is on his head

Sarah GoodAccused witch who cracks under the

strain of imprisonmentBecomes delusional due to the harsh

conditions of the jail, but is not executed because she is pregnant

Reverend Parris A minister in Salem who is more worried

about his reputation than the life of his daughter or the lives of his parishioners

Encounters the girls in the woods dancing Not well-liked by many of the villagers and

fearful for his job, Reverend Parris eventually sees the complete chaos brought on by the trials. He urges Proctor to confess and save himself

SusannaDoctor’s messenger Involved in the “crying out”

CheeverWorks as an official of the court to

arrest the accused witches

HerrickAn official of the court who acts as the

jailkeeperPressure of his job drives him to drink

Martha CoreyGiles Corey’s wife who is inadvertantly

accused of witchcraft by her husband for reading books

Goody OsburnMidwife at birth of three Putnam babies

who were born deadAccused and executed witch

Danforth Deputy Governor of

Massachusetts who is taken in by the testimony

He is overcome with his own power. He will not postpone the trials or executions because he is not willing to admit to any mistakes.

Betty Parris Parris’s young daughter Until Abigail gives her a

valid explanation for dancing in the woods, she lies mute in her bed, terrified of her father

One of the girls who “cries out” during the trial, she is weak and terrified. She is easily made Abigail’s fool.

The Crucible

The Setting

Act One, Setting and SummaryAct One takes place in the home of

Reverend Parris. Conflicts, resentments, and motives for accusing others all surface in this act, which begins with witchcraft and ends with a chilling “crying out” of those who supposedly kept company with the devil. The tragedy of Salem is set in motion.

The MotivesFearSelf-preservationSpite and malice

Act Two, Setting and SummaryAct Two is set in the home of the

Proctors as the Salem troubles visit their doorstep. We learn that Abigail has accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. Haunted by Abigail’s accusation as a consequence of his affair, John Proctor must decide if he has the courage to publicly admit his affair in order to save his wife.

Act Three, Summary and SettingSet in the Salem courtroom, the Third

Act reveals that Justice is not always as it is depicted. As characters with varying and often opposing motives take the stand, it becomes clear that the search for justice can be affected by human impulses, both ill and well meant.

Act Four, Summary and SettingThe setting turns to the jail as the

morning of John’s execution arrives. The judges force John to decide whether he will live or die. Proctor must search his soul to discover if he is strong enough to face death rather than to be dishonest. In the end, he finds goodness in himself by choosing to die rather than to be dishonest.