Proctor and other accused witches are being taken to their execution in Salem. The photo conveys a sense of hopelessness through the jail-like cart, chains binding the characters with no escape, and vacant or resigned facial expressions. Proctor must decide whether to confess to witchcraft to save his life, even though he knows the accusations are false, or maintain his integrity and die. In the end, he refuses to lie and is executed, redeeming himself and reconnecting with his wife Elizabeth through courageously upholding the truth.

1. 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?

2. • 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

3. • 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

4. • 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)

5. • 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?

6. • 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

7. • 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

8. • 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

9. • 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

10. • Parris - there was a dagger stuck in his door –
a warning or assassination attempt

11. • 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

12. • Mob action that rises from hysteria feeds on
excessive emotion from the crowd
• Parris is afraid that hysteria will turn against him

13. • 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”

14. • 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

15. • 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

16. • 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

17. • 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

18. • 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

19. • 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

20. • 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

21. • 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)

22. • 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

23. • John’s ‘confession’ must be permanent so it
can be used to prove the court’s victory to
those that are starting to doubt

24. • 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

25. • 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

26. • “I will not deal in lies” line 733
• Ironic
• Danforth’s court and judgments are all based
on lies

27. • 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

28. • 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

29. • 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

30. 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

32. 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

33. 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