The Crucible - Key Moments

Question 1

What is the introduction for the Crucible?

Answer 1

• ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller is a play which is set in the 1600s, in Salem, Massachusetts based on the real-life Salem Witch Trials which happened at the same time.

Question 2

What is the first key moment from the Crucible?

Answer 2

A key moment from The Crucible is throughout Act 1 when the girls decide to blame the other women in the village to save themselves.

Question 3

What is the key quote of the first moment?

Answer 3

“I saw Tituba with the devil”

Question 4

How is the first moment an essential scene?

Answer 4

• This is an essential scene in the play as this starts the beginning of the witch trial the girls are falsely accusing women of being witches, particularly Abigail.

Question 5

What does the first moment highlight in terms of themes?

Answer 5

• In addition to this, this highlights the social/historical context of the play and the Role of Women as the ‘Crucible’ was set Salem, Massachusetts throughout the 1600s when slavery was prominent meaning low status.
• Women were expected to be housewives who only needed to take care of the children which also gave them low status.

Question 6

How was Tituba on the lower scale of the hierarchy compared to Abigail?

Answer 6

• Tituba was a slave and a woman, meaning she was extremely low on the hierars the town and treated with more disrespect
• Compared to Abigail, who is seen as innocent and wo never tell a lie, as she is a child.

Question 7

How as a Director would you highlight the first moment by using drama terms?

Answer 7

• As a Director, I would highlight this key moment to the audience by asking my actor Abigail to use a loud volume, a terrified tone with a high pitch.
• I would also ask her to move from her original spot of centerstage left to downstage center proxemics, while using closed body language such as her hand to her mouth, with her arm pointing out towards Tituba.

Question 8

By using drama terms, how would this highlight the themes of the first moment?

Answer 8

• This would highlight the theme of reputation and integrity as Abigail at this moment blames Tituba for witchcraft to protect her reputation from faltering, instead of protecting her integrity, highlighting Abigail’s motivations and her selfishness throughout this moment, even showing how manipulative she is as the other girls’ flock to her side and start falsely accusing people.

Question 9

How would the audience understand from drama terms of the first moment?

Answer 9

• The audience would understand from Abigail’s movements and her high pitch of voice that this is an extremely climatic moment.

Question 10

What is a second key moment throughout the Crucible?

Answer 10

A second key moment from ‘The Crucible’ is throughout Act 1 when John Proctor and Abigail Williams are left alone together for the first time, and Abigail flirts with John, but he dismisses her.

Question 11

What is the quote for the second key moment?

Answer 11

“But I will cut off my hand before l’lI ever reach for you again”

Question 12

What does the second key quote reveal?

Answer 12

This reveals that they had previously had an affair, Abigail wants it to continue, but John deeply regrets it in contrast.

Question 13

What does the second moment highlight in terms of themes?

Answer 13

• This highlights the themes of puritanism.
• In the puritan religion throughout this society, which was distinguished in the 1600s Salem, the punishment for lechery for your hand to be sliced off, and John highlights this within his line as he would rather cut off his own hand than be with her which shows his true regret for what he had previously done with her.

Question 14

How does the second key moment highlight John’s Character throughout the play?

Answer 14

• This also foreshadows John’s character development throughout the play, for when John eventually admits to having an affair with Abigail when he otherwise could not be, beforehand in this scene but does it for his wife whom he still loves to possibly forgive him.

Question 15

How as a Director would you use drama terms to highlight the second key moment?

Answer 15

• As a Director, I would highlight this key moment to the audience by asking my actor Abigail Williams to use open body language such as her arms open with direct eye contact with John, a cheerful facial expression, a joyful gait and her posture upright.
• I would ask her to be downstage right meanwhile I’d ask my actor of John Proctor to not maintain eye contact with Abigail with a worried facial expression and closed body language such as crossed arms and looking over his shoulder to check if anyone was there.
• John Proctor would use a quiet volume, with a sharp but angry tone with a low pitch.

Question 16

How would drama terms highlight themes within the second key moment?

Answer 16

• This would highlight the secrets and deceit among puritanism as they have sinned against the religion, they must keep the affair a secret as people were not allowed to act against the religion, showing the use of the quiet volume and low pitch which John uses.

Question 17

What would the audience gather from the drama terms used on the second key moment?

Answer 17

• The audience would gather from this that John is very uncomfortable in this moment when Abigail is very outright, and flirtatious, showing John is very guilt-ridden for having the affair with her.
• It would begin to show the audience that Proctor is determined to be faithful to his wife and that he is trying to live by the puritan religion he once sinned against.

Question 18

What is the third key moment within the Crucible?

Answer 18

Another key moment in ‘The Crucible’ is within Act 1 when Parris has caught Abigail dancing in the forest with the other girls and he thinks they have been casting spells.

Question 19

What is the third key quote?

Answer 19

Parris quotes:” …for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.”

Question 20

What does the third key quote reveal about the moment?

Answer 20

This reveals that Abigail and Parris are related and that he is very angry with her for casting spells and dancing in the woods, which she will not admit.

Question 21

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the third key moment?

Answer 21

• As a Director I would highlight this to the audience by asking my actor of Parris to be in close proxemics to Abigall, maintaining eye contact with her with an enraged facial expression with his arms on her shoulders with a loud volume, ap outraged tone and a low pitch.
• I would ask Abigail to use a scared tone with a high-pitched voice and a quiet volume, with her body language closed as she would not maintain eye contact with Parris and would use a suilt-ridden facial expression with her arms crossed.

Question 22

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the themes of the third key moment?

Answer 22

This would highlight secrets and deceit as Abigail has sinned against religion for being an individual, both she and Parris are keeping this secret to protect both of their reputations, meaning they are fighting against religion.

Question 23

What would the audience gather about the third key moment?

Answer 23

• The audience would gather the tension between the two and how this is despicable how they are covering this up.

Question 24

What is the fourth key moment within the Crucible?

Answer 24

Another key moment within ‘The Crucible’ is within Act 2 when the audience first meets Elizabeth
Proctor when John comes home from a late day in the field, and they start arguing over Abigail, and John is fed up with it.

Question 25

What is the fourth key quote in the Crucible?

Answer 25

John says, “Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month she is gone. I have not moved from there without I think to please you.”

Question 26

What does the fourth key quote show?

Answer 26

This shows that John is fed up with pleasing Elizabeth and proves that he fully regrets the affair. It also shows that Elizabeth cannot trust John with her feelings anymore, since she feels betrayed.

Question 27

What does the fourth key quote highlight in terms of themes?

Answer 27

• This highlights the themes of reputation and integrity as John sees this mistake that Elizabeth is holding over him as a tarnish to his integrity and this will guilt him throughout the play.
• He is earning Elizabeth’s trust and that becomes his central motivation throughout the play, and he cannot forgive himself for this sin.

Question 28

How does the fourth key moment foreshadow events?

Answer 28

• This foreshadows the events that will happen later in the play as his wish to win Elizabeth’s respect will eventually lead to him giving up his life.

Question 29

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the fourth key moment?

Answer 29

• As a Director, I would highlight this moment to the audience by asking my actor John Proctor to use a loud volume, a low pitch with a despairing tone when he yells at Elizabeth.
• He would make direct eye contact with Elizabeth with an angry facial expression with his arms flailing above Elizabeth to show his true anger and desperation.

Question 30

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the fourth key moment? (Elizabeth)

Answer 30

• I would have Elizabeth, not maintaining eye contact, looking at the ground and with a shocked facial expression.

Question 31

How would the fourth key moment though drama terms highlight main themes?

Answer 31

• This would highlight the Role of Women in the 1600s as women were to be expected to be seen as housewives, maids or child takers, and were seen as weak in comparison to men.
• In this scene, Elizabeth is exactly this; weak against John as he is the “man of the house”, and it shows the difference in status between them both in this scene and later in the play.

Question 32

What would the audience gather about the fourth key moment?

Answer 32

• The audience would see how fragile their relationship is with John being angry and Elizabeth being weak-minded.

Question 33

What is the final key moment in the Crucible?

Answer 33

• A final key moment in ‘The Crucible’ is within Act 3 where John Proctor confesses to his sin with Abigail Williams and only did it to protect his wife, and he says his wife would never tell a lie.

Question 34

What is the final quote within the Crucible’s final key moment,

Answer 34

• This is when Elizabeth Proctor enters and is told nothing and is asked whether her husband is a lecherer and she says
  “No, sir.”

Question 35

What does the final quote show?

Answer 35

• This shows that Elizabeth Proctor lied in court, which is a complete contrast to what the town had previously believed in her.

Question 36

What does the final key moment highlight in terms of themes?

Answer 36

• This highlights the themes of integrity and reputation as Elizabeth previously had a good reputation where she would ‘never tell a lie’, but now she does tell a lie, meaning her clean slate is now gone, her integrity has been lost.
• It opens the question of who else may be lying within Salem.

Question 37

What does the final key moment highlight in terms of character development?

Answer 37

• It also highlights John’s character development as beforehand he would never have done this as he was ashamed of what he had done, but now to show that he loves Elizabeth, and to stop the immense power of Abigail, he confesses.

Question 38

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the final key moment?

Answer 38

• As a Director, I would ask my actor Elizabeth Proctor not to maintain eve contact and look at John Proctor, to have her head down, with her arms in-front of her and with a blank facial expression.
  I would have Elizabeth speak in a soft tone, a quiet volume and a low pitch.

Question 39

As a Director how would you use drama terms to emphasise the final key moment? (2)

Answer 39

• I would have John Proctor facing towards the wall, where the audience can’t see him with his arms by his sides and his head bowed down.

Question 40

How would the final key moment though drama terms highlight themes?

Answer 40

• This would highlight the Role of Women in the 1600s as women were seen to not tell a lie, to have a good reputation and to be devoted to their husbands.
• Elizabeth in this scene is devoted to her husband even though he had the affair, proving that she still deeply cares about him and would do anything to protect him.

Question 41

What would the audience gather through the final key moment?

Answer 41

• The audience would understand from this moment that it is very climatic and this is because it is unexpected that Elizabeth would protect her husband even though he had cheated on her which goes against the puritan religion that they so deeply care about.

Question 42

What does the third key moment highlight in terms of themes? (1)

Answer 42

• This highlights the theme of puritanism as during the 1600s, this religion was very important to Salem and the religion allowed no individuality, meaning no dancing or freedom.
• Abigail resents the religion since she is a teenager and wants more freedom and individuality, so she sinned against religion and danced, which Parris is furious at.

Question 43

What does the third key moment highlight again in terms of themes? (2)

Answer 43

• This leads to the theme of reputation and integrity Parris at this moment cares more about his reputation than his own daughter’s safety and his own integrity.
• This is because if Abigail’s sin gets out into the town, his reputation will be tarnished as he is her uncle, and he cannot have that happen.