Saturday, September 8, 2012

Please explain the significance of the following quotations in Act 1 of The Crucible.1. "Now look you, child, your punishment will come in its...

1. Reverend Parris is telling Abigail that she will be punished for inappropriate and heathen acts such as dancing in the woods at night with Betty and the other girls. However, he is putting her punishment (most likely whipping) on hold to get more information about what happened that night before Betty got sick and to contain the gossip about witchcraft spreading amongst the villagers.


2. Parris is asking Abigail if she has a reputation of decency amongst the villagers. This is in reference to her being fired by Elizabeth Proctor and Elizabeth's statement that she dare not attend church because she doesn't want to be near something so "soiled." This is all foreshadowing the imminent disclosure of Abigail's affair with John Proctor to come in Act I. This puts Abigail's credibility in question immediately with the reader, which shades her actions later in the plot.

No comments:

Post a Comment