Act I, scene i Guided Reading: Focusing on Character Words to know for Act I, scene i 1. Dissembling (adj.): someone who conceals true motives. 2. Heathen (noun): someone who doesn’t believe in God—not religious. 3. Quavering (verb): to shake or tremble. 4. Trafficked (verb): communicated with. 5. Conjure (verb): to make something appear unexpectedly as if by magic. 6. Abomination (noun): an intense disgust; something terrible and horrible. 7. Begrudge (verb): to give up with displeasure. 8. Naught (noun): nothing. 9. Formidable (adj.): inspiring fear by being large or imposing. 10. Contention (noun): fighting; arguing. 11. Covenanted (adj.): agreed upon by religious contract; baptism. As we read through Act I, we’ll be taking notes on the important components of the characters. Character Character Notes Abigail Williams Reverend Parris The Putnam Family John Proctor Tituba Reverend Hale Act I Comprehension Questions: 1. Describe the three personalities of Abigail Williams. 2. Explain everything that happened in the forest. 3. Why did Goody Putnam send Tituba into the forest? 4. Reread pages 20 and 21. Choose a line from those pages that helps to define Abigail’s character. 5. Reread pages 22‐25. Choose a line from those pages that helps define John’s feelings for Abigail. 6. Why is Reverend Hale in Salem? 7. Why does Abigail lie and tell Hale that Tituba made her talk to the devil? 8. What happens to Tituba that makes her confess? 9. Why does Abigail decide to “open herself” at the end of Act I? What are her motivations for doing this? What kind of power could she now have? Act I, scene ii Guided Reading: Focusing on Conflict Words to know for Act I, scene ii 1. Pretense (noun): an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true. 2. Trepidation (noun): a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen. 3. Licentious (adj.): immoral and unprincipled. 4. Ecstatic (adj.): feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement. Conflict: Abigail vs. John John vs. Himself Proctor vs. Puritan Ideals Example from the text
Link to the thematic topic… Guilt/the past:
Guilt/the past:
Guilt/the past:
Abigail vs. Tituba Fear/manipulation: Tituba vs. Hale and Parris Fear/manipulation: Act I, scene ii Guided Reading Questions Pages 20‐51 1. Describe the relationship between Proctor and Abigail. Be specific. (23). 2. How does John treat Abigail? How does Abigail treat John (24)? What thematic topic can we connect here? 28‐29 and 38‐40: 3. Do Proctor and Parris get along? How do you know? (30). 4. What is Rebecca Nurse’s opinion of the witchcraft? (28). 5. Who is Reverend Hale and what is his purpose for being in Salem? Why is he examining Betty? (38‐41) 6. Why is Abigail so aggressively lying on page 46? What are her motives here for blaming Tituba? 7. Abby’s lies work. What does Hale believe Tituba has done? What thematic topic can we connect here? 8. What do the men threaten Tituba with on page 47? 9. Why does Tituba lie and accuse all of these other people? What is her motivation? 10. Abigail, out of nowhere, changes her story at the end of the act. Why? What opportunity does she see? Act II, scene i Guided Reading: Focusing on Conflict Words to know for Act II, scene i 1. Reprimand (verb): to rebuke. 2. Condemnation (noun): the expression of very strong; sentencing to a punishment. 3. Magistrate (noun): an officer of the state; a person with the power to enforce the law. 4. Bewilder (verb): to confuse. 5. Ameliorate (verb): to make something better. 6. Base (adj.): having low value; lacking higher qualities of mind or body. In the boxes below, you should see some of the major conflicts we’ve been discussing, as well as a few new conflicts that crop up in Act II. Proctor vs. Elizabeth Proctor vs. himself Elizabeth vs. herself Abigail vs. John/Elizabeth/the town Act II, scene i Guided Reading Questions Plot/Discussion Questions: 1. Describe the overall tone of the Proctor relationship based on pages 52‐54. 2. What kind of control does Abigail have over the town now? 3. Why has Elizabeth lost all faith in John when he admits he was alone with Abigail for a moment? Why is this reaction natural? 4. John is frustrated because he is trying to be better after his sin and Elizabeth still judges him, or so he says. Is John justified in his feelings? With whom do you side? 5. How does Mary Warren describe the court and how the women are being “tried” in court? 6. Why will the courts only hang those who DO NOT confess? Why do you think the courts want the people to confess? 7. Why does Elizabeth want John to go to speak to Abigail? Why does she think John can convince Abigail to drop the charges? 8. Why is John angry that he needs to go speak to Abigail? Consider the line “because it speaks deceit.” What does he not want to deal with anymore? 9. What will John need to give up in order to save Elizabeth? Consider that adultery is a crime in this society. What may he have to confront? Act II, scene ii Guided Reading: Focusing on Important Quotations Words to know for Act II, scene ii 1. Evasive (adj.): tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only
indirectly 2. Desperation (noun): a state of despair, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior. 3. Daft (adj.): silly; foolish. 4. Quail (verb): to shrink back in fear; to cower. 5. Vengeance (noun): the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did
something that hurt you or someone else 6. Blasphemy (noun):the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things;
profane talk 7. Lechery (noun): adultery 8. Providence (noun): divine guidance or care. See the important quote sheet I have Act III, scene i Guided Reading: Focusing on Character Words to know for Act III, scene i 1. Deferential (adj.): showing respect for someone older or more authoritative 2. Deposition (noun): out‐f‐court testimony that is written down and used for prosecution CHARACTER CHART: You are to chart two characters in today’s reading: Reverend Hale and Judge Danforth. Your “things to jot down” should be direct examples from the play. • For Hale, jot down three examples of his CHANGING OPINIONS about the witchcraft. • For Danforth, jot down three examples of HIS BEHAVIOR while handling the court’s proceedings. Hale (3 examples of his changing opinions)
Danforth (3 examples of his behavior)
1. 1.
2. 2. 3. 3. Act III, scene i Guided Reading Questions These questions are for you to answer after we read the act today in class. 1. Who is Deputy Governor Danforth? 2. What is the purpose of Giles, Francis Nurse, and Proctor being in court? What are they trying to do? 3. On page 94, what is the importance of Danforth’s question to Proctor? 4. What evidence does Cheever use against John on pages 94 and 95? 5. What deal does Danforth try to cut with Proctor on page 96? What is its significance? 6. Why does Proctor turn down the deal? What is his true purpose in court beyond saving his wife? 7. Summarize Danforth’s small speech on page 99. What does it tell us about his character? 8. On page 104, we see Hale’s true colors shine. What points does he make here? 9. Page 105, then, shows Danforth’s true colors. What is his argument about witchcraft? 10. Danforth draws two possible conclusions about Mary on the top of 107. What are they? Both conclusions have the same consequence. What is it? 11. What does Danforth explain to the girls on page 107? Act III, scene ii Guided Reading: Focusing on Important Events Words to know for Act III, scene ii 1. Indignation (noun): anger over something considered unfair. 2. Incredulous (adj.): disbelief; unwilling to believe something. 3. Accusatory (adj.): indicating or suggesting that one believes a person has done something
wrong. 4. Vanity (noun): excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements. 5. Harlot (noun): a prostitute or promiscuous woman 6. Hysterical (adj.): deriving from or affected by uncontrolled extreme emotion. 7. Denounce (verb): publicly declare to be wrong or evil. Insert the sideways document with the five important events Act IV Guided Reading: Focusing on Important Events Words to know for Act IV, scene i 1. Gibbet (noun): the scaffold 2. Beguile (verb): to trick someone in a deceptive way. 3. Belie (verb): to disguise or contradict There will be no guidance for this reading. Those who are in the audience today, you will be writing down five central lines from Proctor. For each, explain their significance to Proctor’s total development of character. Quotation 1: Significance: Quotation 2: Significance: Quotation 3: Significance: Quotation 4: Significance: