The Crucible Video Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions with complete sentences. Be sure you are thorough and accurate.

1) The producers of the movie, unlike the play, decided to show you the girls and Tituba dancing in the forest. Why might this be? What might the writers gain by including this scene, instead of just hearing about it? How is it significant?

2) Describe the village as presented in the movie. How is it similar to or different from what you imagined?

3) What is your perception of Mr. and Mrs. Putnam so far, and why would the director show them in their buggy? What is their attitude toward the less fortunate?

4) Why have the producers decided to give Dr. Griggs a chance to speak lines and interact with the other characters? What do they gain from this decision?

5) Describe Abby's interaction with John behind the house. (Pay attention to how this changes later in the play).

6) Was the actual whipping of Tituba in the movie more effective than just the threats in the play version? Why or why not?

7) Explain how Mary Warren is similar to different from what you imagined while reading the play.

8) How do the directors of the movie show the strain in John and Elizabeth's relationship?

9) Why did the producers and director decide to have the girls run outside to the water during the climactic moments of Act Three? What is significant about John Proctor's pose during that scene?

10) Why would Abby claim that Reverend Hale's wife is involved in witchcraft hysteria?

11) Which characters from the movie fit your visual interpretation after you read the play during class?
Which ones were quite different? Explain.

12) Did the visual components (setting, props, costumes, etc...) add or subtract to the movie's success? Defend your choice.

13) Which do you prefer - the movie or the play? Explain why.