characters

• Who is Reverend Parris?

  A selfish, power-hungry man
• What is Reverend Parris chiefly concerned with?

  Authority and social status
• How does Parris's paranoia affect his view of John Proctor?

  He sees Proctor as a threat to his power
• What does Parris believe about the church's faction?

  They want to oust him from power
• What does Parris accuse Proctor of doing?

  Blackening his name
• How does Parris react to his daughter's illness?

  He is more concerned about his reputation
• What does Parris lament about his household's situation?

  It is at the center of an obscene practice
• What does Parris do during the trial regarding Mary Warren's testimony?

  He accuses her of lying
• Why does Parris fear the consequences of the trials?

  He fears losing his authority and facing revolt
• What does Parris declare about hanging Proctor?

  There is danger for him
• What motivates Parris's actions throughout the play?

  Self-interest and obsession with reputation
• What does Parris's character represent in the play?

  • Obsession with reputation
  • Compromise of ethics
  • Consequences of paranoia
• Who is Betty Parris?

  Reverend Parris's daughter
• What happens to Betty after the forest incident?

  She falls into a strange stupor
• Who is Abigail Williams?

  The villain of the play
• What motivates Abigail's actions in the play?

  Jealousy and desire for revenge
• How does Abigail's background influence her actions?

  She is an orphan and low in social status
• What power does Abigail gain during the trials?

  She can accuse others of witchcraft
• What does Abigail do to Elizabeth Proctor?

  Accuses her of witchcraft
• How does Mary Warren's character differ from Abigail's?

  Mary is weak and prone to hysterics
• What internal conflict does Mary Warren face?

  She knows the girls are lying but fears them
• Who is Mercy Lewis?

  Abigail's closest friend
• Who is Ruth Putnam?

  The Putnams' lone surviving child
• What happens to Ruth after the forest incident?

  She falls into a strange stupor
• Who is Susanna Wallcot?

  A nervous girl working for Dr. Griggs
• What is Tituba's role in the play?

  She is a scapegoat for the witch hunt
• How does Tituba's confession reflect her situation?

  She confesses to survive and shift blame
• What does Tituba say about Reverend Parris?

  She claims the devil says he is no good
• What happens to Tituba by Act 4?

  She descends into madness
• What is Sarah Good accused of?

  Witchcraft
• How does Sarah Good's situation reflect societal issues?

  Her poverty leads to her rejection
• Who is John Proctor?

  The play's tragic hero
• What is Proctor's fatal flaw?

  His lust for Abigail Williams
• How does Proctor attempt to stop Abigail's actions?

  By confessing to his adultery
• What does Proctor realize too late?

  That the truth cannot stop the frenzy
• What does Proctor refuse to do at the end of the play?

  Provide a false confession
• What does Elizabeth Proctor represent in the play?

  The idea of goodness and fatal flaws
• How does Elizabeth change throughout the play?

  She becomes wiser and more reflective
• What does John Hale represent in the play?

  The intellectual yet naïve witch-hunter
• When does Hale first appear in the play?

  In Act I