Sunday, October 7, 2012

Act 4 Discussion Thread

Today we are going to have a discussion thread based on Act 4 of The Crucible. I want you to respond to at least 2 others, make comments, using textual support, and I always want you to end with a question-intepretative or critical.
I do not want one word responses; I expect formal writing and intelligent thought showing your discerning observations and analysis. Please keep in mind the ideological statements and central questions as a means of helping you to analyze further. Fluency and conventions matter.

To start, please answer the following 3 questions; you must use textual support to back your response:

1. Who is to blame for what happened? Can the people of Salem's actions be excused by the cultural hysteria, or is it the individual's fault? Find evidence to support both sides.

2. As you read this act, what spoke to you the most or evoked the most emotion?

3. How does individual judgment play a role in this Act? Find one example and relay its significance.

When you finish, make sure you ask questions and begin responding to others. Textual support is mandatory!

86 comments:

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  2. riya verma... Mrs. Comp is lovely

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  3. I would say that Abigail is to blame for everything. She flat out lied to everyone in order to get other people in trouble and killed. If she didn't fake the ailments, then witchcraft wouldn't have been brought up. On page 115, Abigail says to Mary, "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape." Abigail is practically saying that Mary is a witch and uses her witchcraft to change her shape. The people of Salem's actions should not be excused because of the cultural hysteria. Although some of the people may have been acting in a mob mentality, I think that it is mainly the individuals fault. Someone who truly shows this is Danforth is act four. Proctor is confessing to witchcraft, yet Danforth won't accept it until it is written down on paper. This shows how stubborn Danforth is and there for it is his own fault. If he would have just accepted Proctors confession then proctor would have lived.

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    1. I agree with you on how it was one persons fault and not a cultural hysteria. There were people who did not believe that there was witchcraft going on like, Reverend Hale. He was the specialist they called in to find out if there was. But he couldn't convince them because Danforth wasn't convinced. Danforth wouldn't let go of the idea of witchcraft and therefore led the town into blaming witches.

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    2. I agree to a certain extent but do you think that there is also other people throughout the play to blame? I think that everyone in Salem is to blame a little because they all jumped on the bandwagon to believe in witchcraft.

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  4. 1. Abigail is to blame for what happened because for one thing she was the one who did the witch craft and she tried to cover up when caught by blaming other people. The people she blamed were also the people she hated and wanted dead. Like on pg 23 she talked to Proctor about the hate she had toward his wife. She said, “ She is blacking my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling wornan, and you bend her.” With all the mess Abigail caused she blamed all the people she could to just run away from her problems. She also literally ran away too. On page 126 Parris told Danforth, “There is news…..My niece I believe she has vanished.” The Cultural hysteria plays a big role in the fate of the people in Salem. With Abigail making it a big deal and pointing fingers about witch craft, people in the community don’t know who to trust and there scared that someone practicing witch craft may hurt them. Like on page 48 betty and Abigail are going back and forth on who they saw with the devil. Which then was a distraction from there wrong to blame on others while getting the community in hysteria.

    2.In act four what spoke to me the most was that many people in Salem were accused of witch craft. On page 125 Cheever states that “ There is so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now that their masters are in jail and much disagreement who they will belong to now.” also what spoke out to me was how Abigail ran away and stole from her uncle Parris. Pg. 126 he says that she vanished and “……I discovered my strongbox is broke into.”

    3.Indivdual judgment plays a role in this act by Elizabeth and Proctor were talking and She told him what happened to Giles and how he died even when done nothing wrong. Also how his land went to his sons when they killed him. This is all on page 135.

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    1. I agree with you and how Abigail is the one to blame for what happened. On page 18 when she was talking to Mercy Lewis about what her uncle had seen them doing, she kept it hidden and it proves that she and her friends were the ones performing witchcraft.

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    2. I disagree on how Abigail is to blame for everything that happened, but I do agree that she was a big part in the play and contributed a lot to the hysteria. On page 42 when Abigail says, "Why, it were beans-and lentils, I think, and-", this shows how she was mumbling across her words so she could find the right words and make up a spot on lie. But her words "I THINK" made it obvious she was lying.

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  5. 1. I think the court is to be blamed for all the deaths of the innocent people. They did not find any secure evidence for witchcraft in any of the cases that were tried in court. They expected you to plead guilty and show yourself to God because then your soul would be cleansed for exposing the devil. This is showed in act 3 on p. 100 when Danforth says, “Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims...” This quote clearly shows how they ran the court, just testimony from the “victims” and then the “witches” will either confess or die. I believe mass hysteria and all the individuals play a significant role in the trials. The individuals play a role because they allow themselves to be mesmerized by the young girls and their acting parts such as the yellow bird. Mass hysteria also plays a part because witches are an accepted part of their religion and their society, so what they see, they believe.

    2. The thing that struck me most is the fact that all of the citizens of Salem are willing to protect the town and themselves and sacrifice their friends and neighbors. Throughout Act 3, Hale kept trying to back up John Proctor’s truthful statements, but Danforth’s power and the mass hysteria involved in the trials and the witchcraft overpowered both Proctor and Danforth and ended up with Proctor going to jail. For example, on p.114, Reverend Hale says, “I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more-- private vengeance is working through this testimony!” This shows how Hale feels about the trials.

    3. I believe individual judgement was responsible for how the ending played out. Both John Proctor and Giles used their individual judgement to sacrifice themselves for the madness that started in the beginning. John Proctor choosing his death over his life was very significant. He disliked the fact that his name was going to be posted on the door of the church and the publicity that it would cause so he chose death. On p.142 Proctor says, “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the door of the church!” Then Proctor rips up the paper of his confession and is hanged. “The final drumroll crashes, then heightens violently. Hale weeps in frantic prayer, and the new sun is pouring in upon her face, and the drums rattle like bones in the morning air.”

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    1. I agree with you, but disagree at the same time. I agree with you on that the court was at fault with what happend because it seemed like the court believed everything everyone said and had no disagreement. I disagree with you because I believe that the only reason why this had to go to court was becasue of Abigail.

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  6. 1. I believe that Abigail Williams is to blame for what happened in Salem. In Act 3 she has a vision of a bird and they blame Mary Warren to be sending this bird out on them. Abigail is falsely blaming Mary to be compacted with the devil. In Act 3 on page 115 Mary pleads “They’re pretending, Mr. Danforth!” This isn’t the first time Abigail has done this. Multiple people have already been hung for witchcraft, and Abigail and her colleagues are probably the ones to blame. I don’t think it could have been cultural hysteria. John Proctor, and Reverend Hale continue to try and convince Mr. Danforth that the girls are lying. “I believe him! Pointing at Abigail: This girl has always struck me false...” Hale is blaming Abigail for being false, a liar. He, John Proctor, Giles and Cheever had some sense of what was happening in the town. Do you believe Abigail really saw all the “visions”?

    2. As I read Act 4, the character that spoke to me the most was John Proctor. He confessed to witchcraft but he didn’t want his name to be written down on the document. “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God know how black my sins are! It is enough! (pg 142) This comes back down to his reputation. He knows he has made the mistake, but he doesn’t want to be remembered for it. If he had signed the paper, do you think he would revolt in some different way? What way?

    3. Individual judgement really shows how Danforth has been manipulated by the girls. His judgement goes down on Rebecca Nurse. “Look to you, sir. I think you mistake your duty here. It matters nothing what she thought- she is convicted of the unnatural murder of children...” He was convinced by Mrs. Putnam that Rebecca had killed her children using the devils power. If the girls never acted the way they did, would the trails result differently?

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    1. If the girls had acted differently and did not pretend to practice witchcraft then the book would really have no reason.

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    2. If the girls had acted differently and admitted up front from the get go what they had done that day in the woods so many lives and families could have been saved.

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  7. As I read act four, the part that evoked the most emotion to me was on page 143 when Proctor says, "Because it is my name...I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" I felt bad for Proctor. He gave up everything to benefit his loved ones and the town kept asking for more. It was as if they wnted everything he culd give. He was level-headed and wise throughout the play, and my favorite character. It was somewhat upsetting to see him suffer so much.


    Individual judgement played a huge part in Act four, especially when John is speaking to his wife on page 138, "I am not your judge, I cannot be." Elizabeth surely has her own opinion, yet she gives him this answer to his problem. John is really self concious about how others will will think of him and judge him, especially when the men attempt to post his confession outside of the church.

    Did John Proctor deserve to suffer after he confessed to witchcraft?

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    2. I do not think that he deserved to suffer, he told them what they wanted to hear. However, I think that if he was willing to post the fact that he performed witchcraft up in the church, he wouldn't have needed to suffer.

      What do you think the outcome would have been if Procter did allow the paper to go up in the church? Would he have lived?

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    3. I think that Proctor would have still lived if his name was posted on the document. I feel that since the trials were over then the people would have looked up to him for confessing when he is not being pressured in the court.

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  8. I think that if one person was to blame for the hysteria in Salem, it would be Abigail. She has blamed more people throughout the play then you can even imagine. For instance, look at pages 115-120. Abigail blames and frames Mary Warren for 'sending the Devil' upon her and the other girls. Of course the court believes her and this leads to Procter being accused as well. He is eventually sentenced to jail and eventually to death. However, I do not think that you can blame one person for the events that occurred in Salem. The whole town must be to blame! Everyone just hopped on the crazy train and believed anything that was said.

    As I read this Act, I was moved by the honor Procter showed throughout the Act. He really stuck to his guns. Even though he did sign the paper, he would not stand for it being posted in the church. I thought it was pretty cool that even though he knew he was going to be hanged, he wouldn't give in. It was also cool how when Elizabeth was told to talk to her husband and change his mind, she refused. She knew it was what he wanted and respected his choice.

    I think individual judgment did play a big role in Act four, such as when Danforth is judging Procter on page 141. He is saying that essentially he will burn in Hell if he doesn't confess that he "saw" Rebecca Nurse with the Devil. He is saying that Procter is a liar.

    How could John's rebellion of claiming that he hasn't performed witchcraft lead to Salem moving on from this tough time?

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    1. I think that if the people of Salem can see that John Proctor stood up for what he felt and believed till his death than maybe they can do the same and not rely so much on their reputation and other's opinions of them.

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    2. I believe that John's defying the courts accusations resulted in others believing that if a strong man can own up to his own sins and be completely honest others might start to own up to their actions instead of listing others in order to get off easy

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    3. They could finally get sick of their friends dying and overthrow the court and hang the court members.

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    4. I agree completely, however, do you think this would be a fast occurance or do you think it may take a while? Personally, I think that it would be a slow and painful process but they could get through it.

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    5. I completely agree with number 2. Proctor really has stuck to his beliefs while everyone else in the society have changed. It seems like he has figured out why these people are acting this way.

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  9. 1. I think Abigail Williams is to blame. My reason to think this is because throught the whole play she has pointed the finger at everyone else but she never accepts her own consequences.She is to busy worrying about everyone else and how they suffer rather than just living her life.

    2. As I read throught Act 4 something that really evoked emotion was the conversation between Hale,Proctor,Rebecca,Danforth,and Herrick "Proctor: I can. And there's your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enoughto keep it from such dogs. Give them no tear! Tears pleasure them! Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it! Rebecaca: Let you fear nothing! Another judgement waits us all! Herrick: Come,man." (Pg 144) This evokes emotion because John is basically saying you have to stay strong even when your at your last moments in life.

    3.Individual judgement is shown throught this act with Danforth because he is trying to manipulate people in Salem for example "Danforth:Reverend Hale have no right to eneter this-
    Parris:Excellency, a moment. Hathorne:Do you leave him alone with the prisoners? Danforth:What's his business here?" This section shows that Danforth tries to get in everyone's business.

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    1. I agree 110% Krissy! I believe Abigail is to blame and for the same reason, she points fingers and she doesn't worry about her own life like you said.

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    2. No doubt. Abigail is to blame she lied about everything. Both you and Austin have it right.

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    3. Krissy, I agree that Abigail is to blame. But don't you think that if she were worried about other people's lives more than her own, she would have destroyed them as she did?

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  10. i think thats it is abby and the girls and tituba fault for all this hsyteria. mainly it was tituba because she had the girls drink chicken blood and dance in the woods naked. when tituba was pulled into court she confessed that she made a compact with the devil. the people in salem can not be excused for their actions because other people who went involved in this talk and talk about that it creates fear on everyone then making everyone fear that someone is going to bring they spirit on them. what spoke the most in this act was the court hearings. people screaming and saying they had see someone with the devil. individual judgement plays a huge role in this play because if someone is accused with witch craft and say they saw someone else with the devil could get someone hanged in salem

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    1. I agree because it seemed like once one girl said she saw something, then every girl joined in. I believed all the girls did this because they were afraid of what would happen to them if they got accused for witchcraft.

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  11. 1.) I do not think that one specific individual is to blame for the hysteria that went on in Salem but there were people who made the situation more of a problem than it needed to be. One of those main people was Abigail. There was never a time during this play that Abigail was not lying or trying to manipulate anyone in sight. There was an agenda behind everything that she did to try and bring herself up in any way possible. But the only reason Abigail was able to continue on with all of her lies and manipulation was because of the people who listened. p. 20 "Now look you. All of you we danced, And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sister. And that is all. And mark this. 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." From the beginning Abigail knew that she was the reason for Ruth's illness but if Abigail said something it was automatically true in the minds of the people of Salem. The officials and leaders of the town let one young girl ruin the lives of tons of the people living in Salem.
    2.) What evocked the most emotion for me in Act IV was the scene between Elizabeth and John Proctor. One because at the beginning of the conversation John asks his child and Elizabeth who has been left alone to raise the child says it grows. The second part of that conversation that spoke to me was p. 138 Proctor says, "Spite only keeps me silent. It is hard to give a lie to dogs. I would have your forgiveness, Elizabeth. " John has been considering giving his 'confession' but his pride has kept him from admitting his sins to the people who would not believe him but they would believe a 16 year girl. John also asks for forgiveness from Elizabeth showing his humbleness which is not something that many men in this time period would have done.
    3.) p. 137 "Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under heaven under heaven than Proctor himself." The people of Salem always found a way to find a fault in someone. Espcially John Proctor, if it wasn't for his religious dedication, it was for his affair with Abigail, or his supposed compact with the devil. But in this quote Elizabeth is saying that the only person other than God who has the right to judge him is himself and those are the only judgements that matter. That concept was not something that John could wrap his mind around he thinks that without the judgement of others he is nothing.

    Did the leaders who had condemned the townspeople of Salem ever feel any remorse for their actions?

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    1. I'm sure that once the trials were done the leaders felt remorse. It's not a normal thing to go around hanging people for things they didn't do, especially without a fair trial.

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    2. I agree with Ashley. Everyone has a concious, whether they know it or not. Everyone will sooner or later feel some guilt for what they have done to people that may have been innocent or have been guilty.

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    3. I disagree with Ashley and Taryn. I believe that very few if any felt remorse because they did believe in witchcraft at that point in time. The whole town was in chaos towards the end of the trials, but these leaders still did not know whether or not they were dealing with the devil's followers. To them the trials may have just ended because the accusations had stopped.

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  12. I believe Abigail is the main reason everyone gave into the hype and hysteria, as if the town wasn't already concerned and worried she completely installed the fear of witchcraft and black magic. She could have easily ended the fear but instead she kept her act going, causing several deaths and persecutions. near the end of Act 4 when Proctor is talking to Elizabeth while she's in jail he says "Because it is my name...I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" Although he wasn't to blame for the persecutions he felt as if he were obligated to try and save at least his wife, this one passage seemed very emotional to me and I respect John for playing the martyr in this novel. People don't always realize that as individuals they have an impact on a community based on what they say and do. By one person believing they're a witch it can cause a mass of people to believe witchcraft is a real and serious threat.

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  15. 1)I believe that the whole situation was not completely caused by either their cultural beliefs or by a single person but instead a combination of the two. Without the whole cultural condemning of sinners to hell the decisions of the towns people might have been completely different, they might not have been as defensive by throwing others under the bus in order to save their lives and proctor knew this which is why at the end he did not want to blacken anyones name but abigail set the ball rolling when she started blaming others of witchcraft to the point that even the expert reverend hale thinks she is lying "You cannot believe them!" pg117 2)What stood out to me the most in this act was the fact that Danforth completely says that he will hang thousands that dared to rise against the law."I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law,"pg 129 This just blatenly stated that if you defy the law then you better watch out or you will be hanged which is an extreme for standing up against something that is unjust and in this scenario either way you die. Almost everyone was blamed for witchcraft and if you denied it and tried to revolt against these false acusations you would be hanged, its a lose-lose situation. 3)I think that individual judgement plays a large role in the end of this play because it is the last defining moments of some of these characters one of the largest subjects of judgement however is john proctor so much so that he is even judging himself. "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud I am not that man... I am no good man. Nothings's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before." pg 136 john knows that he is no innocent man and he shouldnt act like one so the most he can do is protect those he loves and not act like some crazy fool by trying to protect himself.
    How much weight does our descisions have on our society such as John's descision not to confess to seeing anyone else with the devil?

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    1. This can lead to death or living. He didn't want to lie because of his religion, but he also wanted to live so he decided not to comment and ended up getting killed. He tried to be the better person and not blame his friends and get them killed.

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    2. I think that our decisions heavily impact our society. I believe this because if one person starts doing something 'cool', then society is suppose to do the same thing, or dress the same way the first person did. For example, in Act 3 during the court scenes, whatever Abigail did, the other girls also followed in her footsteps and kind of copied her.

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    3. I disagree with your first statement. I believe that their religion and cultural beliefs are the reason they act this way. This is because they believe Satan is the spirit that is inside the people causing all the trouble.

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  17. 1. I think it is the court's fault for blaming so many people who had nothing to do with witch craft. They got blamed for not agreeing with the court or for not being the most religious person. I think it is the cultural hysteria of people being afraid of witches that got everyone of being accused of being a witch. People also accused each other if they didn't like each other. The court just got rid of everyone who was accused of being a witch cause they thought they were lying. Abigail did add to the problems a lot, by making up stories. It wouldn't have been as bad if she didn't make up all of these stories.
    2. Proctor spoke to me the most on page 143 he says " Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!". This shows how Proctor sticks to what he believes in even if it will cost him his life. He goes all the way to protect his name and ends up getting hanged. This shows true courage to what he is fighting for.
    3. I feel like my individual judgement lets me think of how wrong this story is and it just seems like a crazy thing that would never happen. All of these people got killed just because some girls were acting weird. This would never happen in a society like today. It just seems like this is made up because of because of how wrong it is.
    Do you think that the court used their power, to hang people, to do evil things?

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    1. No I believe that the court was blind and didn't quite fully grasp the situation and went unintentionally overboard

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    2. The court was under Abigails fingers the whole time. She knew she did wrong and wanted to cover up what she did by blaming the people she hated and wanted dead. Her stratigy is to act all inocent. Like on page 11 she says in a inocent voice " A dress?" When refering to the night the girls doing witch craft.

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    3. I agree with Keenan, it's not necessarily the courts fault, if it weren't for Abigail and the girls making all these accusations the court wouldn't have had all of these trials; thus making it Abigail and the girls fault, NOT the court.

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    4. I agree with Austin and Keenan because the court is just basing their decisions on how the girls are reacting in court around certain people who are on trial.

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    5. I agree with Keenan as well. Without the spark the fire would never have started. Abigail was the spark and the gasoline.

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  18. 1. I believe it's all the girls' faults, because whoever they imaged in their 'visions', those people were automatically accused. If the girls imaged another character working with the Devil, then that person would be accused of siding with the Devil. It's basically saying how the girls could accuse anyone they thought they saw and there would be another scapegoat. Salem's actions are due to a cultural hysteria because everyone in town went crazy and started accusing and falsely confessing. Every character in the play acted differently and each contributed to their part in Salem's actions. On page 138, when Elizabeth says, "I am not your judge, I cannot be. Do as you will, do as you will!", she is talking to John Proctor but is still confused on what to think and when Proctor replies with, "Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this?", he is replying back saying how she's lying and this breaks their trust from the beginning of the play to the end.

    2. While reading this act, the part that spoke to me the most was when Parris talks about the dangers he is in. On page 128, he says "Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house-a dagger clattered to the ground. You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me. I dare not step outside at night!" This spoke to me the most because even for an innocent character like Parris, he is still in danger after all the witchcraft Salem experienced. This also showed Parris' emotion on how he was still fearful and felt like nothing could protect him anymore.

    3. Individual judgement plays a huge role in this Act, because each character's words and actions affect the outcome of the play. On page 135, Elizabeth tells Proctor that Giles is dead and his reaction is, "He looks at her incredulously". This signifies Elizabeth's tone by being more humble and gentle. And it also shows how Proctor is stunned so he pauses before speaking.

    In these kind of situations, is it right for people to accuse others and is falsely confessing a right choice?

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    1. I agree john! It is all the girls fault not just Abigails. Just like in the beginning of play in act 1 it said on page 18 That abgail, Mercy, Mary Warren and Betty had all done witch craft stuff.

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  19. 1.In my opinion i think Abigail is to blame. she blames others to save herself. i think it is partly culture due to the fact that back then dancing in the woods was worth hanging people. "Who will judge me..." 138.this is said by proctor and he says that because Abigail and the other girls have been the judge and prosecutor in the court.
    2 in act four john proctors love for his wife and need for justice spoke to me. it was beautiful how he fought so hard. he tells the court when talking bout the people prosecuted "this women never thought she did the devils work."
    3.i think it would have to be Danforth. he judges proctor for a majority of the time."Who will judge me..." 138

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    1. I agree with Nich H because John really showed that he loved his wife even though he had an affair on her. Him fighting for her really showed that he cared or didn't want to get hurt.

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  20. 1. I believe that Abigail is to blame for all the hysteria. I think this because she is the one who did the witchcraft and was said to be doing it by eye witnesses, and also she blamed it on someone else rather than excepting the concequences for her wrong doings. That is what makes her responsible for most that has happened in salem. Such as in act 3 Abigail blames Mary for working with the devil after Abigail has been seeing the bird through her own eyes.

    2. As I read act 4 what spoke to me the most was the confession of witchcraft from John Procter. It gave out an emotion to me because I really saw that the people of Salem can stick together and make sacrafices just to save one another. It also shows that he does not care much for his own reputation anymore, like he did at the beginning of the play he had so much pride in hiding it.

    3. In my opinion John Proctor showed individual judgement, such as when he confessed and gave up his life and his reputation. It showed that he was willing to except the consiquences and become more of a sacrafice. This was shown on page 142: “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name."

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    1. I agree with Joshp because Abigail played a huge role in what happened in Salem by blaming everyone else for what she created. Abigail made everyone else look way worst then they really were which led to multiple people being hung and put in jail.

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  21. 1. Abigail is to blame for this whole debacle because she started the affair with John Proctor. She also led the dances in the woods and provoked the other girls in the village to accuse others of witchcraft. Like on page 44 when Abigail says “She comes to me every night to go and drink blood!” I don’t think the people’s actions can be excused. They all acted selfishly and few to none of them ever stood up for what was right. And the ones who did were hung and given an unjust trial. Also though some people may have gotten caught up in the moment resulting in their lack of judgment. This is still completely unacceptable. On page 142 Proctor says “You will not use me...”
    2. I was moved by how Proctor was willing to go before the court and state his wrongdoings. I also found it extremely brave of him not to sign the book. On page 142 he says “God does not need my name nailed upon the church!”.
    3. In act 4 people stepped up for what was right whether they died or not. When Giles remained mute for his trial that was an incredible judgment of selflessness. He died so that his sons would be able to continue on with their farm and so he would never be able to die as charged with wizardry. He died a true martyr. On page 135 Elizabeth says “They say he gave them but two words.” “More weight he says” “And died.”
    Was it selfish of Giles to not say yeh or ney?

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    1. I agree with Jack that the affair between Proctor and Abigail got this entire story started. The affair ultimately leads to Proctor and Elizabeth getting into a large argument.

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    2. I believe in wasn’t selfish at all for Giles to not say anything because it saved his family. Since he wasn’t formally accused of anything his sons can inherit his lands and save his family name. This shows that Giles was actually the most unselfish character giving his life so that his family could go on unharmed and so they could keep their land. This is said by Elizabeth on page 135 when she says “So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law. And so his sons will have his farm.”

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  22. I agree with Ethan W, I think that according to the book the court is guilty for most of the crime that happened in Salem. I don't think that the way they believe Abigail when she is pretending no matter what she says was not right and fair. When it comes to Abigail being "possessed" no arguments from other people would be heard. This was shown on page 115 when Danforth said "Why does she see this vision?" to Mary Warren. This is an evidence that Danforth just expected Mary Warren to know something about what was going on just because Abigail said so. I think that this is nothing about cultural hysteria, All of this happened because Abigail triggered the whole thing knowing that she could control everyone in Salem and not getting in trouble for things that she has done. The thing that spoke to me the most was how John Proctor sacrificed his life and pride to save his beloved wife. To me the way he died heroically was really touching. Individual judgement played a big role in Act 4, the way John Proctor thinks that confessing was the right thing to do on page 135 when he said "I have been thinking I would confess to them, Elizabeth" showed that John Proctor thought that confessing would save the people he loves.

    Do you think that the court could have done the trials more fairly?

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    1. i agree with you Hansel and jack because ya she had done a lot in these acts and they never really did anything about it and now they finally did.

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    2. Of course the court could have done the trials more fairly. However, they were so close-minded about everything that was going on, they didn't think or care to.

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    3. I believe that the court could have done the trials more fairly by bringing in an outside jury that could ultimately decide the fate of the girls.

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  23. i think Abigail is the one to blame because she has done a lot and tries to find people to hide it for her. Elizabeth got to me the most because of all the stuff she is in and she is getting out of. the individual judgement play a big part towards the end of this act.

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  24. 1) Abigail is to blame for all that happened. If she hadn’t blamed Tituba for making her and the others girls drink blood, “She made me do it! She made Betty do it,” (Page 43) nothing that happened later in the play would have happened. She knew she had a power over everybody else, she happened to be a great pretender and always came up with reasons to blame others of witchcraft. People didn’t want her blaming them so they played along. I believe the cultural hysteria is the individual’s fault. The individual didn’t have to believe everything that was happening and being said, and didn’t have to point fingers at everyone else.

    2) For me, the part where John Proctor tells Danforth, Parris, and Hale that his words are enough proof, and that there was no reason to hang up this proof, provoked the most emotion. “No, no. I have signed it. You have seen me. It is done! You have no need for this.” (Page 142) Even though he was lying to try and save his life, he was trying to save his name in the town. He knew what he was getting himself into, he was trying to take a stand against those with more power than he.

    3) Individual judgment plays a huge roll in Act 4 and ultimately decided Proctor’s fate. “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. She is silent. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.” (Page 136) Proctor knows that he has done wrong in his past, and in the Puritan society lying is a sin and will send you to Hell. He thinks he’s already going there and doesn’t want to make himself look worse.

    How is it that people become so wrapped up with one idea in mind, that they won’t accept any other suggestion?

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  25. 1) Abigail and the girls are to blame for what has happened, if they didn't make all of these false accusations then people wouldn't have died. It was a domino effect, Abigail accused someone and they would accuse someone else. It escalated quit quickly. Ashley's quote describes this quit well, “She made me do it! She made Betty do it,” (Page 43. I believe the cultural hysteria is the cultures fault. Not everyone had to believe it and go along with it as they did.

    2) The part that spoke to me the most was when they were all in the cell drinking out of the flask. It shows comradery even though they are in a horrible circumstance. "Ill speak to him for you." Tituba (Page 122)

    3) Individual judgement plays a huge role in this act because of all the finger pointing and accusations. If Abigail didn't judge others or have opinions on them she wouldn't have blamed people she didn't like as she did. She judged people and the ones she wasn't satisfied with were called "Witches". Also Danforth judges people in court, as proctor says to him. "Who will judge me..." 138

    Why do people believe things without hard evidence?

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    1. Well Austin it is because hard evidence is over rated. At lest that what humans think when forming an opinion about people. I do it all the time it's just the way we are wired.

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    2. I think that everyone just hears things from there friends and believes it right away. We rarely ask for evidence when were hearing things from our friends.

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  26. 1. I believe that Abigail is the one to blame for all that has happened. I think this because she first started having an affair with John proctor and now she is the one who is blaming others for contributing to witchcraft she was also the one who led all the girls to go dance in the woods. John Proctor says on page 148 "who will judge me" he is talking to Abigail because she is blaming others for what happened and not taking any responsibility for what is going on.
    2. What spoke to me the most was when Proctor was willing to go and say what he did wrong and really accept that he was wrong. I also found it brave for him not to sign the book like he was being told to do because he stood up for himself. "God does not need my name nailed on the church's door" pg 142 i think this was very brave because he actually stood up for himself and spoke up for what he believed.
    3. I believe that John Proctor showed individual judgment because he turned himself in and just accepted that he was wrong and that he cant hide forever. I really think this shows responsibility because not most people would turn themselves in they would just hide forever. On page 142 “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? This shows that John Proctor confessed, but is wondering if that is good enough I think he made the right choice so he didn't have to live with the guilt the rest of his life.

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  27. 1. The main villain to hold accountable in The Crucible, is Abigail Williams. She throws Marry Warren under the bus in Act III, then despite the best efforts of John Proctor she convicts him of witchcraft for staying by his wife's side, who Abigail is extremely jealous of. What happened was due to Cultural Hysteria, nothing like a Witch hunt would happen today unless America became incredible scared. However during the Cold War something called the Red Scare happened and was basically a modern day Witch Hunt. It could also be an individuals if they constantly spin a web of lies without flaw. Look at Abigail's acting and constant fainting. Lies are all about showmanship, less about the actual lie.

    2. Proctor struck a chord with me in terms of emotion, because he was fighting for every man's wife who had been accused. He choose to die instead of dying of shameful death as a sell-out.

    3. Individual Signification or more like underling causes greatly influence the play. For example on Page 125 we finally see that Parris isn't a complete push over, as he shows a little back bone by asking if several woman can confess to their crimes instead before death. Also on Page 126 we see he is a idiot as the "witches" get the hell out of Dodge knowing they won't be able to keep their complicated web of lies afloat any longer.

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  28. 1. Abigail is to blame for all the happenings in The Crucible. On page 24 she says, "I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!" This is just the start of all the accusations that will be made. She is all to blame for this because she has started the accusations. If Abigail would not have created her own stories this would most likely not have happened.

    2. In this Act Proctor stuck out to me the most. On page 138 when he says, "Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this? You would not; if tongs of fire were singeing you you would not! It is evil. Good, then- it is evil, and i do it!" He is sticking up for himself against Elizabeth in this statement.

    3. Individual judgement plays a very large role in this act due to the fact there there is no one that wants to take charge. I feel that on page 139 Danforth takes charge when he says, "Courage, man, courage- let her witness your good example that she may come to God herself. Now hear it, Goody Nurse! Say on, Mr. Proctor. Did you bind yourself to the Devil's service?" I believe that he is taking control of this chaotic situation by telling everyone facts and how he will resolve this.

    Why do people just "hop on the wagon" when the hear new spreading around?

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    1. I see why you believe Abigail is the one to blame but later she says that she never saw Satan and that she is with god now. I believe the whole society is to blame based on the fear brewing inside them. This is what controls them and makes them make these decisions.

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    2. I believe that people just “hop on the band wagon” because of human desire to fit in with others. It is human nature to want to have friends and not stand out. This is shown in the Crucible because not a lot of people wanted to stand up to the “band wagon” or the witch trials. An example of people getting on the band wagon in the book is on page 142 when Proctor list all the people that confessed and got on the band wagon. He said, “You will not use me! I am no Sarah Good or Tituba…”.

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  29. Mrs. comp I wrote mine and published it but your stupid blog deleted it! I spent so long on it and it was really good :( I want to cry right now.

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  30. 1) Abigail is the one to blame for the events that took place in Salem. She pointed her dirty little finger. She is evil and controls people. In a Sense she is like a poppet master in this play. When they were in the court room in act III she blames Mary Warren for casting her spirit out on her. The whole court is thrown into a riot. The Girls do what she does and see what she sees. She is a terrible person and is to blame for the lives of several. If we take a look at this quote from Abigail "She made me do it!" (pg 43 miller) this just started the fire that burnt down the city. Abigail blames Tituba for making a pact with the Devil. Thus, she started the hysteria.

    2)My favorite part of Act four is when Tituba and Sarah Good are in the jail cell planing their lives. It shows the courage they have. It shows how high spirited the two girls are. I'll just let Tituba explain it for you "We goin' to Barbados, as soon as the Devil gits here with the feathers and the wings"(pg 122 miller) Tituba is quite the jokester. I love it :)

    3) This whole book is nothing but judgement by people and blaming each other. It is a he said she said story. THE fourth act is no different. It is quite an annoying story because of how quick to jump to conclusions everyone is. It's terrible. As proctor says "Who will Judge me?"(pg 138 miller) let me give you some advise... everyone is going to judge you. No mater what you do it will never be right in this play.

    What makes us want to explain everything? why can't we let something go a mystery rather than make up some lame reason why?

    DEEEEEEEEEEEEEGS OUT

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  31. 1. I believe that everyone is to blame. Sure Abigail and all the girls who danced in the forest would seem like the people to blame, but they were doing this because it was fun. The people in the town just were taught to believe that actions like these were not things a human would do unless possessed by spirits. Later in the play on pg 99 Procter states "She swears now that she never saw Satan;nor any spirit, vague or clear, that Satan may have sent to hurt her. And she declares her friends are lying now.", this shows that the girls were just scared and the idea of fear was in everyone minds. This fear is what caused the towns people to go "crazy" and start confessing.

    2. While reading this act I notice that Proctor has lost control of the situation. That he used to be the one everyone was looking to lead them in this dark times and now everyone has gone crazy and have killed fellow towns people because of it. On page 119 he says "A fire, a fire is burning!", this shows that he has figured out that the people are over reacting and are being controlled by the fear inside of them.

    3. In act three Proctor has lost control of the situation and the towns people notice this. Now everyone has turned on him and now think that he is the cause of this. On page 118 Mary Warren says "You're the devils man!", this shows that Mary has turned on him and believes that he is possessed by the devil and the cause of all this hype.

    What is the reason behind the way the people act from the beginning of the trials and the way they act at the end of act 3?

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    1. In answer to your question, I believe that answer is simply literary. The book states, "Aye sir, She swears now that she never saw Satan; nor any spirit, vague or clear, that Satan may have sent to hurt her. And she declares her friends are lying now."(Miller 99). Therefore, because of this we can infer that things such as "If Jacobs hangs for a with he forfeit up his property - that's law!"(Miller 96) and Proctor revealing, "Mary. Now tell the Governor how you danced in the woods." that their change sparked from threats and deception.

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  32. 1.) I believe that the actions that occur in Salem are cultural hysteria but some people can be blamed for causing and keeping the cultural hysteria going. One person that I think started the cultural hysteria is Abigail Williams. One reason I think this is because Abigail was the leader of the girls calling people witches. This is shown on page 117 when Abigail starts coping Marry Warren when she says “She sees nothin’!” and then the girls start coping Marry as well. This shows that Abigail leads the girls and is a huge reason for the cultural hysteria that occurred in Salem. The person that is most to blame for keeping the cultural hysteria going is Danforth. The reason that I say this is because he is so stubborn that he won’t listen to others and thinks he is right and this leads to the death of a lot of people. An example of this is on page 129 when Danforth won’t listen to Hale or Parris and says “Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more. I will not receive a single plea for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang…”. This shows that Danforth was a major cause of the hysteria staying strong because he kept hanging people and won’t listen to anyone that said that the witch hunt was getting ridiculous. But overall this was a cultural hysteria fault because the general population could have gotten together and stopped this but they didn’t.
    2.) What spoke to me the most was the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant and that craziness that happened in only a few months in Salem will affect so many generations. This baby will grow up without a father at the very least. The world that was Salem is now so crazy that this baby is going to have a hard childhood when it could have been avoided. On page 134 when the first thing that Parris says to Elizabeth after so long apart is about the baby you know that he feels sadden about what the baby is going to have to live up with.
    3.) Individual judgment plays a huge role in this Act. An example of this on page 143 when Proctor says, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How man I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” This shows that Proctor took back his confession basally because he wants his name and his self respect. This shows that Proctor would rather die with self respect then live without it. This also shows that Proctor has enough faith in God to die rather than lie. This is why he takes back his confession and chooses death instead of the alternative.


    Some questions that I have are… Did Proctor make the right decision? Does Danforth really not see how he is murdering so many people and putting the town in to hysteria? What drives people to figure everything out?

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  33. 1).I think that the main person to blame would be Abigail because she started it all of by lying in the first place. Then their are more to blame because they took advantage of the situation by blaming people for being witches for their own personal gain like when Giles says "That bloody mongrel Walcott charge her. Y'see, he buy a pig of my wife four or five year ago, and the pig died soon after"(page 72). This shows how people of the town were using the witchcraft idea to get people back for stuff done long before. So Abigail did start it all and played a big part but there was more than just her to keep it going.

    2). The thing that spoke to me the most in this act was how Giles died. He knew that his kids would get his farm as long as he didn't say any thing so he didn't. I felt that he died most respectfully by not saying anything because if he talked at all he would be called a witch. This is expressesed when Elizabeth says "He were not hanged. He would not answer aye or nay to his indictment; for if he denied the charge they'd hang him surely, and auction out his property."(page 135).

    3). Individual judgment is shown by Giles when he knows that his sons would get his land if he did not talk and if he died a Christian death by not being deemed a witch. So he basically told them to kill him by telling them "more weight"(page 135).

    Should people always go the easiest route by agreeing with the majority? Or should they stand up for what's right even if it gets them killed?

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    1. Well we see that there is examples of both, but specifically we see Rebecca Nurse standing up for what's right to her when she states, "Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself?...".(Miller 140) That is where we see her standing up for herself, where she is stating that I will not back down based on what she knows to be true about herself. She continues to say, "...I cannot, I cannot."(Miller 140). That is where we see that she understands that she will die for it, but she will stand up, because, despite the consequences, she wants to do what she believes to be "right".

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  34. 1) Abigail is to blame for the start of this scare which led to so many executions and prison sentences. She definitely started the social hysteria. “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,” (Miller 20) says Abigail as she commands that their actions not be revealed. This is how the whole showdown began. And even though all the men and women in Salem at the time were consumed by this social hysteria, there was no excusing their actions. Although the people of Salem had no doubts about the young girls at first, it should not have taken them so long to figure out that the girls were lying.

    2) In this act the part that spoke to me the most was when Proctor says “I want my life… I’ll have my life.” (Miller 137) This spoke to me because it showed that sometimes we will override our conscience and make decisions for the better of ourselves instead of for the better of others.

    3) Individual judgment plays a large role in this act because without people having certain views of each other, i.e. Abigail’s view of Goody Proctor, nobody could have been accused of, sentenced or executed for witchcraft. Without Abigail’s bias towards all of the people she accused, this could not have started. And without all of the so-called “witches” biases, the hysteria would not have been able to spread and not nearly as many would have been imprisoned and killed.

    Why do people just “go with the flow” even in times of crisis?

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  35. 1. I believe that Abigiail Williams should be the one to blame. She blames other people for her actions and lies to people's faces. She trys to control people. Abigail, on page 43 says "She made me do it! She made Betty do it" she is blaiming someone else for what she is doing.

    2. Proctor spoke the most to me. He went into his emotion so deep and I felt like I could feel what he was feeling. On page 143, "Because it is my name.....I have spoken your soul" this shows how powerful John Proctor is and how much conviction he has.

    3. Individual judgement is being shown between John Proctor and Mr. Danforth when Mr. Danforth says that Proctor will burn in hell if he doesn't tell the truth about seeing Rebecca nurse with the devil on page 141.

    Do you think the court could have done more with how much power they have to make it more fair?

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  37. 1. While Abigail may be the spark that started the mass hysteria, she is not the only one to blame. The real perpetrator is societies belief in the spiritual world. Without the fear of God, or of the Devil, none of this would’ve been an issue. Therefore, I would like to blame the Devil for, regardless of your beliefs, generating the hysteria. This is demonstrated when Tituba states, “Take me home, Devil!...”(Miller 123) This is showing that she is calling upon the devil to take her to her death. The idea of the Devil was enough for people to fear his name and thus, it created mass hysteria for the people who also believed that God cursed those that familiarised themselves with the devil. So the individual is Abigail for starting the fear, but the masses only feared it for they lived in a society where the fear of otherworldly beings was very prominent.
    2. The most emotionally striking passage for me would be, “Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot.”(Miller 140). This struck me because of the fact that it is showing someone standing up for their beliefs, despite the consequences. This strikes me then because of how I feel everyday, trying to stand up for what I believe in, even though I know I may not like the repercussions.
    3. I fear that regrettably, my favorite passage, which shows individual judgement, is the one that I have already quoted, “Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot.”(Miller 140). This is such a significant part because it is showing that though she may be condemned by others, she will not judge herself based on what she knows to be fictional. Therefore, she is pursuing individual judgement by judging herself based only on what is true.

    How are we controlled by what society says? Is it by their actions or their confidence in their words?

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  38. 1) I believe that the person to blame for everything that happend in Salem is Abigail Williams. The reason why I believe this is because she tells lies, and gets all the girls to follow her with calling people witches. An example of Abigail telling a lie is on page 43 when they are asking Tituba about the girls dancing in the forest. "Abigail points at Tituba. "'She made me do it! She made Betty do it!'" This is a lie because Tituba never made Abigail or Betty drink blood. Abigail is trying to save herself by making a lie about Tituba. Another reason for beliveing that Abigail is the main cause is by the quote on page 117. "Abigail- The wings! Her wings are spreading! Mary, please, don't, don't!" This quote shows that by Abigail lieing about Mary and the devil, all the girls follow her lead and do the same thing just to make sure that they do not get accused of witchery. What happend in Salem shows that this is the individuals fault.

    2) What spoke to me the most in act four was how Cheever even though he didn't mean to, basically said that this town is so dumb for what is going on. On page 125, Cheever states, "There be so many cows wanderin' the high roads, now their masters are in the jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now." This quote spoke to me because it showed that what Salem was doing was so stupid, because everybody believed every word that was spoken of witchery.

    3) Individual judgement played a role in this act because Proctor chose the death of himself. He chose death because he was ashamed of what happend to Salem. Page 143. "...How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave my name!" This quote showed that Proctor did not want his name on the church door because he did not want his name to be public.

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