Act One
1. What is wrong with Betty Parris?
2. How does Tituba react to Betty’s condition?
3. What news does Susanna bring from the doctor?
4. What rumor is circulating about Betty?
5. How does Abigail initially defend the girls’ behavior in the woods?
6. Why is Reverend Parris so worried about his reputation?
7. What did Parris see in the woods?
8. What does Abigail claim is the reason she was discharged from the Proctor household?
9. In what condition is Ruth Putnam?
10.Briefly describe Thomas Putnam.
11.Why did Mrs. Putnam enlist Tituba’s help?
12.Why did Abigail drink blood?
13.How does Abigail threaten the other girls?
14.Briefly describe John Proctor.
15.What happens when John and Abigail are left alone?
16.What does Rebecca Nurse say about Betty and Ruth’s sickness?
17.Why is Reverend Parris dissatisfied with his job in Salem?
18.About what are Proctor and Putnam fighting?
19.Describe Reverend Hale. For what reason has he been called to Salem?
20.What is Giles Corey’s complaint about his wife?
21.Why does Tituba finally “confess”? What do you think of her actions? What do you think will happen as a result?
22.Why do you think the girls begin their accusations when they could have just let Tituba take the blame for everything?
23.What does the girls’ behavior tell you about the youth of Salem?
Act Two
1. What is the mood at the beginning of Act Two? Why?
2. What do we learn about John and Elizabeth’s relationship at the beginning of the act?
3. What does Mary give Elizabeth?
4. What news does Mary Warren bring from court?
5. What does Elizabeth mean when she says: “Oh, the noose, the noose is up!”
6. What does Elizabeth want John to do in town? What will everyone find out if he does this?
7. Why has Reverend Hale come to the Proctor house?
8. To what is John referring when he says: “…it tells me that a minister may pray to
God without he have golden candlesticks upon the altar.”
9. What does Hale ask John to do? What happens?
10.What is ironic about this omission?
11.What news do Giles Corey and Frances Nurse tell John Proctor?
12.On what basis are they accused?
13.What is the significance of the poppet? How does this serve as “proof” for Elizabeth’s accusation?
14.What does John mean when he says “I’ll tell you what’s walking in Salem—vengeance is walking in Salem”?
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Act Three
1. When the act begins, who is on the stand, and of what is she accused?
2. Who bursts into court, and why?
3. What does Mary Warren tell the court?
4. What does Cheever say that Proctor did when they came to arrest Elizabeth Proctor?
5. What do we learn about Elizabeth Proctor?
6. How many people signed the deposition? Who are the people who signed, and to what are they testifying?
7. Why is Giles Corey arrested?
8. How many death warrants has Hale signed?
9. What do the men of the court want Mary Warren to do on command?
10.What does Proctor confess?
11.What does Proctor say about his wife that eventually works against him?
12.What do the girls pretend to see in the courtroom?
13.What does Mary claim Proctor made her do?
14.What does Hale do at the end of the act? Why?
15.In our court system today, the accused is innocent until proven guilty. In what
ways does the court of Salem ignore the “innocent until proven guilty” clause?
16. If you were a lawyer defending one of the accused today, what arguments would you make to defend your client? Compose a one-page speech which defends the innocence of John Proctor. Be sure to use examples from the text to make your case.
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Act Four
1. What is Reverend Hale doing at the jailhouse?
2. What is happening to the farms and animals in the town of Salem? Why do you think this is happening?
3. What has happened to Abigail and Mercy Lewis?
4. What happened in the town of Andover? Why is Parris afraid of this news?
5. What does Parris suggest to Danforth? Why does he make this suggestion?
6. What other indications does Hale give that the town is falling apart?
7. What does Hale mean when he says, “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head”?
8. Why does Danforth refuse to postpone the executions?
9. How long has passed since the trials first began?
10.What do Hale and Danforth beg Elizabeth to do? Why?
11.What does Elizabeth say happened to Giles Corey?
12.What has Proctor been contemplating doing? What is Elizabeth’s response to this?
13.What do Danforth and Parris plan to do with Proctor’s confession?
14.Why does Proctor refuse to sign the confession?
15.What does he do with the confession, and what happens to him as a result?
16.What does Elizabeth mean by: “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him”?
17.What lessons do you think Arthur Miller wanted readers and audiences to learn from his play? What do you think are the most important themes of the play?
18.Do you think the story would have been as effective as a novel rather than a play? Why or why not? Why do you think Miller decided to tell the story of the Salem Witch Trials as a play rather than a novel?