The Crucible Act 3

1. “The Crucible” Act 3 Do Now: Have you or someone you know ever been unable to make a person listen to you? How did it feel to be ignored? Did you finally succeed in being heard? Describe the situation in about a paragraph.

2. Martha Corey is supposedly telling fortunes Have you ever read a fortune cookie? Do you think this court would consider fortune cookies evil?

3. Giles Corey brings evidence to free his wife from accusation. S he was arrested based on his own suspicions about her reading books - Guilt He didn’t expected that the court would go this far with the accusations “ they be telling lies about my wife” Putnam is “reaching out for land ”, according to Corey

4. Francis Nurse and Giles Corey want to convince the court that the girls are frauds openly weeping – cares for his wife and feels responsible for her plight

5. Danforth insists that they follow procedure and that the men submit affidavit; this is the third day that they have tried and failed to be heard; their wives might be executed before the written plea is reviewed

6. The judges don’t want their authorities challenged. They don’t want to think about the girls being frauds since they already sentenced women to death based on their testimony.

7. 400 are in jails, 72 condemned to hang: he will not want to listen to proof because he would then have to review all his previous decisions

8. L ines 121-133 – Mary Warren has not been at court all week; Herrick says she was sick and Giles says that she has been “striving with her soul all week ” - guilt

9. Mary reveals that the girls are all pretending and that she never saw any spirits Parris denounces Proctor as a troublemaker that shouldn’t be listened to Danforth does not believe Mary is telling the truth – he doesn’t want to admit that he has been fooled by their performance

10. Danforth believes Proctor has brought Mary Warren to court to save Elizabeth Parris believes Proctor has come to court to undermine the authority of the court

11. Elizabeth claims to be pregnant, and if it turns out that she is she will be kept alive until the baby is born Proctor continues his attempts to prove the girls are lying because he is also trying to save the wives of his friends

12. “that women will never lie ” – about Elizabeth

13. a petition that attests to the character of Elizabeth, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse – explaining they are good people and were never seen to communicate with the Devil 91 signatures - Francis Nurse promised those that signed the petition that they will not be harmed because of it

14. Parris and Hathorne insist that everyone who signed the petition should be questioned – hysteria the judges are acting upon illogical personal opinions by wanting to bring before the court everyone with an unpopular opinion – the judges feel threatened

15. Hale protests with “Is every defense an attack upon the court?” in lines 326-327 Hale seems to be switching sides - he is starting to question the events

16. Giles insists that Putnam convinced his daughter to cry witchery on George Jacobs so that he can acquire his land the court doesn’t seem to need much proof to convict witches, but a lot of proof when it comes to defending them

17. Giles Corey hesitates to give the name of the witness against Putnam fears the man would be put in jail along with the 91 who signed the character testament he feels guilty for causing his wife’s trouble

18. Do you agree with Danforth’s assessment that Giles is a “foolish old man” in line 440? he is honorable and keeps promises even though he will suffer for his silence

19. Hale points out that there is a fear in the country of the court Danforth believes the fear is caused by guilt people refuse to come to the defense of their neighbors for fear of being accused themselves; they see the court is irrational and fickle

20. If Proctor is right about Abigail and the other girls then innocent people have been sentenced to die

21. Hale comes forth “in a trembling state” [506] and implores Danforth to stop the proceedings “in God’s name” [512]; his “hand shakes yet as with a wound” [524] after he signs Rebecca Nurse’s death warrant because he realizes how serious the situation is – and suspects that Proctor might be right

22. Witchcraft is an invisible crime and only the witch and the victim can testify to it. No lawyers.

23. Danforth says in line 594 that Mary will go to jail either way - either she is lying now or lied about the witches – lying is a sin

24. Danforth encourages the girls to continue their behavior in line 618-620 – suggests that Mary Warren has been conquered by the Devil and sent to the court to distract the court’s sacred purpose

25. Mary Warren cannot faint when asked to prove that she was pretending to faint the mood is different, she cannot find the emotion for it

26. Have you ever failed to do something when the need arose – something that you had done before or that you were sure you could do? How does that experience help you understand Mary Warren’s position in front of the judges?

27. Abigail refuses to answer questions when they reflect negatively on her and shifts the attention off herself when in trouble she pretends to be cold, Mercy Lewis follows, they accuse Mary Warren of bewitching them

28. John is mad that Abigail asks for the help of heaven he thinks she is such a base sinner that she has given up her right to ask for heavenly help

29. Proctor admits to his affair with Abigail Abigail has swayed Danforth to her side and Mary Warren is weakening. It is his only hope to discredit Abigail. He hopes to prove her a whore and not a child or a saint .

30. Proctor argues that no man would ruin his name unless it were true .

31. Danforth has Elizabeth brought to the room to question her about Proctor’s claim that Abigail is a whore. Proctor claims that his wife cannot tell a lie and kicked Abigail out for harlotry

32. Focus on the stage directions in lines 920-958. Elizabeth is nervous - tries to glance at her husband, hoping to find a clue from him about how she should respond; she is reluctant to look at Danforth and afraid that she will hurt her husband with her answer

33. It was difficult for Elizabeth to tell a lie about John’s lechery since she is characterized as an honest woman S he was trying to protect John’s reputation S he would never reveal information about him without his permission she has to decide between honesty and loyalty to her husband

34. Hale believes Elizabeth’s lie was natural; he calls Proctor an honest man; he believes the court is losing control and that private vengeance is the cause of the trouble

35. Abby sees a yellow bird, which she claims is the spirit of Mary Warren come to silence her – once again, she shift the attention away from her .

36. T he girls repeat everything Mary Warren says because they are trying to convince the onlookers that Mary is directing demonic power against them Abigail has coached them – they wait for Abigail to lead; hysteria – the emotion in the room is high

37. Proctor’s efforts to save his wife are destroyed Abigail and the others badger Mary Warren so badly that she accuses Proctor of being “the devil’s man” and is believed Mary sides with Abigail because of hysteria and bullying - she has a better chance of staying alive

38. Hale denounces the proceedings and quits the court Proctor compares himself and Danforth with the Devil – they are both frauds and will go to hell