The Crucible Film Study Guide

USE COMPLETE SENTENCES WHEN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS. EACH QUESTION IS WORTH 2
POINTS IF ANSWERED COMPLETELY


1. Part oI the popularity oI The Crucible has to be its exploration oI witchcraIt. Why do you think people are so
Iascinated with the subject oI witchcraIt?


2. Miller says the Iilm is Iull oI human relations.` The Crucible is a very passionate story. Who in it is passionate?
What are they passionate about and why?



3. It`s a real page-turner, this story.you don`t have to know a whit about politics or history to really get sucked
into the story.! (Robert A. Miller, Producer oI the Iilm). What do you think the page-turning elements are in
this story?


The Opening Scene

The opening scene in any Iilm is particularly important. It establishes the genre, sets the tone, introduces the narrative and
major characters, and most importantly, catches the audience`s attention and engages their interest so that they want to see
more. In this way it Iunctions exactly like the opening scene oI a play or paragraph oI a book.

In Iilm the dominant imagery is visual, whereas in the theatre, much oI the dominant imagery is verbal.

4. Think about the title graphics Ior the Iilm. What clues do they give us?



5. How are we drawn into the narrative by the movement oI the girls Irom their houses?




6. Why include the dancing` scene in the Iilm? What are the advantages and disadvantages oI presenting these
scenes in the Iilm version?



7. How does the soundtrack (music, silence, dialogue and sound eIIects) help set the mood oI the Iilm and engage
our curiosity?





8. In the Iilm, we are able to have a wider picture oI the environment in which these people live and in particular oI
the land which is so precious to them. How does this help your understanding oI motives and actions in the text?






9. The larger settings allow Ior much more physical movement Irom place to place than would be practicable on
stage. Think about instances oI these, such as, when Elizabeth Proctor is taken Irom her home chained to the cart
or when Mary Warren Ilees to the river pursued by Abigail and the others, and say how actually seeing the
movement adds to the drama.




10. The dialogue in the play diIIers Irom the dialogue in the movie. Why do you think Miller changed some oI his
original dialogue Ior the movie?



11. Describe how the scene with Tituba diIIers in the Iilm Irom the play-script.




12. How does the Iilm diIIer Irom the play to indicate and show a sense oI hysteria?




13. Why do you think that the Iilm includes the scene with Mr. Jacobs yet the play-script does not?




14. In Act II, Reverend Hale interviews John and Elizabeth Proctor at their home. How does the interview process
diIIer Irom play-script to Iilm?




15. In Act II, the play-script indicates that the Proctor boys are sleeping however, in the Iilm we see that they are up
and kiss Elizabeth Proctor goodbye. How does this inclusion oI the boys contribute to the emotion oI the Iilm?




16. Explain how Act IV in the play diIIers Irom the Iinal scenes oI the movie?





17. Daniel Day-Lewis played the role oI John Proctor. Do you think he succeeded in portraying a cry oI his whole
soul? Cite evidence Irom the scene to support your opinion.





II you were to direct the play who would you choose Ior your cast? II you were to remake the movie, who would
you cast? Why?