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Crucible Act 1 & 2

Total questions: 24

Worksheet time: 47mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

If your friend has a predilection for contact sports, he or she

a)

likes them

b)

avoids them

c)

fears them

d)

dislikes them

2.

In The Crucible, Act II, Hale is in shock when the beloved Rebecca Nurse is accused.


What does he mean when he alludes to the Biblical portrayal of the Devil, noting that "an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven"?

a)

God's will is not for humans to know

b)

Beauty and goodness are not the same

c)

Evil can masquerade as good

d)

God's opinions are unimportant

3.

According to the background exposition from The Crucible, Act I, children in Salem had to "walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, … mouths shut until bidden to speak."


What kind of life do you infer that children in Salem led?

a)

Educated

b)

Joyless

c)

Wild

d)

Joyful

4.

Which word best replaces pallor in this sentence:


"The pallor of her face suggested that she was frightened"?

a)

excitement

b)

smile

c)

paleness

d)

eagerness

5.

Which word best replaces ingratiating in this sentence:


"The child was ingratiating at first, but people then learned she was really not so nice"?

a)

skilled

b)

charming

c)

fearful

d)

annoying

6.

In The Crucible, Act I, what sad and frightening reason drives Mrs. Putnam to hunt for witches in Salem?

a)

anger at her husband and at Reference Parris

b)

her desire to speak to the dead

c)

the deaths of seven of her babies

d)

sympathy for the girls who are ill

7.

At the beginning of The Crucible, Act II, what is the source of the conflict between the Proctors?

a)

The two suspect each other of engaging in witchcraft.

b)

Elizabeth suspects that John has been unfaithful, but John refuses to admit his sin.

c)

John has been unfaithful to Elizabeth, and he hasn't earned her trust back yet.

d)

John fears that Elizabeth will be accused of witchcraft, but she does not believe him.

8.

In his opening dialogue with Abigail in The Crucible, Act I, what does Reverend Parris reveal to be the main reason for his concern about his daughter?

a)

the fear that his daughter will lose her soul

b)

fear that his daughter is dying

c)

fear for his reputation

d)

fear that he will become sick from the illness that afflicts his daughter

9.

Which of these people would most likely try to evade the authorities?

a)

someone who had just witnessed a crime

b)

someone who had just robbed a bank

c)

someone who wanted to run for political office

d)

someone who had just been mugged on the street

10.

In The Crucible, Act II, what do you learn about John Proctor's character from the stage directions that say he "is striving against his disgust with Hale and with himself for even answering"?

a)

He has the answers but hides them

b)

He does not have the answers he needs

c)

His feelings for Hale are respectful

d)

He is in conflict with Hale as well as with himself

11.

Which word is CLOSEST in meaning to inculcation?

a)

intimidation

b)

curse

c)

teaching

d)

warning

12.

Why does Proctor think Abigail accuses his wife of witchcraft in The Crucible, Act II?

a)

to punish Elizabeth for being a bad boss

b)

to punish John for rejecting her

c)

to distract attention from her own sins

d)

to show Salem how much power she had

13.

Which of the following is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to dissembling?

a)

concealing

b)

revealing

c)

tempting

d)

unappetizing

14.

In Act II of The Crucible, Elizabeth compares the crowd parting for Abigail to the Red Sea parting for the people of Israel when Moses led them out of Egypt. What does she mean by this Biblical allusion?

a)

She means that Abigail's power and influence are like the power and influence of Moses.

b)

She means that Abigail's ego is very large, like the Red Sea.

c)

She means that Abigail's power comes from supernatural forces.

d)

She means that Abigail has broken the Ten Commandments given to Moses.

15.

In The Crucible, Act I, which of the young women has the most influence over the others?

a)

Mary

b)

Abigail

c)

Tituba

d)

Betty

16.

In The Crucible, Act I, what do Tituba's words and the stage directions describing her actions show about Puritan attitudes toward slaves?

a)

They believed the slaves were uncivilized.

b)

They believed that they and their slaves were equals in the eyes of God.

c)

They believed the slaves should be freed.

d)

They believed the slaves were likely to rebel to try to gain freedom.

17.

In The Crucible, Act II, what does John Proctor mean when he says that no matter what he does, "an everlasting funeral marches" around Elizabeth's heart?

a)

She is always unhappy with him, whatever he does

b)

She goes to too many funerals.

c)

He wants to move away from Salem, but she does not.

d)

He fears she wishes he were dead.

18.

What is John Proctor suggesting about Mary Warren when he says "It's strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women" in The Crucible, Act II?

a)

Mary has become as powerful as Abigail

b)

What Mary calls "important work" isn't very Christian.

c)

Mary is leaving the church

d)

Mary is religious and worthy of praise

19.

Some of the dramatic exposition in The Crucible, Act I, describes arguments about deeds and boundaries. For what element of the plot does this information prepare the audience?

a)

Reverend Parris' anger over not being given firewood

b)

John Proctor's attempt to deny his attraction to Abigail

c)

the real story about what went on with the girls in the woods

d)

Putnam's and Proctor's disagreement over a piece of land

20.

From the rising action in Act I of The Crucible, what can you predict Abigail is most likely to do?

a)

fight tooth and nail for her uncle's reputation

b)

try to implicate John Proctor's wife as a local witch

c)

fall in love with Reverend Hale

d)

help Tituba avoid trouble

21.

In The Crucible, Act II, when Hale appears at the Proctors' door, he is described as "different now—drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now."


From these details, what do you predict Hale will feel or do as the play progresses?

a)

He will become exhausted by his work and will want to quit.

b)

He will be completely comfortable with all of his actions.

c)

He will lose respect for the Proctors because he believes they are guilty.

d)

He will be increasingly disturbed by his role in bringing the accused to be tried in court.

22.

What is the setting of The Crucible?

a)

England in the 1600's

b)

England, today

c)

Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1600s

d)

Salem, Massachusetts, today

23.

Based on The Crucible, Act I, what seems to motivate Abigail's actions?

a)

jealousy and desire for power over others

b)

the desire to protect her uncle and help Betty

c)

devout faith in deep-seated superstition

d)

her wish to leave Salem

24.

In what way did Reverend Hale contribute to the hysteria in Salem?

a)

He came already believing that there was witchcraft happening.

b)

He asked leading and suggestive questions.

c)

He did't ask enough questions.

d)

He spread rumors everywhere.