Act III Comprehension Questions The Crucible Act III Comprehension Questions

1. When the act begins, who is on the stand, and of what is she accused? Martha Corey; reading “fortunes” 2. Who bursts into court, and why? Giles Corey; he says he has brought evidence to free his wife and Rebecca Nurse 3. What does Mary Warren tell the court? That the girls were only pretending that they had been touched by spirits 4. What does Cheever say that Proctor did when they came to arrest Elizabeth Proctor? Tore up the warrant 5. What do we learn about Elizabeth Proctor? She is pregnant. 6. How many people signed the deposition? Whoa re the people who signed, and to what are they testifying? 91; the people of the community (landowners, members of the church); to the good nature of Martha, Rebeca, and Elizabeth

7. Why is Giles Corey arrested? He refuses to give the name of the person that heard Putnam go after Jacobs for his land. 8. Assess Giles Corey’s delivery of his accusations. What techniques would you advise him to use to improve the court’s reaction? Giles Corey’s delivery is unprepared and scattered. He could organize his arguments and wait for the appropriate time to explain his accusations and evidence, as well as, change his tone to be more respectful of the judges. 9. What do the men of the court want Mary Warren to do on command? Pretend to faint 10. What does Proctor tell Danforth about his wife’s character? Hypothesize why Arthur Miller includes this information. He tells Danforth that his wife will not tell a lie. Miller might include this information to show what a good Christian she is. He might also include this information because she hasn’t been completely truthful, or won’t be completely truthful in the future. 11. Describe the instructions Danforth gives to John and Abigail, then to Elizabeth, before her testimony. What effect does this have on the play at this point? Danforth tells John and Abigail to turn their backs. He tells them that they are not to face Goody Proctor. He tells Elizabeth that she can only look at him. Miller adds suspense.

12. Why do you think Elizabeth answered the question about John’s affair the way she did? What is ironic about this? What type of irony is this? Elizabeth at first tries to avoid the question without admitting that John and Abigail had an affair. She most likely lied about the affair about the affair because she knew that John would be condemned. By lying, she intended to help save her husband and her husband’s good name. Instead, by lying and saying that he never had an affair, she inadvertently hurt John because he said that she never lies. – dramatic irony 13. How does Proctor contradict Parris’ claim that “Cain was an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel?” Proctor points out that the story of Cain and Abel was told by God, but the accusations against the women are being made by children. 14. Provide reasons for why Giles Corey’s accusations are discredited, or not taken seriously. If you were Danforth, how would you respond to the accusations? Giles has been to court many times. His accusations were not drafted by a lawyer. He also says his accusations are based on a conversation he heard from a neighbor, but he won’t give the name of the person who said it. 15. Contrast Abigail’s reaction after Mary Warren’s testimony to her reaction after John’s accusation. Why might her reactions be different? Abigail claims Mary Warren is lying. Abigail threatens to leave if she has to answer to the accusations John makes, but doesn’t say he is lying, perhaps because she knows that doing so would condemn him.

16. Evaluate Proctor’s response to the accusations, including how he responds and why he responds the way he does. John Proctor says, “God is dead!” He also says that “a fire is burning,” he hears the “boot of Lucifer,” and that he sees “his filthy face.” He also says that Danforth will burn with him. Proctor probably responds this way because of his guilt. 17. What do the girls pretend to see in the courtroom? A yellow bird 18. What does Mary claim Proctor made her do? She claims he made her sign the Devil’s book and overthrow the court. 19. Compare and contrast Reverend Hale and Judge Danforth’s positions at the end of the act? Both are well respected, but Danforth continues to take the girls’ accusations seriously and sends Proctor and Giles to jail while Mr. Hale quits the court because he can tell things are out of hand.

20. What is ironic about the beliefs of the Puritan community and the events of the play so far? Ironically, one might expect a community so strong and faithful would behave according to the Commandments. Instead, they are vengeful, backstabbing liars looking out only for themselves. 21. 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? In Salem a person is guilty as soon as they are accused and must fight to prove they are innocent, whereas nowadays a person is innocent when they are accused and the court or the prosecution must fight to prove their guilt.

Writing Assignment: Directions: 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 that defends the innocence of John Proctor. Be sure to use examples from the text to make your case. Bonus: Give your speech in front of the class on Friday (+5 pts.)