YOU WERE LOOKING FOR: The Crucible Act 1 And 2 Test Answers
She also used to work for them. It seemed that Abigail wanted Elizabeth Proctor dead. What evidence suggests that sharp divisions exist among the people of Salem Village? What is the significance of this gift? Cheever comes to the Proctor household...
Which three depositions are presented to the judges and on whose behalf? How do the judges discourage defenses of the accused? They want him arrested What does John Proctor confess to Danforth? He says that Elizabeth never saw any spirits Why does...
In the Overture, Salem is described as all of the following except a a. Before the action of the play begins, Betty Parris and her friends a. Which of the following statements best describes Tituba? She leads the girls astray. She is from Boston, and Reverend Parris distrusts her. She commonly performs minor acts of witchcraft. She is a slave from Barbados who is devoted to Betty. Susanna Walcott b. Abigail Williams c. Mary Warren d. Elizabeth Proctor was hard to please. Elizabeth Proctor drank and blamed Abigail for her drinking. John Proctor did not fire her, but Elizabeth Proctor did. John Proctor liked her and did not want her to work. Her daughter Ruth is about to die. Seven of her children died in infancy. She knows her husband is unfaithful.
Why is the Reverend John Hale summoned? The parishioners want him to come and preach instead of Parris. He has legal training and will help with the disputes over property. He is an expert on witchcraft and can help Salem. Betty is likely to be in a trancelike state because a. A possible motivation for later accusations of witchcraft is suggested by all of the following except a. When Abigail threatens Betty, Abigail is motivated by her a. Abigail accuses Goody Good and Goody Osburn of witchcraft because a. Giles Corey says that his wife has been reading strange books because he a. Mary Warren a. When he comes in from planting, what suggestion does John Proctor make to his wife concerning the house?
He wants her to make Mary Warren clean it. He says that the house is dark and dreary. He says because their family is larger, they need more room. He suggests that she bring in some flowers. Elizabeth is afraid that her husband a. The people who have been accused of being witches by the court may save themselves from hanging by a.
What reason does John Proctor give Reverend Hale for his absence from church? He does not think Reverend Parris is godly. He needs the time to work his farm. His children have been frequently ill. God does not require constant church attendance. Which commandment does John forget when Hale asks him to recite the Ten Commandments? Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not commit adultery. He tells both of them to stay away from Abigail Williams. He tells them to go to church and baptize their youngest child. He counsels them to stay away from Salem. Two Test d. He urges Elizabeth to discharge Mary Warren from their service. What is unusual about the doll that Mary Warren makes for Elizabeth? It has a needle stuck in its stomach. It looks like Abigail. Mary made it from corn shucks and shells. It looks like Elizabeth. Ezekiel Cheever is a. As Elizabeth is led away to jail, what does John demand of Mary Warren? One of the chief conflicts established in Act Two is between a. John and Elizabeth Proctor b. Elizabeth Proctor and Mary Warren c. John Proctor and John Hale d. Elizabeth says that Abigail accuses her of being a witch because Abigail a.
What does Proctor tell Mary? She is forbidden to go to court. She must tell the court that she stuck the needle in the poppet. All of the above d. None of the above Written Response 10 points Tituba, Abigail, and Betty name people whom they claim accompanied the Devil. On the back of the scantron, explain why these three declare that they saw certain people with the Devil. Then, describe what circumstances motivate them to name specific individuals. Support your reasons with at least two references to Act One.
Book Guides The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. But these themes aren't always easy to explain or dissect in the context of the play, and they can be even harder to develop into essays. Read on for an overview of what a theme is, a list of important themes in The Crucible with specific act-by-act details, and a summary of how to use this information in your essays and other assignments. Why Are Themes Important? Before I get into the nitty-gritty of how The Crucible themes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter.
A theme is a central topic that is addressed by a work of literature. Themes can be expressed in many different ways. In the case of a play like The Crucible, themes are revealed mainly through the dialogue of the characters. They're also revealed though events in the plot. Themes tell us what the purpose of the work is. What is the writer attempting to convey to the viewer? The Crucible's themes have lent the play artistic longevity because they're more or less universal to the human experience across time.
If you hope to write an awesome essay on The Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. If you can show that you understand the themes of a work of literature, you've clearly mastered the material on a deeper level. In the next few sections, I'll take a look at a group of broad themes in The Crucible, including irony, hysteria, reputation, and power. Theme 1: Irony First off, what is irony? Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect or that you really hoped wouldn't happen. In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect. The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. Well, it's not. Sure, you don't expect or want rain, but it's not the polar opposite of getting married.
A real example of irony would be if two married guests got into a fight about going to your wedding that ended in their divorce. The ruthlessness with which the suspected witches are treated is aimed at purifying Salem, but it achieves the opposite outcome. The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation. The court's attempts to preserve Puritan morality by arresting and executing accused witches ironically lead to the removal of the most virtuous people from society.
These people are the only ones who refuse to throw out false accusations or lie about involvement in witchcraft, so they find themselves condemned this is the fate of Rebecca Nurse. This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. Act 1 There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. In her conversation with John, Abigail claims that he helped her realize all the lies she was told by two-faced people in Salem who only publicly adhere to the conventions of respectable society pg.
Hale also makes some unintentionally ironic statements in Act 1 when he begins his investigation. Hale is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence. This is ironic because searching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious. The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. In telling people they must confess to their crimes or be hanged, the officials show that they have already decided the person is guilty no matter what evidence is provided in their defense. When Hale asks him to recite his commandments, the only one he forgets is adultery. The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. This is irony of the same type that I discussed in the overview of this theme. Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay.
Act 3 In Act 3, Hale continues to make ironic statements about the existence of concrete proof for the accusations of witchcraft. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. This well-intentioned mistake seals both of their fates. This attitude comes from a man who has shown no remorse for condemning people to death throughout the play. He has sentenced people to death based on lies about their dealings in black magic, and he has accepted other false confessions from those who would rather lie than be executed. Why do certain characters seem to be blind to the irony of their actions Abigail, Danforth?
Why is hypocrisy so common in repressive communities like Salem? Hale wrongly assumes that his academic mindset will save him from jumping to the wrong conclusions in the witchcraft investigation. Ironically, he is the first to demand a confession from Tituba based on Abigail's dramatic but false testimony. Theme 2: Hysteria The thematic significance of hysteria builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. The seeds are planted in Act 1, when Abigail is questioned about her activities in the woods and ends up accusing Tituba of witchcraft to avoid punishment. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused. Hysteria blinds the people of Salem to reason as they become convinced that there is a grand Satanic plot brewing in town, and they must not hesitate to condemn anyone who could be involved.
This is a lesson in how fear can twist perceptions of reality even for those who consider themselves reasonable under normal circumstances. Act 1 Even before Abigail makes accusations, rumors of witchcraft have morphed into accepted truths in the minds of the more superstitious members of the community. Ann Putnam jumps at any opportunity to blame supernatural forces for the deaths of her children. Rational explanations are ground up by the drama of the rumor mill, and people see only what they want to see whatever keeps them in the good graces of society and makes them feel the best about themselves in situations that don't appear to have easy explanations.
Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation. This vicious cycle continues to claim the lives of more and more people as the play progresses. Act 2 By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. Many people confess when threatened with execution, and this only heightens the paranoid atmosphere. The authorities ignore any inconvenient logical objections to the proceedings because they, too, are swept up in the madness. The hysterical atmosphere and the dramatic performances of some of the accusers cause people to believe they have seen genuine proof of witchcraft. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt.
No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. Act 3 The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than considering that this might indicate that the women are innocent.
Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary is unable to faint outside of a charged courtroom environment. She believed she had seen spirits earlier because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her. Abigail distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into this hysteria. Will you confess yourself with him? Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Though Rebecca Nurse's involvement has already been corroborated by other confessors, Danforth demands to hear it from John to confirm that John is fully committed to renouncing his supposed ties to Satan. Discussion Questions Here are a few questions about hysteria to consider now that you've read a summary of how this theme was expressed throughout the plot of the play: How does the hysteria in the play get started?
What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are officials like Danforth unable or unwilling to listen to reason? Is there any character besides John Proctor that represents the voice of common sense amidst the madness? Why is Cheever both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it? Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. How does this philosophy perpetuate hysteria?
Even though there is significant reason to believe Abigail is lying about Elizabeth's familiar spirit stabbing her, the frenzied investigators ignore testimony that challenges their chosen witchy narrative. Theme 3: Reputation Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in The Crucible. Though actions are often motivated by fear and desires for power and revenge, they are also propped up by underlying worries about how a loss of reputation will negatively affect characters' lives. Once there have been enough convictions, the reputations of the judges also become factors. They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong.
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