1. Act One

2. 1. Why is Reverend Parris praying at the beginning of Act One?
He’s worried for his daughter.

3. 1. Might he have more than one reason?
He also could be worried for himself.

4. 2. What did Reverend Parris do before coming to Salem?
He was a businessman.

5. 3. Who is Tituba?
Parris’ Negro slave from Barbados.

6. 4. What is the relationship between Abigail and Reverend Parris?
She is his niece.

7. 4. Why does she live with him?
She is an orphan whose parents died.

8. 5. What rumors are circulating in the village?
Witchcraft has taken hold of the children.

9. 6. Describe what Reverend Parris encountered in the woods
6. Describe what Reverend Parris encountered in the woods. Why would this be an especially upsetting sight for a Puritan minister?
He saw the girls dancing and one was naked.
Dancing was not allowed in Puritan society.

10. 7. What happened to Abigail seven months before Act One?
She was fired from the Proctor household.

11. 8. What reason does Abigail give for being dismissed from the Proctor residence?
That Elizabeth wanted a slave

12. 9. What similarity exists between Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris?
Young afflicted girls

13. 9. What difference do the Putnams notice?
Ruth’s eyes are open and Betty’s are closed.

14. 10. What tragedy occurred in Mrs. Putnam’s life?
She lost seven children in childbirth.

15. 11. Why did Mrs. Putnam contact Tituba?
In hopes that Tituba’s conjuring knowledge would contact her dead babies’ spirits and explain their deaths.

16. 12. In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with the girls?
She becomes bossy and mean.

17. 12. What does this reveal about her character?
We can see that she is a fake.

18. 13. In what way does Abigail’s behavior change when she is alone with Proctor?
She is love struck.

19. 13. What do we learn about Abigail and Proctor in this scene?
They had an affair.

20. 14. Who is Rebecca Nurse?
A kind, elderly lady in town.

21. 14. What effect does her presence have on Betty?
She calms Betty.

22. 15. How does Mrs. Putnam feel about Rebecca? Why?
She is jealous because Rebecca has a healthy family.

23. 16. Who is Giles Corey?
A cantankerous old guy.

24. 16. How does John Proctor seem to feel about Giles?
John seems to like him in spite of his funny ways.

25. 17. Proctor is not a fan of Parris’ preaching
17. Proctor is not a fan of Parris’ preaching. What reasons does he give for his dislike?
Parris is too focused on Hell and is greedy.

26. 18. Explain the argument regarding Reverend Parris’ salary
18. Explain the argument regarding Reverend Parris’ salary. What does this reveal about Reverend Parris?
Parris says he has no money for firewood and counts that allowance as part of his salary.
He is greedy.

27. 19. Explain the land dispute between Putnam and Proctor
19. Explain the land dispute between Putnam and Proctor. What does Giles tell us about Putnam?
Putnam claims land was willed to him by his father, but Proctor bought the land from Francis Nurse.
Giles said Putnam’s father willed away land that didn’t belong to him in the first place.

28. 20. Who is Reverend Hale?
An expert on witches.

29. 20. For what reason is he called to Salem?
He was called in from Beverly to investigate the situation.

30. 21. What question does Giles Corey have for Reverend Hale?
He wants to know why his wife reads books.

31. 22. Why does Abigail blame Tituba for the incident in the woods?
She tries to divert attention from herself.

32. 22. What effect does this accusation have on Reverend Hale’s questioning of Abigail?
The tactic works.

33. 23. Why does Tituba confess to seeing the devil?
She sees that she has no way out.

34. 23. What women does she claim to have seen with the devil?
She says she saw Osburn and Good with the devil to get Hale to lessen his questioning of her.

35. 23. What effect do these accusations have on Reverend Hale’s questioning of Tituba?
It works.

36. 24. Why does Abigail join Tituba in the calling of names?
She sees that it worked for Tituba, and maybe she is caught up in the excitement.

37. 24. What effect does this have on the other girls in the room?
The other girls follow suit.

38. 25. Act One ends with the following stage direction: “On their ecstatic cries.” What does this direction imply?
Many more are named, and the scene is mass hysteria.