Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Blog #4: Write about a character from act 1 of The Crucible
Pick one character from act 1 of The Crucible to write about. Look
back at the scenes that character is involved in and what he/she says or does.
Write about your interpretation of that character. What ideas do you have about
his/her motives, fears, values, and point of view? What are some things you are
wondering about? Based on what you have seen so far, what role will this
character mostly likely play as events unfold. Be sure to discuss specific
lines from the text of the play.
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Marcus Charland
ReplyDeleteRev. Parris was mostly concerned with his image instead of his daughter Betty wakinging up. he was also concerned the people saying that it is witchcraft and it happened to someone in his house so people would wonder if he has something to do with it. Rev Parris is also is the pope in the town.
Nick Paquin
ReplyDeleteJohn Proctor is a interesting character in the first act, with his scene with Abigail. Because of the situation he’s in I can understand his fears of finding out and the dilemma of if people found out. The way he treats Abigail will come back to bite him I think for when the accusations start I feel that Abigail will have him hanged for leaving her and not loving her back. Over all I feel the fate of John Proctor hangs in the balance of Abigail's mood.
Maeve Gurbey
ReplyDeleteAbigail Williams, Reverend Parris’s niece, is shown as the ringleader of the group of girls in Salem. She forces them to lie so the group will not get in trouble and threatens that if they do not she will harm them in the middle of the night. Viciously to Mercy Lewis and Marry Warren she says, “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it.” She has emotional outbreaks that range from furious and violent to weeping dramatically. Her peculiar relationship with John Proctor and the fact that she is determined to take Elizabeth Proctor’s place as his wife shows her naïve personality. I also believe that Abigail is afraid that John Proctor will not love her back which greatly saddens her. It is clear that Abigail envies Elizabeth Proctor when she says, “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!” She is also very worried about her getting in trouble for the events that took place in the forest because her friends will not keep quiet. Abigail is a very mischievous girl, and because she has this characteristic I think that in the future she will be the one making accusations of witchcraft or forcing others to make accusations
Chelsea Snide
ReplyDeleteAbigail Williams, clearly an important character in the play is Rev Parris's neice who she lives with because her parents were brutally murdered in an Indian raid. She has great leadership skills and ultimately lies and manipulates the people around her.
"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you" This excerpt from Abigail's part really brings forward how she manipulates her friends. She's using threats to put fear into her friends to prevent them for saying anything else they did in the woods that night besides dancing and conjuring Mary Warrens siblings. She lies to Parris multiple times by only saying part of the truth to save herself from trouble, this can tell us that she is selfish and only out to save herself and will do anything to preserve that, for example manipulating her friends. Her previous relationship with John Proctor could pose troubles later on in the play. She wants to replace his wife, Elizabeth, out of pure jealousy. Abigail has a motive to wanting John Proctor for herself and I think she'll do anything to get it. I think that she will try and accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witch craft later on in the play mainly because of her and John's previous relationship.
Michael Purvey
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is a girl who is held in her home every day and cannot express herself under the house of Rev Parris, who is Abigail’s uncle and the minister of Salem. Abigail does not have the freedom of getting out of the house or show her emotions because that is the law in the novel. John Proctor, who is a farmer, is Abigail’s motivation, meaning that Abigail acts and behaves differently in a certain way for John. When Abigail says, “I have sense for heat, John, and yours has drawn me to my window…” she is stating that John is the reason why Abigail looks out her window to look for him, which means that John is Abigail’s motivator. Abigail fears of Parris because she, her friends and her sister, Betty, for sneaking out in the middle of the night with maid, Tituba, and Parris catches them dancing, getting undressed, singing, which all of those are forbidden women, and even going outside. When Parris says to Abigail that he saw someone running in the woods naked, Abigail denies it and says, “No one was naked! You mistake yourself, uncle,” because she is scared of what Paris would do if she told him that there was a girl running naked in the woods. I believe Abigail is scared that people will think that because of her and everyone else in the woods that the town of Salem would think they are witches and would be punished. I am wondering if Abigail and Betty would ever be forgiven by Rev Parris, and if the girls that were in the woods will ever be forgiven by the Town of Salem.
Haley Bialobzeski
ReplyDeleteWhen Betty woke up she was really confused at first, and wanted her mama. She wanted to fly out the window like she was under some kind of spell. There really isn't a lot to say about Betty yet because she was asleep for half of act 1.
Chad Rockwell(AKA Abigail)
ReplyDeleteIn the first act of "The Crucible, " the audience is introduced to many characters. One of which was Betty, Rev. Parris' daughter. In the beginning of Act I Betty is inert. She has slipped in some sort of a fright coma. When she wakes up, her behavior is strange. at one point she tries to fly out a window. This tells the audience a lot about her. Being that she is only ten, she is somewhat naive. She was raised puritan so it is not unthinkable that she would truly believe in witchcraft, but the fact that she believes that she is bewitched proves her to be quite gullible. It is not entirely her fault though. She is obviously stressed out by the situation and just plain confused. At one point she cries out for her mother(Her mother is dead). All of her strange behaviors can be linked to the tough life she lives with such high expectations and a controlling cousin and selfish father. She was in the woods that night and saw her cousin drink blood, I think that that would frighten a confuse any ten year old girl.
In the play “The Crucible” by Arthur, Reverend Parris is very self-absorbed and narcissistic. He is the one who finds the girls, and he is the guardian of two of them. He is immediately concerned when he finds Betty to be unconscious; he is not worried for her health, but for his own reputation. He cannot bear the thought of anyone finding out that children under his care were doing such things. “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character”(Miller 11). This shows that while he has some concern for his daughter, all he can think about is his soiled reputation and how he could possibly repair it. This makes me think that, even though he fully rejects the idea of witchcraft now, he may change his mind. He may be the one to come out saying that witchcraft was the cause, simply in order to dispel any blame or fault of his, or error in raising the girls. Rev. Parris is desperate to preserve his name and may go so far as to lie to do so.
ReplyDeleteBen VanDeBogart
ReplyDeleteAbigail Williams is a very strong character in the Crucible. After the events in the woods Abigail seemed to be playing the role as the leader of the group, telling everyone what to say about the incident and what will happen if they don't. I believe that both her and John Proctor were in a relationship at one point which explains why Abigail was hitting on John Proctor saying "John im waitin' for you every night." Since Abigail has a very strong personality she doesn't want to jeopardize her and her uncles reputation. At the same time Abigail has become nervous about the truth coming out. She had told the group of girls " And mark this. Let either of you breath a word, or the edge of a word, and the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you." I think later on in the play Abigail will be the one making accusations of who is using witchcraft, and later on Abigail will be accused by one of the other girls of doing such things, putting her in a tough position.
Austine Bodenstab
ReplyDeleteIn act one of The Crucible, Reverend Parris is shown as a man who is extremely protective of his reputation. When he catches his daughter and niece in the woods preforming "witch craft", he is worried that his reputation will be destroyed. He obviously would be willing to do anything in order to keep his reputation in tacked. Even if that could mean lying to people. When speaking to other people, the reverend is quick to tell them that no witch craft is involved in any way, but when he is talking to his niece, Abigail, he asks her repeatedly if his daughter, Betty, and her were preforming witchcraft in the woods. By doing this, he is showing that he cares deeply about his reputation. If Abigail and Betty were doing witchcraft in the woods, and anyone found out, the reverend knows that his reputation will be destroyed, and no one will want to hear him preach anymore.
Tim Molino
ReplyDeleteReverend Parris, the town’s minister, has a very big role in act one of The Crucible. Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, will not wake up and no one knows why. In the beginning of the play, Parris is very worried about his daughter but that is not all he is worried about. It seems to me that he is more worried about the effects on his image than he is about his daughter not waking up. As the act progresses, Reverend Parris shows us that Betty’s sudden illness could ruin his reputation in the village. He is scared about the rumors of witchcraft that are spreading throughout the village because his daughter Betty was one of the girls who partook in the strange acts the night before. Reverend Parris tells us how worried he is about what happened in the woods when he says “But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.” Reverend Parris is scared because Betty was involved in the witch-like activity which will give him a bad reputation in this very judgmental community. He is frightened that he will lose his job because “There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit.” I believe Reverend Parris should be afraid because his daughter was involved with the witchcraft which directly affects him in such a way that he could get kicked out of the village or worse, killed.
Lexie Guest
ReplyDeleteIn the play "The Crucible" by Author Miller, Reverend Parris is the town's minster, which back in Salem this was a very important job in which you were always being watched by the town. Reverend Parris was already having some problems to begin with so when everything that he observed happening in the woods and what was happening with his daughter not waking up was not about to help out this situation. I feel like all the Reverend is worried about is his image, he may also care about his daughter but I can tell that he doesn't want to be accused of anything that he ha no part in. "For surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it." Parris says this when talking to his niece Abigail who is basically the leader of the groups of girls who were responsible for the start of this weird behavior starting to happen in Salem. Later in the book I predict that someone is going to say something having to do with how Reverend Parris saw the girls in the woods that will get him in trouble and hated even more. Since this town is very pure and always have to have answers for everything, they are going to start to think that Reverend Parris isn't telling the truth and really knows what is going on.
Abbie T
ReplyDeleteIn the first act of "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller we met the usually bitter Mrs. Putnam. She defiantly made an entrance into the book with the opening line " It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you.", you can see why people don't like her. Not mention how hysterical she gets, demanding for the announcement that the girls have been "witched". Though there is a very powerful psychological cause behide her own hysteria, that is she has lost seven children and Ruth is the only one who has lived and is now ill. She has never really coped with this due to the fact that her religion has always dictated her life and has taught always suppress ones emotions, in turn this causes one to become emotional unbalanced. Therefore it should be know surprise that she immediately turns to Satan and black magic for the answers, it is in her religion to believe that God is punishing her. I predict that Mrs. Putnam's part further in this play will be one of the accusers and one of the main people to give fire to the flame that is to become the Witch hysteria in Salem.
Reverend Parris is a conflicted man. Right in the beggining of Act 1 he is portrayed as both a Father worried about his ailing dauther and a man worried about his reputation. He is first portrayed as a worried father when he says, "Abigail I cannot go before the congregation when I know you have not opened with me. What did you do with her?" This leads the reader to believe that he is worried soley about his daughters well being untill he begins talcking about his position, "Now look you, child, yourpunishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemys will ruin me with it." This shows ealy on that through out the paly Reverend Parris wil likely be conflicted about the coming chaos.
ReplyDeleteRev. Parris wasn't concerned about Abigail and Betty, but was concerned about his reputation on the line: "Now look you, child, your punishment will come in its time. But you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it." This quote means that he doesn't want his enemies to know that his daughter and his niece was working with the devil and use that piece of evidence to kick him out of Salem. His daughter is lying on the bed, and all that he can think about is his reputation.
ReplyDeleteThe character abigail is a sassy little girl. "Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them i confessed it, and i'll be whipped if I must be. But they're speakin' of witchcraft. Betty's not witched." she lies to uncle because she knows what on the line. "No one was naked! You mistske yourself, Uncle!" some of the people have already thought about witches in the town of salem. Abigail says "We never conjured spirits" but her uncle thought he saw spirits being made.
ReplyDeleteOwen McKinney
ReplyDeleteIn Act 1 of The Crucible Rev. Parris is very assertive about his opinions and he believes that he knows the truth for what happened to Betty. For people that Parris don't like he will usually be super suspicious about them and not trust them because of something that they did in the past or because hes making stuff up so he can make a chain reaction to something else happen. he sees his reputation is on the line and he really fears what people think of him and hes worried about his daughters Betty and Abigail being bewitched. his beliefs in witches and his desire to punish his enemies is set in stone for the chain of events that lead to the hysteria in Salem.
In the play of the Crucible Tituba is a important charachter. She is a maid to rev. Parris from Barbados and she hangs out with the girls, Abigail and Betty. Tituba was dancing in the woods with the girls. Tituba was trying to fit in with the girls. Her biggest fear is getting the blame for what they did. She gives Reverend's the info they want so she wont be blamed."No, no Don't hang Tituba! I tell him I dont desire to work for him, sir." pg 44 She is hoping to put the blame on anyone but herself because she's black and she does not want to be hung. You can tell she is going to end up being blamed and eventually probably killed.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the first chapter Abagail proved to be a manipulative lieing person. This can be seen where she refused to tell Paris the whole truth about what she was doing in the woods with the girls, and evaded telling him what else she was doing besides dancing. It is possible that Abagail was in fact practicing witchcraft and she may eventually end up blaming others in the future in an attempt to save herself.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Farah: Abigail was a very sneeky and deciving girl in act one. She contiously lied to paris about what they were doing in the woods even though he saw what they actully did. And she ran around with mr. Putnum even when she is very young and she knows he has a wife and children. She thinks that she can just blaime the witchcraft on everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIn the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, The Character John Proctor really has stood out to me. His effect on Abigail is incredibly profound. Abigail is completely smitten by him which is much to his dissatisfaction as he wants nothing to do with her. He is one of the most reasonable person in the play as he is the only one to not believe in the witchcraft. This is because in the beginning when they are alone she tells him that there was no witchcraft.
ReplyDeleteAbigale Williams
ReplyDeleteIn act one in the play "The crucible" Abigale is quite an interesting character with a story. Abigale is somewhat an orphan as her parents were scalped in front of her as a child during an Indian raid. Abigale also had been in a relationship with a married man who cant return the love she bears him, or accept the relationships existence. I think the lack of her parents is why she has very undeveloped morals and therefore a very interesting character in addition to her unpredictability, because no one really knows exactly how these things have affected and shaped her decisions and her as a person. I believe Abigale is a ticking time bomb ready to blow and create more extravagant conflict.
Taylor Marshall:
ReplyDeleteIn Act one in the book "The Crucible" Abigail Williams seems to be a sneaky young girl. She seems to speak nothing of the truth. As her uncle reverend Parris questions Abigail what happened in the woods one night. He thought he saw them doing witchcraft which is a sin and witches will be hanged if accused. While asking her several times what happened that night she keeps on insisting that her and the other girls were just dancing while Tituba waved her arms in the air while singing Barbados songs. Parris then said he saw a dress on the grass and someone running around naked, but Abigail said he must be mistaken. Even though Abigail did take part and drank blood and wished for Elizabeth to die. Eventually when Betty's cause of "sickness" was witchcraft immediately Abigail blamed Tituba and Ruth were the ones conjuring spirits and also blamed Tituba for conjuring Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. She claimed the rest were innocent and were just dancing, and if someone was to tell the truth she said.."I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you." (Page 20)
Haley Bialobzeski
ReplyDeleteAbigail has the power to control the group of girls. Whatever she does they do, whatever she tells them they listen. Abigail technically controls the court. She uses coercive power, which is when the parent tells the child to go to time out. She uses that power on Mary Warren. When Mary Warren went into court to testify, she was threatening Abigail's power. When Mary Warren did this Abby outburst and accused Mary Warren of witchcraft.