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John Proctor The Crucible Analysis

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Contents

Context
Plot Overview
Character List
Analysis of Major Characters
John Proctor
Abigail Williams
Reverend Hale
Themes, Motifs & Symbols
Summary & Analysis
Act I: Opening scene to the entrance of John Proctor
Act I: The entrance of John Proctor to the entrance of Reverend Hale
Act I: The entrance of Reverend Hale to the closing scene
Act II
Act III
Act IV–Epilogue
Expand
Important Quotations Explained
Key Facts
Study Questions & Essay Topics
Quizzes
Suggestions for Further Reading
How to Cite This SparkNote
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Act I: Opening scene to the entrance of John Proctorpage 1 of 2
Summary

The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692; the government is a theocracy—rule by God through religious officials. …show more content…

Ten-year-old Betty Parris lies in an unmoving, unresponsive state. Parris is a grim, stern man suffering from paranoia. He believes that the members of his congregation should not lift a finger during religious services without his permission. The rumor that Betty is the victim of witchcraft is running rampant in Salem, and a crowd has gathered in Parris’s parlor. Parris has sent for Reverend John Hale of Beverly, an expert on witchcraft, to determine whether Betty is indeed bewitched. Parris berates his niece, Abigail Williams, because he discovered her, Betty, and several other girls dancing in the forest in the middle of the night with his slave, Tituba. Tituba was intoning unintelligible words and waving her arms over a fire, and Parris thought he spotted someone running naked through the …show more content…

Putnam had seven babies that each died within a day of its birth. Convinced that someone used witchcraft to murder them, she sent Ruth to Tituba to contact the spirits of her dead children in order to discover the identity of the murderer. Parris berates Abigail anew and asserts that she and the girls were indeed practicing witchcraft. Putnam urges Parris to head off his enemies and promptly announce that he has discovered witchcraft. Mercy Lewis, the Putnams’ servant, drops in and reports that Ruth seems better. Parris agrees to meet the crowd and lead them in a prayer, but he refuses to mention witchcraft until he gets Reverend Hale’s

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Although Samuel Parris was sought out to be a respected reverend, his personal and physical actions make him an ugly selfish man. Samuel Parris shows that he is not an honest man throughout the play. Samuel Parris states early on that he didn’t see the girls dancing in the forest in court, while he constantly says to Abigail that he saw her, this is ironic because Parris gets defensive of others apparent lies. “Excelecy, you surely cannot think to let so vile a lie be spread in open court.”

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Tituba Research Paper

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Young Elizabeth “Betty” Parris and Abigail Williams were cousins, but also best friends. The girls enjoyed playing together and listening to the stories of their slave, Tituba. Because of their connections with the church the girls had most likely grown up with Puritan beliefs and were strongly influenced by that culture. The girls knew all ten of the commandments and were familiar with what they were and weren't allowed to do by the ways of Lord. With this strong Christian influence, 9-year-old Betty and 12-year-old Abigail were the last people expected to get caught up in a witchcraft scandal.

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The second important part of the quote Mr. Proctor said was “We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys to the kingdom,…” Proctor is seeing in Salem a shift in power from the adults and people with authority in the town. The authority and control was handed to the children who are going crazy convicting others who have hurt them saying they are witches. John Procter knows this because he knows Abigail’s plan. Abigail is trying to get Proctor to marry her by killing Mrs. Proctor in the witch trials.

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A reputable minister and expert in diagnosing witchcraft, Reverend John Hale has good intentions and sincere desire in devoting himself to his faith and work. However, Hale’s faith and work waver as he realizes that the girls have manipulated his own beliefs, realizing that he is sending innocent people to their death.

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The Crucible Act 1 Summary

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Reverend Parris begins to question Abigail about what they were doing in the woods. Betty still could not wake so Reverend Parris sent for Hale. Hale specializes witchcraft things. Hale believe that there is something supernaturally wrong with Betty. When Reverend Parris questions Abigail it he brings up that Abigail was let go by the Proctors and has been re-hired in months.

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Reverend Parris, worried for his own job, explains to Abigail that her “punishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.” Even the idea of witchcraft in Reverend Parris’s house could ruin his reputation in the town and therefore risk his job. By Betty being ‘afflicted’, she is holding power over her own father and his position in the town. She knows that the longer she is asleep, the more desperate her father is going to be blame someone for the witchcraft who is not her.

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Motivation Of Act 1 In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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He starts off in the Act, kneeling down beside Betty’s bed, praying, the reader starts off thinking he is a good man, but soon realize the only reason he was praying was to make sure his reputation stays in tact. He fears people will see him as a bad man and he will be ran out of town. He blames his niece, Abigail, for what is happening to Betty. By blaming her, he shows that all he is doing is pointing fingers; Parris won’t even go out and pray with the people fearing that the talk of witchcraft would intertwine with his niece and daughter’s names. This shows the reader that Rev. Parris’s motivation is the slandering of his own name, he cares more

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Who Is To Blame For Abigail Williams

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People believes it now because Betty Parris will not wake up. Mr. Parris explains, “Then why can’t she not move herself since midnight? This child is desperate,” (8). Since Betty Parris can not wake up, there is rumors going on that Mr. Parris has witchcrafts in his house. All the girls are scared of Abigail Williams because of what she did in the forest.

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