Indirect Characterization The Crucible Act I II In

Indirect Characterization The Crucible Act I & II

In The Crucible: Indirect Characterization the process by which the writer shows the character's personality through speech, actions and appearance We try to get a clue to character motivations and values based on what they say and their choice of action based on their situation. Your Logo or Name Here 2

Our Character Focus: Act I Rev. Parris Abigail Williams John Proctor Tituba Minister of Salem Village Niece of the Minister Farmer and Member of the Salem Meeting Slave of Rev. Parris Your Logo or Name Here 3

Our Character Focus: Act II John Proctor Husband of Elizabeth, father of three boys Elizabeth Proctor Wife of John Proctor, covenanted woman of Salem church Rev. Hale Expert on occult and reverend assisting in discovering the presence of witches in Salem Mary Warren Servant in the Proctor household Your Logo or Name Here 4

Process of discovering Indirect Characterization Find Clues Examine: Identify Quotes What quotes illustrate key details about the What the characters say, characters and provide clues. How they respond to each other, Reflect on What is Revealed Think carefully and identify what the quote reveals about the character Choice of Action Your Logo or Name Here 5

Reverend Parris “…There be no unnatural causes here…put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none. ” (Act 1: P 1) - He is very insistent that there is “no unnatural causes” involved. - Sounds like he is afraid - What is he afraid of? Your Logo or Name Here 6

Reverend Parris “And what shall I say to them? That my daughter and my niece I discovered dancing like heathen in the forest? !” (Act 1: P 1) - He is afraid to tell his congregation that he found his daughter and niece dancing. - Use of the word “heathen” implies it goes against Christianity. - It would make him look bad. Your Logo or Name Here 7

Reverend Parris “…Now my ministry’s at stake; my ministry and perhaps your cousin’s life…” (Act 1: P 2) - This reveals that he is afraid of losing his job if the congregation finds out. - His concern for his daughter is secondary. - He is afraid that it will look bad and he will be fired because of what Abigail and Betty did. Your Logo or Name Here 8

Reverend Parris This statement gets to the heart of Parris and his concerns. He doesn’t want to be fired. Betty, Abigail and Tituba getting brought up on witchcraft charges would hurt his reputation. He also would probably not get another job in ministry. “I pray you, leap not to witchcraft. I know that you, . . . Thomas, would ever wish so disastrous charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such a corruption in my house. ” (Act 1, P 3) Your Logo or Name Here 9

Abigail: “Uncle, the rumor of witchcraft is all about; I think you’d best go down and deny it yourself. ” (Act 1, P 1) Abigail is worried about the rumors of witchcraft and wants her uncle to deny it. Why? Your Logo or Name Here 10

Abigail: “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it. But they’re speakin’ of witchcraft…” She confesses to dancing, which is punishable by whipping, but witchcraft is punishable by hanging. She is afraid of being accused of witchcraft Your Logo or Name Here 11

Rev. Parris to Abigail: “…is there any other cause than you have told me for Goody Proctor discharging you? ” (Act 1, P 2) We find out that Abigail has been fired from her previous job, the question is why? Your Logo or Name Here 12

Rev. Parris to Abigail: “…It has troubled me that you are now seven months out of their house, and in all this time no other family has called for your service. ” (Act 1, P 2) Whatever happened at her last job, it is implied that no one else in town wants to hire her. We can infer she did something really bad. Your Logo or Name Here 13

Betty to Abigail: “You drank blood, Abby, …You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife!. . . ” (Act 1, P 5) This means that technically Abigail did do witchcraft and is guilty, which is why she wants to just get punished for dancing. Dancing is a lesser charge. -Why does she want to kill Goody Proctor? -What does this have to do with her being fired? Your Logo or Name Here 14

Abigail: “We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. ” (Act 1, P 5) Abigail is telling Marcy, Mercy and Betty to get the story straight so that they don’t contradict each other. She is afraid of getting caught and getting hanged for witchcraft. Your Logo or Name Here 15

Abigail: “…let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will cometo you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy rechoning that will shudder you. ” (Act 1, P 5) Abigail threatens to stab the others if they don’t keep quiet. This shows she is VERY dark and violent. Willing to do anything to get her way. Your Logo or Name Here 16

Abigail: Stage Directions for when John Proctor enters: “Abigail has stood absorbing his presence, wide-eyed…Abigail springs into his path. ” (Act 1, P 6) It implies that Abigail is attracted to John and is surprised to see him. Then she wants his attention. Your Logo or Name Here 17

Abigail: “Give me a word, John. A soft word… I am waitin’ for you every night. ” (Act 1, P 6) This gives clues that something happened between John and Abigail. She is waiting for him to come for her. The question is, how far did things go between them? (This might be why Abigail got fired. ) Your Logo or Name Here 18

Abigail: “I know how you clutched my back behind your house…I saw your face when she put me out and you loved me then and you do now!” (Act 1, P 6) This implies that John and Abigail had an affair. That is why Elizabeth Proctor fired her. Abigail believes that John loves her. Your Logo or Name Here 19

Abigail on Elizabeth Proctor: “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold sniveling woman and you bend to her!. . . ” (Act 1, P 7) Abigail claims Elizabeth is lying about her, but she just admitted to having an affair with John. She hates Elizabeth because she thinks Elizabeth is ruining her reputation, but she also hates Elizabeth because it means Abigail can’t have John. Your Logo or Name Here 20

John Proctor Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time… …But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. … Wipe it out of mind – we never touched Abby. (Act 1, P 6) We can tell that John had feelings for Abigail, but he is determined that the affair is over. He wants to forget it ever happened. He shows regret for it (but it also shows he is afraid of others finding out. ) Your Logo or Name Here 21

• “I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away from church these days because he hardly ever mentions God any more. (Act 1, P 8) • “My followers!. . . Against you? . . . Why, then I must find it and join it. … I like not the smell of this “authority”…” (Act 1: P 8 -9) John Proctor How he feels about Rev. Parris • This shows that John Proctor does not like Rev. Parris and feels a great deal of animosity. He is considering leaving the church. That is a big deal because the whole community is a theocracy and centers around the church. To openly defy the church (via the Minister) is dangerous. • John Proctor is showing himself to be very vocal about his feelings and opinions regarding his community and criticism of Rev. Parris. Your Logo or Name Here 22

- “The Deputy Governor promise hangin’ if they’ll not confess, John. … Mary Warren speak of Abigail as though she were a saint, to hear her. …” (Act 2, P 17) - “Let you go to Ezekiel Cheever – he knows you well. And tell him what she said to you last week in her uncle’s house. She said it had naught to do with witchcraft, …” Act 2 : Elizabeth Proctor What can we tell about her from her thoughts on Abigail and her interactions with John Proctor - “God forbid you keep that from the courst, John; I think they must be told…” - “I would go to Salem now, John…let you go tonight. ” (Act 2, P 17) - Elizabeth encourages John to do the right thing so innocent people aren’t hurt. Your Logo or Name Here 23

“Proctor: I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. … She told it to me in a room alone – I have no proof for it. Elizabeth: You were alone with her? Proctor: For a moment alone, aye. Elizabeth: Why, then, it is not as you told me…” Act 2 : Elizabeth Proctor What can we tell about her from her thoughts on Abigail and her interactions with John Proctor - You can tell that John’s affair hurt the trust Elizabeth has in him. Her reaction tells you that she worries that John will go back to Abigail. Your Logo or Name Here 24

Proctor: Woman, I’ll not have your suspicion any more. … I’ll not have it! Elizabeth: Then let you not earn it. … John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not. Act 2 : Elizabeth Proctor What can we tell about her from her thoughts on Abigail and her interactions with John Proctor - Elizabeth points out that John’s reluctance to harm Abigail’s reputation shows that he still has some feelings for Abigail. - Could it also be that he is afraid Abigail will turn on. Yourhim publicly? 25 Logo or Name Here

Proctor: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth… Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more. Elizabeth: I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John, only somewhat bewildered. Act 2 : Elizabeth Proctor What can we tell about her from her thoughts on Abigail and her interactions with John Proctor - Elizabeth points out that John assumes she judges him because he still feels guilty over what he did. She says she thinks he is a good man. She cares for Your her. Logohusband. or Name Here 26

Hale: Let you repeat them, if you will. Proctor: …The Commandments? (John Proctor repeats all the commandments except for struggling trying to remember one) Elizabeth: (Reminding him) Adultery, John. Elizabeth & John Proctor Relationship - The irony is that the commandment against adultery is the one that John broke with Abigail. He forgot it in practice and forgets it when he repeats the list. Your Logo or Name Here 27

Do you think that John and Elizabeth have a good relationship? Why or why not? Is John still in love with Abigail, or is he more worried about other people finding out and that’s why he won’t tell anyone? Elizabeth & John Proctor Relationship What do you think Elizabeth’s interactions with her husband how she has handled his infidelity says about her? Your Logo or Name Here 28