"the crucible" act four
TRANSCRIPT
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Do Now: Look at the photo on page 197. Where are Proctor and the women being taken? What about the photo conveys a
sense of hopelessness?
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• execution • “it’s a proper morning to fly into
Hell”• day’s events will be very grim• jail-like appearance of the cart• chains that bind the characters
– no escape, Proctor looks vacant, like a caged animal
• the woman next to him has her eyes closed, trying to block out the scene or showing resignation
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• Sarah Good’s state of mind is fragile and almost delirious – responds to the Devil as an unseen master and babbles about being transformed into a bluebird and flying off to Barbados with Tituba
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• In lines 52-80• “bitter cold” outside
(58) • no fire for warmth
(76-77); • the only physical
comfort is “old rags and straw” (55)
• the smell is terrible (80)
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• People have been executed - the cows are wandering aimlessly around the village since their owners have died
• orphans in town• crops are rotting • Parris is acting as
though he were insane – guilt?
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• Parris asks Danforth to postpone the executions
• Parris is actually trying to save his own skin-villagers are doubting the veracity of the trials and to blame Parris for instigating them
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• Abigail and Mercy Lewis they have disappeared, along with all Parris’ money – worried about their own safety
• Parris fears there will be a riot
• the people of Andover have overthrown the court, fed up with the witchcraft trials – rebellion
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• People like Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor still carry a lot of weight in the town; their deaths might result in vengeance, especially toward Parris
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• The confession of a Rebecca Nurse or a John Proctor would convince the town that anyone can be linked with the Devil and that the witch trials were accurate
• If they maintain innocence the town might have doubts about the court; honest people will weep for them and the purpose of the court will lose its goodness since it will be seen as killing good people
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• Parris - there was a dagger stuck in his door – a warning or assassination attempt
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• Danforth cannot pardon those who refuse to confess because 12 people have already been hanged for the same crime
• to pardon others would be unjust and cast doubt
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• Mob action that rises from hysteria feeds on excessive emotion from the crowd
• Parris is afraid that hysteria will turn against him
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• Hale is trying to convince Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor to lie and to admit to witchcraft
• feels guilty for participating in the deaths of others and wants to save lives at all cost; he screams “there is blood on my head”
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• Lines 344-360. He admits that his initial views regarding the witch hunt were misdirected.
• whatever he touched with his law and religion died;
• any faith that leads to the loss of life or asks for a blood sacrifice should be abandoned
• Life is God’s greatest gift • “God damns a liar less than he
that throws away his life away for pride. Pride is Lucifer’s sin.” – pride is worse
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• Elizabeth Proctor is brought to see John to convince him to confess
• this will prove to the community that the witchcraft charges are true not only about him but about all the other upstanding citizens who are awaiting execution
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• Lines 368-386. Elizabeth is proud and refuses to be controlled by Danforth. “I promise nothing” = defiance.
• She has been used before and condemned John when she didn’t speak the truth about his affair with Abby = has learned that she cannot trust the court
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• Giles Corey would not answer or acknowledge the charges against him.
• “More weight” - courage• his big mouth had gotten his wife in trouble –
he refuses to open his mouth to accuse anyone
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• The hysterical search for the Devil was supposed to protect people, instead, it is destroying them.
• Proctors = a husband and wife are torn apart, a father will die unnecessarily, children lose their parents
• Elizabeth hasn’t seen the sons in months, the new baby will never know its father
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• Proctor asks which people have confessed to witchcraft
• he is thinking that he might confess to stay with his family, but none of the good people have confessed – he would feel like a weak fraud, since Rebecca and Martha are not afraid to die
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• John convinced himself that he is not a saint, like Rebecca, so he shouldn’t die a martyr’s death like her.
• lying to save his life won’t make him any worse of person since he’s a sinner already
• doesn’t want to be an inspiration
• fears to leave his children without a father
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• Elizabeth’s advises that he must decide for himself • she tells him it was her fault that he had the affair
with Abigail, because she was insecure, jealous and cold
• She never realized what a good man he is and she sees his goodness now (525-6)
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• Proctor learns that his confession must be written and posted – used as an example and proof
• Will not condemn Rebecca when asked • when he is told to sign the confession – pride
and ownership of his name
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• John’s ‘confession’ must be permanent so it can be used to prove the court’s victory to those that are starting to doubt
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• Proctor argues that he confesses before witnesses and before God – there is no need for paper proof
• the public isn’t his judge, God is, and God saw him write his name and confess
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• Lines 725-730• Proctor’s name is his reputation and he can’t
have another one; he knows that what others say and what he says do not have the same value
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• “I will not deal in lies” line 733 • Ironic• Danforth’s court and judgments are all based
on lies
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• Proctor refuses to save himself with lies, dies for truth
• Elizabeth decides to let him go - “he has his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him”
• He is redeemed
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• At the end, John and Elizabeth reconcile• They realize that neither one is perfect – she
was a “poor” wife, and he turned to sin • At the end both of them do the right thing –
he refuses to lie, she refuses to make him• They forgive one another
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• line 746 • Proctor has strength
and goodness, which he thought he had lost because of his affair; the court’s injustice gave him back a peace that he had lost
• Rebecca tell John not to fear because they will get a just judgment when they die – allusion to Heaven
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John’s conflicts
• Internal: feelings for Abigail – comes to despise her when he sees what she has done to the town
• Internal: feelings for Elizabeth – rediscovers his love for her when he sees her strength
• Internal: decision to confess – saves his reputation and takes back his confession
• External: Parris – wins the battle by refusing a confession• External: Elizabeth – they fall back in love• External: court – he refuses to condemn his friends and
dies for the truth
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Tragic Hero
• Character must be of noble/high reputation• Pride blinds them • Tragic flaw – pride, greed, lust, ambition, jealousy, etc. • Flaw leads to downfall – ruins his career or reputation• Enlightenment (near the end of the play) – realizes his
sin, he is humble, and accepts consequences• Death
• Everyone everywhere can relate to the kinds of problems or sufferings or emotions
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Themes
• society can be shaken by irrational fear• importance of integrity – even under
persecution• Universal conflicts or themes • good versus evil• dissent vs. authority• individual vs. society• fear vs. courage