The Crucible Themes

The Individual and the Community Act 1 Proctor – doesn’t believe in witchraft, Abigail tells him the truth Mary Warren – the only girl who wants to tell the truth about dancing Parris – feels isolated from community over pay and lack of respect Rebecca Nurse – the voice of reason, doesn’t believe girls under any kind of spell

The Individual and the Community Act 2 Community – supporting Abigail and the girls – belief in their accusations Individual: Proctor – not attending church regularly / his conflict with Parris over money and his style of preaching Hale – as an outsider – begins to have doubts about those accused Mary Warren – is part of community BUT is being forced by Proctor to step outside their influence which she believes will place her in danger

The Individual and the Community Act 3 Court proceedings seemed to be a ‘day out’ a ‘social event’, a spectacle / entertainment for the community Mary Warren – individual but is turned because of peer pressure / of community – not strong enough to hold onto integrity Proctor – individual – ends with him being accused – body of community against him, admitting a sin weakens his standing in community Admitting lechery at this point weakens his argument as can be seen only as a defence of Elizabeth Or strengthens this argument as why would he lie as it involves losing his good name

The Individual and the Community Act 3 Elizabeth – individual as an accused – but allows the community to be caught up in the hysteria – she doesn’t stand against it Hale – individual – voice of objection to the way proceeding being carried out – demands Proctor be allowed a lawyer Giles Corey – individual – refuses to give name of source, strength of character – protecting the innocent – gets arrested for his actions

Ignorance v’s wisdom Act 1 Ignorance: Giles Corey – his wife Marth reading books Goody Putnam – deaths of babies Belief in girls flying Wisdom: Rebecca Nurse not believing girls ‘witched’

Ignorance v’s wisdom Act 2 Cheever – ignorant as he totally believes in Abigail’s story and witchcraft Wisdom Could argue that Abigail has this as she is aware of her influence over the court and that she would be believed, wise to her own power Hale shows that he is thinking, he is not totally convinced by the accusations, but at this point is not ready to take a stand or speak out against the proceedings. He still has a strong belief in the church and justice.

Ignorance v’s wisdom Act 3 Hale – knows it’s wrong to allow proceedings to go ahead as they are but feels unable to force change. Danforth – uses his education and position of power to manipulate the situation to prevent himself from looking like a fool / to patronise and take advantage of those less educated Giles Corey – wise – because of his deposition and experience in court, his knowledge of what will happen to his source if he gives him up. Mary Warren – ignorant as she chooses the easy path although she knows it to be wrong and a lie

Ignorance v’s wisdom Act 3 Parris – ignorant as still trying to protect his own reputation by undermine Proctor Abigail – wisdom – because she is clever enough to realise that threatening Danforth is not a good idea and turns on Mary instead, who she successfully manipulates to return to her ‘community’.

Hysteria Act 1 Abigail The girls join in the chorus

Hysteria Act 2 Proctor’s response to Elizabeth’s arrest Ripping up the warrant Mary Warren’s response to the thought of challenging Abigail The number of accusations of witchcraft having risen so as 14 were in jail

Hysteria Act 3 Abigail and the girls accusing Mary Warren Mary Warren’s accusation of Proctor Proctor’s outburst at the end of the act

Cruelty in the name of Righteousness Threats to Tituba of death if she didn’t confess

Cruelty in the name of Righteousness Elizabeth being chained following her arrest Rebecca Nurse being accused of killing goody Putnam's babies

Cruelty in the name of Righteousness Act 3 The court’s treatment of Giles Corey Mary Warren’s treatment of Proctor

Corruption and Justice Abigail – corrupt as she is prepared to falsely accuse innocent people to get her own way The court – corrupt as has arrested Rebecca Nurse for killing goody Putnam’s babies with no evidence Justice – Hale strongly believes in the justice of the court, that the innocent will be exonerated (their names cleared) Proctor – doesn’t believe the court is just, but believes in justice in the wider sense

Corruption and Justice Act 3 Danforth – the way he conducts proceedings His argument about not needing lawyers His belief in Abigail, against a reasonable defence which shows motive, by Proctor Elizabeth’s belief in the system