The Crucible TestKarman K Litt

Explain in a paragraph what Elizabeth means by her response

John Proctor, initially considering himself as a vile man, signs himself to lies.
However, his righteous pride opens his eyes; he refuses to sell his soul over to
live a pathetic life as a sinner. Proctor understands his own soul, honour and
honesty are worth more than a cowardly escape from the gallows if he
confesses. Elizabeth, urged by Hale to attempt and persuade her husband, John,
to confess and save his life, yet she refuses because she understands his need
for redemption. Proctor transforms, retrieving his dignity from the scandal of his
adulterous affair with Abigail. Proctor courageously decides to die rather than
confess to a sin he did not commit. His faith is renewed, as he realizes the only
way to redeem himself from true evil is to resist the temptation to lie and save
the materialistic element of himself-his physical body. He surrenders his life to
save his soul, dying with integrity.
(This is a well-written paragraph, including a clear introduction,
discussion and conclusion.)

Unlike the others accused of witchcraft, Danforth demands Proctor sign

his name to a confession. Explain in a paragraph why the court insists
on Proctors signed confession?
Danforth places great pride in the court. Danforth, initially swept up by the girls
lies, truly believes there is witchery in Salem, however once he realizes its most
likely lies, its much too late to turn back. Danforth has a stubborn definition of
right and wrong, he stands ignorant and pompous in his position of power,
ultimately hanging innocent villagers. Because of the trails, cows were
wandering free, crops were dying in the field, and orphans were wandering
without supervision. The villagers are beginning to question the authority of the
court. Danforth and the officials dont want to admit to the mistake they had
made by signing the warrants of those they had convicted, thus they hoped for
the remaining prisoners to cover up their sins and repair their reputation. The
most important issue for the officials of the court is the reputation and the
integrity of the court. Since Proctors name carries weight in the village Danforth
believes his confession will convince others who are holding out to do the same;
the accused confessing will render all doubts. Thus, the court will stand just in
the eyes of the civilians again.
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First sentence catches interest and introduces the paragraph well

Good word choice
And a clear discussion

Explain in a paragraph why Proctor holds his name so dear while still
wearing the shame of adultery?
Proctor equates his name with himself; its his identity. John is unwilling to
destroy the honour of his name for his sake and his childrens. No man desires to
tarnish their own name. Johns form of righteous pride impels him to redeem
himself by ripping up the confession he signed. He believes himself to be so vile
hes not worth dust on the feet of them that hang, however he attains
redemption in his true confession of committing adultery, and his refusal to sign
a false confession. He is unable to live a life as a sinner, he decides to surrender
his life and save his soul. In death, he finds freedom from his sins.
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Clear introduction, and conclusion

Discussed well, (accordingly with the given time)

Explain in a paragraph why Hale councils Elizabeth to persuade John

Proctor to confess to witchcraft?
Hale blindly and ignorantly, believes the girls faade of witch craft, thus he
places the girls in the hot crucible, impelling them to give false accusations as
they are under pressure. The accusations led to hysteria; Hale set the town
ablaze with the talk of the devil, now everyone lives in fear of becoming the next
victim. However, as Hale later on realizes the truth, the entirety of the witch
trails is nothing more than a faade, fueled by the private sins of the civilians;
he attempts to redeem his sins by counselling the convicted witches to confess.
Thereby, hell save them from being hanged. Hale believes God condemns a liar
less than a man who throws away the gift of life, thus he tries to convince
people to lie and live. Hales last effort to wash some of the blood on his hands,
by pleading with Elizabeth to persuade John Procter, her husband, to confess,
and go on living. However he is unable to change anyones mind. Hale must
carry the burden of his ignorance, and the blood he helped spill with him till the
day he dies.
Explain in sentences the irony in the following

Elizabeth Proctor when before the court and asked why she
dismissed Abigail Williams does not divulge the truth of her
husbands adultery
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John Proctor admits to adultery before the court in order to prove

Abigail is indeed a murdering whore set upon taking his wifes place.
However, Elizabeth denies lechery in order to save her husbands
honour, which he relayed to the court in order to save her life. Trying to
save one another, they end up convicting each other.

Abigail desires Elizabeth Proctor dead in order to taker her place in

Johns life. Elizabeth denying lechery saves Abigail who would have
been caught lying had the truth come out. Elizabeth saved Abigail and
proved her innocent of the claims made by her husband.

In her life she has never lied, yet in order to save Proctor she lies
about his lechery. John believes Elizabeth would not lie under any
circumstance, yet she lies and condemns her husband.

Mary Accuses John Proctor

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God damns liars Mary: In the beginning, Mary wants to confess to confess
their sins and take their punishment, ending all talk of witchcraft. However now
she lies to save her life regardless of who has to suffer in her stead.

Abigail initiates the witch-hunt to obtain John Proctor, a married man, however
in the end Mary convicts John, ruining Abigails plans. Abigail attempts scaring
Mary into remaining quiet, yet Mary tarnishes all her plans by testifying against
John, labelling him a witch, the devils servant.

John Proctor desires to relay the truth to the court and save the innocent
villagers, alongside his wife, from the gallows. However, in the end he is unable
to save anyone because Mary traps him. She accuses him to save herself and
escape. Mary becomes a traitor.
Explain how Miller created pathos for Abigail

It is mostly Proctors fault in the affair, if he had stuck to his morals, she
would never have tried to attain his heart, or try to get Elizabeth out of
the way, so she could have him all for herself. The entire witch trail began
because of Proctors sin. Abigail is still young, and even if she had feeligns
for Proctor, she would not have acted out on them all by herself. Proctor
is mature he knows what wrong. He is a married man, he should have
been committed to his wife.
Abigail is fierce, she is adamant to attain what she desires-John Proctor.
She truly loves him, and she simply desires to receive his love in return.
Her pure love, drives her to commit many sins.
Abigail is hurt, she feels betrayed. She has lost someone who she thought
loved her.
Abigail watch her parents be brutally murdered, her hardened heart, and
fierce gaze originates from her scarring past. She lost her parents and
now she loses John as well. She is left all alone in the world.
Abigail is a lying, manipulative and condemned soul, however she has
suffered in her life. And has met many hardships, which made her
conscious turn to steal, and refuse to bend or break in the sight of
another obstacle. If she didnt commit sins in an attempt to attain John,
her adamant, strong nature could possible even be admirable.

How is John Proctor a Christ figure:

In order to save other innocent villagers he admits to adultery. He

confesses and braces to face the consequence of his sins, in order to free
the falsely accused victims who are to be hanged.

He is hung between two others, as Jesus Christ was.

Jesus Christ and Proctor died on wood. (Hung on a tree, and nailed to a
cross, made from wood)
They are innocent of the crimes their convicted of
Proctor as a Christ figure, did not attempt to defend himself: ---Jesus
simply had to speak out, and theyd free him, and Proctor only had to
names someone elses name and sign a confession, and his life would
have been spared as well.
Jesus and Proctor are used as scapegoats by the ones in authority, to
escape the repercussions of their own sins
They are both betrayed: Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and Proctor is
betrayed by Mary.

Provide 2 examples and explain how each contributed to the Witch

trails
Paranoia and Hysteria

Parris has persecution complex, which makes him paranoid. He thinks the
entire town is after him, just waiting to pounce on the chance his name is
slightly tainted so they could strip away his position as Reverend. His
Paranoia, leads him to think, John Proctor is one of the many, who wish to
defy his order and bring down the power of the courts authority. Thereby,
Parris attempts to convict Parris, of witchcraft, adding more fuel to the
fire, which has set Salem ablaze, with the belief the devil is taking over.
Most of the girls, besides Abigail and probably a few others, actually
believe they have seen the devil. This is the result of mass hysteria. In a
climate of mass hysteria, fear is used as a tool for personal enrichment,
political advancement and a weapon for revenge. At the end of Act 1, the
girls start naming names of people they possibly dislike or have had a
aching resentment towards. Soon, nobody is safe; fear feeds fear.

Intolerance:

Salem cannot tolerate witchcraft. Thus anything remotely strange done,

the community labeled it as the devils presence lurking in Salem and
bewitching the civilians. As the girls are found dancing in the forest, and
someone is found naked, the town spreads rumours they are bewitched.

Greed and Self Advancement:

Mr. Putnam is a wealthy man, however all that he has, is not simpmly
enough for him, he desires more; his greed is endless. Thus, in order to
attain more land, Mr. Putnam accusses innocent people of witchcraft, and
thus when their land is actioned off, he buys it at a lower price. He is

another, who fuels the fire, making the devils imagined presence in
Salem, even more real.
Parris, desires to secure his position as reverend. Initially, Parris was
completely against the idea of witchcraft having anything to do with his
daughter, so he brings Reverend Hale, to convince the town who have
already spread rumours. However, as Hale states, the devil only comes
after the pure, Parris view on the matter changes. Now knowing, people
will believe he is far better then the rest-purer- hell attain a whiter
name in the village. He will benefit from the witch trails, so he no longer
condoms them, he starts to agree with Abigail when she accuses of Tituba
of working with the devil. Thus the entire faade of witchcraft begins

The Crucible is a play about the intersection of private sins with

paranoia, hysteria, and religious intolerance. Explain the role of private
sin plays in the Crucible?
In flawed, theocratic Salem, the talk of witchcraft is rooted, the seed is
watered to grow, branch out and soon hang innocent villagers. As
private sins intersect with religious intolerance, paranoia and hysteria, a wildfire
of false accusations set Salem ablaze with the belief the devil has taken over.
Salem is a theocratic society; God is the true leader. The populace believes
everything and everyone belongs to either god or the devil. The authority lies
within the religious leaders in the community who create the rules and
guidelines for the expectations of a Christian. However, the strict religious
theology becomes twisted, leading to the death of innocent people. The
community is intolerant of witchcraft, convinced the bewitched have contact
with the devil. Any remotely questionable strange act carried out, is answered
as witchery. As Parris finds Abigail and others, performing a forbidden act,
dancing, in the forest supposedly ruled by the devil, he instantly believes their
bewitched. Salem, intolerant of absurd behaviour, refusing to understand the
girls actions are normal teenage behaviour, assumes its the work of the devil.
Rumours spread like wildfire in the village, rooting the first seeds of fear and
paranoia. The witch trails, where the accused must confess or be hanged, are
the ultimate expression of intolerance.
Arthur Miller, creates a world diseased by paranoia, people cannot trust anyone
for the fear of being accused as a witch. Parris overly prideful gets a persecution
complex. By having an irrational and obsessive fear he is the object of collective
hostility on the part of other villagers, he becomes paranoid. His Paranoia, leads
him to think, John Proctor is one of the many, who wish to defy his order and
bring down the power of the courts authority. Thus, he desires John to be
convicted as a witch, in order to keep his power in the village. Reverend Parris
adds more fuel, along with others, to the uncontrollable wildfire, causing mass
hysteria in the town.

 The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-(Anonymous). In Arthur Millers

famous play The Crucible, mass hysteria, a collective anxiety, leads to the
wrongful accusations and hangings of innocent Salem citizens for witchcraft. In a
climate of mass hysteria, fear is used as a tool personal greed, self-political
advancement and a weapon for revenge. Hysteria halts the rules of daily life,
and impels the villagers to act out of every dark desire, under the veil of
righteousness. In Salem, a flawed, theocratic community, neighbors suddenly
turn on each other and accuse people they've known for years of practicing
witchcraft and devil-worship. Wide fear overwhelms logic and individual thought
is lost. As the innocent are being hanged, the crowd became excited; they
applauded and laughed as the accused breathed their last. They all fell into a
state of euphoria, hysteria took over, and all reason or judgement fails them.
The result of the citizens private sins interlaced with the uncontrollable hysteria
led nineteen innocent members of their society hanged.
As the private sins of the community, intersect with the religious intolerance,
paranoia, and mass hysteria, the result is the death of innocent civilians of
Salem. The rumours caused by the strict religious laws planted the seed
of the devils presence, and the hysteria, bred by paranoia, watered
and helped the tree grow until its branches were sturdy enough to hold
the weight of nineteen innocent victims.
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