According to Elizabeth, the danger in accusing her is that Abigail can claim lechery on John. John could go to the Salem Court House and say that the girls are frauds but Abigail has the upper hand because she is an official of the court now. Abigail has accused Elizabeth because she intends to take her place as John’s wife after Elizabeth is hanged for witchcraft.
From a dramatic point of view, why does Miller have Hale appear at the point he does on p.61?
Miller has Hale appear at the point he does on p.61 because the argument between John and Elizabeth is at its height. The moment the Proctors realise Hale is there they stop instantly and suddenly all their emotions are buried, they have to stop to maintain their status as a good Christian couple. This makes it even more frustrating for them both and puts them on the defensive. At this point Hale is just trying to find out some information from the townspeople so that he can make a judgement on Betty. So when Hale begins to ask them questions about witchcraft and religion whilst they’re on the defensive they make him feel unwelcome unintentionally, this raises Hale’s suspicions.
What do Proctor’s answers to Hale’s questions reveal about his feelings towards Mr. Parris? Why are they dangerous answers?
Proctor’s short and abrupt answers to Hale’s questions reveal his feelings toward Reverend Parris. After Hale had presented to him the fact that two of his children aren’t baptised and he hasn’t attended Sabbath often lately, Proctor justifies himself by stating that he doesn’t want Parris to baptize his children because he simply can’t stand the man. This answer is dangerous because, as Hale says, Parris has been ordained therefore he is a man of God. This would make people question Proctor’s confidence in faith and make him vulnerable to accusations.
What points does Proctor make on p.66 and 72 that in fact explain all the recent events in Salem?
The points that Proctor makes on pages 66 and 72 are;
- People are using the opportunity to accuse others of witchcraft to begrudge their enemies after all.
- Also that the accuser isn’t always innocent.
- And that people will swear to anything before they hang. That is why so many have admitted to compacting with Lucifer.
In this section of the play Proctor is in fact speaking Millers thoughts because the book was written in the 1950’s when McCarthyism was an issue.
What ‘proofs’ are there that Elizabeth is a witch?
The ‘proof’ that Elizabeth is being accused for witchcraft under is on p.69-71. A poppet is found in the Proctors house, which Mary Warren had sewn earlier in court. A needle was found in the stomach of the poppet, a needle had also been found 3 inches deep in Abigail’s stomach. The accusation is that Elizabeth sent out her spirit to stab Abigail with the needle.
Comment on the ending of Act Two from a dramatic point of view.
The whole of Act Two is set in the Proctor’s house, this helps to build tension as there is no distraction with the location so your entire focus is on the characters. The tension is also built up by the fact that the amount of characters in the room increases as the more traumatic it gets for the Proctors, this brings a certain claustrophobia into the scene. The frustration rapidly increases and the audience is really engrossed in the moment. The aggressiveness from John Proctor towards Mary Warren is really quite threatening which makes the audience uneasy, this act also ends on an exclamation mark, this is the crescendo. As soon as the last line has been said the curtain falls and this is the climax, the audience is once again left with a massive contrast to dwell on.
