THE CRUCIBLE ACT 1 NOTES

List facts related to the setting. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It specifically starts in Reverend Parris's home, specifically in the upper bedroom. What does Miller mean when he says the room "gives off an air of clean sparseness"? He means that the room is pretty much bare. The room only has the absolute basics, and isn't decorated. There's no extravagance in the Puritan lifestyle. Their lifestyle is simple. Betty Parris is "inert." This means: This means that she was lying still and wasn't moving at all, similar to if she was sleeping or in a coma. What is an authorial intrusion? One of the most distinct techniques Miller uses in this play is authorial intrusion. In the Overture (Act One), he frequently interrupts the action in order to give the audience extra information In the first intrusion ("At the time of these events..." to "increasing quantity and value.") What facts do we learn about Reverend Parris as a person and a father? We learn that he is a widower in his mid-40s, isn't a fan of children, went down a villainous in life, was strict for rules and thought that children should be thankful for being permitted to walk straight, with eyes lowered, arms at sides, and mouth shut unless permitted. In the first intrusion ("At the time of these events..." to "increasing quantity and value."), What do we also learn about Reverend Parris's house? He lives in Salem, MA in a house that was in a village, close to the meeting house. In paragraph 8, stating "That there were some jokers..." to "the best promise of safety", what do we learn about the patrols? We learn that their role is to walk around during church time and look for people who didn't go to church. They are similar to neighborhood "snitches". In paragraph 8, stating "That there were some jokers..." to "the best promise of safety", which character rebelled against the practice of the patrols? John Proctor In paragraph 8, stating "That there were some jokers..." to "the best promise of safety", how does the practice of the patrols feed into the madness of the witch hunt? If the snitches accuse others of witchcraft, it's easier to accuse someone since they're in their business. Not going to church led to the suspicions of being a witch since the church symbolized God, so by being in other's business, they are making it easier to accuse others. If one doesn't like another person in the town, they can accuse them of witchcraft and get them either beaten or killed. In addition to the setting of Salem Village, Miller describes the wilderness close by. In paragraph 9, stating "The edge of the wilderness" and ending with "lost relatives to these heathen.", what facts does Miller supply about this wilderness setting? It was on the west side of the town, full of mystery. It's described as dark and threatening, where the Indian tribes laid. People lost their lives to the Indians, so they were seen as savages. They were thought to be working with the Devil so people stay away from the forest. How do the stage directions help to characterize Tituba? They give information about Tituba, such as her origin being from Barbados. She's in her mid-40s and is frightened because trouble in Salem seemed to always come back to her and land on her back. She seems intimidated by Reverend Parris, implying that she could've been abused by Parris. She gets bullied in the town since she's from Barbados, so it makes her an easy fault to push the blame onto. She has her own religious practices, so she is often thought to be a witch. It shows how she truly loves the girls and has a good how. We know that she's not in contact with the devil at all. How do the stage directions help to characterize Abigail Williams? They show how Abigail is guilty of something and clearly has something to hide. She an orphan, beautiful, and tends to hide her emotions/feelings. In other words, she's a deceptive character. She has a temper that comes out when she's questioned about the events from the forest. She presents sadness for Betty while Reverend Parris is in the room, but then yells at her when he leaves. She's a bit of a bully and calls Goody Proctor a sniveling woman who wanted her as a slave and is a liar. She's arrogant.