AP Language & Composition | The Scarlet Letter Worksheet

What is the "worst torture" that Dimmesdale inflicts upon himself?

• Publicly confessing his sin to the congregation.

• Fasting for long periods until he grows weak.

• Refusing to sleep for several nights.

• Holding vigils and scourging himself in private.

During his nighttime vigil on the scaffold, what celestial phenomenon does Dimmesdale imagine sees his sin revealed?

• A solar eclipse.

• A comet.

• A meteor forming a letter 'A'.

• The moon turning blood-red.

What shocking transformation has occurred in Roger Chillingworth's appearance, making people look upon him "with horror"?

• He has lost all his hair.

• His face is now marked with the letter 'A'.

• His features have taken on a look of evil and malice.

• He walks with a pronounced limp.

How does the community primarily interpret the change in Hester Prynne's character and her acts of charity?

• They believe she is preparing to leave the colony.

• They feel she is trying to earn a public pardon.

• They have reinterpreted the 'A' on her chest to mean "Able".

• They are now completely indifferent to her presence.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

Which of the following best describes the nature of the relationship between Hester and Chillingworth in Chapter 14?

• Chillingworth is offering to finally forgive Hester.

• Hester is pleading with Chillingworth to leave the colony.

• Hester feels an obligation to confess Chillingworth's true identity to Dimmesdale.

• Chillingworth is demanding Hester reveal Pearl's paternity.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

When Pearl asks Hester why the minister keeps his hand over his heart, what is the significance of Hester’s response?

• She is truthful, explaining that he too bears a secret sin.

• She ignores the question, showing her desire to keep Dimmesdale’s secret.

• She gets mad and threatens to confine Pearl if she asks again, indicating her fear of the truth being exposed.

• She says it is because of a painful illness distracting Pearl with a simpler explanation.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What specific "privilege" does the narrator suggest the scarlet letter has granted Hester in Chapter 13?

• The ability to counsel other women who have sinned.

• Freedom from the moral rules and regulations of society.

• Exemption from paying the colony's taxes.

• The right to travel freely throughout New England.

The scene in which Dimmesdale joins Hester and Pearl on the scaffold at night is a moment of profound psychological complexity. Which literary term best describes this moment where the private, hidden truth is briefly enacted publicly, though without consequences?

• Foreshadowing, as it hints at the future public confession.

• Dramatic Irony, as the audience knows his guilt, but the others on the scaffold do not yet.

• Juxtaposition, as the dark secrecy of the night contrasts sharply with the intended public nature of the scaffold.

• Allegory, as the grouping of the three figures perfectly represents the abstract concept of sin, repentance, and consequence.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

In Chapter 11, the narrator describes Dimmesdale's sermons as becoming "more powerful and penetrating" as he grows weaker. Analyze how this paradox contributes to the central theme of the novel.

• A. It shows that Dimmesdale's physical weakness diminishes his ability to connect with his audience.

• B. It suggests that the more he suffers, the less effective his sermons become.

• C. It illustrates that his profound, internalized guilt is the source of his spiritual connection and oratorical power, emphasizing the link between private sin and public eloquence.

• D. It indicates that the community's perception of him changes as he becomes weaker.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The shift in the meaning of the scarlet letter from "Adultery" to "Able" is a key example of a literary device. Which device does this best represent, and why?

• Metaphor, because the 'A' represents a sin.

• Symbolism, because the 'A' is an object that accrues multiple layers of meaning throughout the text, reflecting Hester's changing societal and internal status.

• Allusion, because it refers to the Biblical fall of man.

• Motif, because the letter 'A' is a recurring image.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3