Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

Act I

 

Look up and define each of the following words. Use each in a sentence.

 

parish:

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blatantly

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trepidation

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subservient

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pilgrimage

definition: __________________________________________________________________

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sentence: ___________________________________________________________________

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delusion

definition: __________________________________________________________________

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sentence: ___________________________________________________________________

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iniquity

definition: __________________________________________________________________

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sentence: ___________________________________________________________________

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succubus

definition: ________________________________________________________________

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sentence: _________________________________________________________________

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Answer each of the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES:

 

1. What is bothering Parris at the beginning of Act I?

 

 

2. Why does Parris send for Reverend Hale?

 

 

3. What did Parris catch the girls doing in the woods?

 

 

4. Why is Parris worried that Abigail will get in trouble?

 

 

5. What does Mrs. Putnam say Betty was seen doing?

 

 

6. Why is Mrs. Putnam upset?

 

 

7. What does Mrs. Putnam seek to know?

 

 

8. Which girl led the “crying out”?

 

 

9. Who wrote many of the accusations of witchcraft, according to the narrator?

 

 

10. What does Mary Warren tell Abigail the girls ought to do? Why?

 

 

11. What does Betty try to do?

 

 

12. What does Betty say that Abigail did?

 

 

13. Why is John Proctor angry with Mary Warren?

 

 

14. What does Abigail seek from John Proctor? What relationship did they share before the play began?

 

 

15. What does John Proctor tell Abigail?

 

 

16. What is Rebecca Nurse’s evaluation of Betty’s condition?

 

 

17. What does Mrs. Putnam resent about Rebecca Nurse?

 

 

18. Why does John Proctor not attend church more regularly?

 

 

19. What resentment does Mr. Putnam hold against his neighbours Giles Corey and John Proctor?

 

 

20. What does Reverend Hale say fills his books?

 

 

21. What does Giles ask Hale about his wife?

 

 

22. Who does Abigail blame for witchcraft initially?

 

 

23. How do they get Tituba to confess to witchcraft?

 

 

24. Who does Tituba accuse of witchcraft? (two people)

 

 

25. What do the other girls do after Tituba makes her accusations?

 

 

 

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

Act II

 

Look up and define each of the following words. Use each in a sentence.

 

falter

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sentence: _______________________________________________________

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supernatural

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abomination

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blasphemy

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sentence: ________________________________________________________

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providence

definition: _______________________________________________________

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pretence

definition: _______________________________________________________

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sentence: ________________________________________________________

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Answer each of the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES:

 

1. What is the setting at the beginning of Act II?

 

 

2. What does Elizabeth want her husband to do? Why?

 

 

3. Why is John upset with Elizabeth?

 

 

4. What does Elizabeth say is making John reluctant to do her bidding?

 

 

5. What bit of information does John leak to Elizabeth that he never told her before?

 

 

6. Who did Mary Warren replace in the household of John Elizabeth?

 

 

7. Why is John upset with Mary? What has she been doing?

 

 

8. What gift does Mary give to Elizabeth?

 

 

9. What does Mary accuse Sarah Good of doing?

 

 

10. What is Mary’s evidence against Sarah?

 

 

11. On what evidence was Sarah Good condemned as a witch by the court?

 

 

12. What was Mary’s life like before the trial? How is her station in life changed by her participation in the trial?

 

 

13. What information does Mary relate from the trial that is of particular concern to Elizabeth?

 

 

14. What “promise” does Elizabeth say that John has made to Abigail?

 

15. Why does Hale visit John and Elizabeth Proctor?

 

 

16. What reason does John Proctor give to Hale for not attending church or baptizing his youngest son?

 

 

17. Which of the commandments can John Proctor not recall? Why is this significant?

 

 

18. What information does John relate to Hale about Abigail?

 

 

19. Why does John Proctor find the confessions of Tituba, Sarah Good, and the other women ridiculous? What does he tell Reverend Hale?

 

 

20. What “rumour” about Proctor has Hale heard that “troubles” him? Why is this troubling to him, and dangerous in Puritan society?

 

 

21. Why does Elizabeth say that she does not believe in witches?

 

 

22. Who has accused Elizabeth of witchcraft?

 

 

23. What “evidence” does Cheever find in the house against Elizabeth?

 

 

24. How does this thing count as “evidence” against Elizabeth?

 

 

25. What do they do to Elizabeth that upsets John greatly?

 

 

26. Why is Mary afraid to tell the truth in court?

 


Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

Act III

 

Look up and define each of the following words. Use each in a sentence.

 

abundant

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remorseless

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charity

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contempt

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deposition

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warrant

definition: ______________________________________________________

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deferential

definition: ______________________________________________________

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immaculate

definition: ______________________________________________________

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Answer each of the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES:

 

1. What reason does Giles Corey think the Putnams have accused his wife of witchcraft?

 

 

2. Why does Giles feel guilty about the accusation against his wife?

 

 

3. What does John Proctor tell the court about Mary Warren?

 

 

4. What does Parris accuse Proctor of doing?

 

 

5. What surprising information does Parris learn about his wife while at court?

 

 

6. Why is this bit of information important for Elizabeth’s safety?

 

 

7. What does Proctor bring to court to assist his friends against the accusations?

 

 

8. What does Giles’ deposition against Mr. Putnam accuse?

 

 

9. How does Giles know this about Mr. Putnam?

 

 

10. Why does Giles fall afoul of the law with his deposition?

 

 

11. How does Hale feel about the way that the trials are going in this Act?

 

 

12. What “proof” does Hathorne find that Mary Warren is lying in her deposition to the court?

 

 

13. What do Abigail and the other girls do to implicate Mary Warren during her testimony?

 

 

14. What information does John Proctor provide to the court to cast doubt upon Abigail’s character?

 

 

15. What does Proctor say that his wife never does?

 

 

16. What does Elizabeth do before the court that discredits both her and her husband? Why does she do it?

 

 

17. What difference of opinion divides Reverend Hale from Judge Danforth at this point in the story?

 

 

18. How do the girls frighten Mary Warren and the court away from recognizing the truth?

 

 

19. Under the stress of the courtroom, what does Mary accuse John of being?

 

 

20. What does John Proctor say that gets him thrown in prison?

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

Act IV

 

Look up and define each of the following words. Use each in a sentence.

 

contention

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beguile

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sarcasm

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indictment

definition: ______________________________________________________

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embodiment

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scaffold

definition: ______________________________________________________

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inaudible

definition: ____________________________________________________

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sentence: _____________________________________________________

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Answer each of the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES:

 

1. What do Tituba and Sarah Good plan to do to escape execution?

 

 

2. What has Reverend Hale been doing with the prisoners who are doomed to hang? What has he been advising them to do? Why?

 

 

3. What does Hathorne note about Parris’ demeanour at this point in the play?

 

 

4. What has Abigail done, according to her uncle Parris?

 

 

5. What does Parris warn Judge Hathorne about the executions of John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse?

 

 

6. What has Parris found sticking in his door recently?

 

 

7. What does Hale tell Hathorne has happened to Salem since the witch trials began and so many have been arrested?

 

 

8. What does Hale ask Elizabeth to do at this point in the story?

 

 

9. How was Giles killed and why, according to Elizabeth?

 

 

10. What were Giles’ last words?

 

11. Why does John feel like a hypocrite in jail?

 

 

12. What does John decide to do?

 

 

13. What does John refuse to do in his confession?

 

 

14. What does Proctor do after signing his testimony that enrages Danforth?

 

 

15. What matters to John more than death? Why?

 

 

 

 


Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

 

 

Now make a separate plot line below that maps out the story told in The Crucible: