Term
| Why do Giles and Francis interrupt the court? |
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Definition
| THey hope to prove the girls false and, thereby, free their wives |
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Term
| What does Danforth tell Proctor about Elizabeth? Why does he choose this point to share this piece of information? How does John react to the news? |
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Definition
| Elizabeth is pregnant, and this means she is safe for a year. He hopes that John will back down in his challenge to the court. John is shocked but will not back down because he cares about the others who are falsely accused as well. |
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Term
| What document does Proctor present to Danforth? Why? What about Danforth's reaction to the document upsets Francis? |
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Definition
| A list of people who will attest to the goodness of those accused. He is hoping to establish character credility. Danforth calls all of the listed people in for questioning and examination. Francis is upset because he has brought trouble on these people. |
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Term
| Why won't Giles present through his deposition? How does Mr. Putnam react to Giles' claim? |
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Definition
| A neighbor overheard Putnam bragging that his daughter had given him a fair gift of land with her last accusation. This implies that Putnam is having people named. and eventually killed, so that he can cheaply acquire their land. Putnam denies it. |
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Term
| Why won't Giles give the name of the person referred to in the deposition? What does this show about Giles' Chacter? |
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Definition
| Giles knows that to reveal the source is to condemn the person. He is a man of morals and honor. |
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Term
| Why does Abigail claim a cold wind has struck her? What is she trying to achieve by this diversion? |
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Definition
She senses that Danforth is swayred by this new evidence. Her antics create commotion and cause people to stop thinking rationally. |
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Term
| Why does Danforth have Elizabeth brought into the courtroom? Why does Elizabeth lie? |
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Definition
| To see if she can verify John's claim of lechery with Abigail. Unaware that John already confessed it, she lies in order to protect him. |
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Term
| Why does Mary change her story and accuse Proctor? |
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Definition
| Abigail says Mary is witching her, so Mary switches stories to save herself. |
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Term
| At what point does Proctor give up? How can we tell? What is Reverend Hale's reaction to this? |
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Definition
| When Mary accuses him. He says "God is dead" and is laughing insanely. Hale quits the court. |
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Term
| Why might Danforth and Hathorne be reluctant to accept that the girls are frauds? |
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Definition
| If they accept that the girls are frauds, then they are admitting that they were mistaken. They are more concerned with order than justice. |
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