The Crucible

1. Act Two "The little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom and common vengeance writes the law!" The Crucible

2. The Proctor Household • Eight days have passed. Things have moved on in Salem. • The stage directions and dialogue establish this as a domestic setting. • The talk is of planting, children and dinner • In some ways they both seem happy: • Elizabeth “blushing with pleasure”. • Proctor “Lilacs is the smell of nightfall...Massachusetts is a beauty in the spring”.

3. Tension What do the following quotes suggest about the Proctor’s relationship? Proctor “Learn charity, woman...an everlasting funeral marches round your heart”- p 52 Judgement- Proctor says that he feels that his house has become a courtroom where he is judged. Elizabeth replies that the judgement is in his heart. Proctor: “Were I stone I would have cracked for shame this seven month”- p 59 “I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear it free!” p 59

4. Mary Warren How has Mary Warren changed since the opening of the play? Mary seems to have convinced herself that she is telling the truth. “I feel a clamp around my neck...I hear a voice, a screamin' voice.” (p. 54-55) Mary has made a doll for Elizabeth (p. 53) Mary stands up to Proctor (p. 56) Mary says that Elizabeth was mentioned but that she saved her.

5. Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor is disturbed by Mary’s report of events Elizabeth realizes the seriousness: ‘She wants me dead.’ (p. 57) Who wants her dead and more importantly why?

6. Hale “there is a quality of deference, even of guilt about his manner now” (p. 59). What does this stage direction tell us about Mr Hale? Questions the Proctors about not visiting church and their son not having been baptised. Hale: “No – no, I come of my own…your wife’s name is – mentioned in the court” (p. 60). What does Miller do to show Hale’s uncertainty? Think about sentence structure and use of punctuation

7. Proctor & Parris Proctor criticises Parris Bitter tone: “it tells me that a minister may pray to God without he have golden candlesticks upon the altar.” Hale makes him recite the ten commandments- Proctor forgets the one about adultery “Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small” Hale pg 65

8. Elizabeth Proctor Elizabeth shows her honesty: I cannot think the Devil may own a woman’s soul

9. Rebecca's charged! It is the charging of Rebecca Nurse that makes the Proctors realise how much things have got out of hand And which has caused doubts in Hale's mind But he has convinced himself the court is right: “No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack upon this village”. p62

10. Accusing Abigail Miller provides various points in the play where he suggests that things might be brought under control. Page 65: I know the children's sickness had naught to do with witchcraft. Hale seems shocked but Proctor convinces him by his honesty and with flattery, “such a steadyminded minister as you”

11. Francis Nurse Tells the Proctors his wife has been arrested for murdering Goody Putnam’s babies. Francis: “My wife is the very brick and mortar of the church” Hale is shocked:“[…deeply troubled…]if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning…the court will send her home, I know it.” p67 He loses his conviction: pleading...in great pain Corey's wife has been accused of killing pigs

12. Ezekiel Cheever Elizabeth is accused of using the doll (or poppet) to inflict harm on Abigail. “She must be ripped out of the world.” p71 Proctor rips up the arrest warrant. “Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem – vengeance is walking Salem…the crazy little children are jangling the keys of the kingdom” p72 Explain what Proctor means here?

13. Elizabeth’s Calm Demeanor In contrast Elizabeth is calm and collected: “I think I must go with them. Mary, there is bread enough for the morning; you will bake in the afternoon. Help Mr Proctor as you were his daughter – you owe me that, and much more” Hale’s doubts have grown although he struggles to confess this: “Proctor, I cannot think God be provoked so grandly by such a petty cause…such confusion strikes upon the world.”

14. Proctor • Look at the end of Act Two • Proctor “Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretence is ripped away” • What does Proctor mean by this? • What does Proctor decide to do? • Find and analyse 2 quotes to show the importance of this decision.