HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE The Crucible

Name: TEST October 4, 2010 Pledge:

Section 1 Multiple Choice (3 points each) Choose the BEST answer for the following questions: _____ 1. Arthur Miller saw a parallel between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy hearings because both events a. Showed the good nature of the American people. b. Featured irrational accusations. c. Demonstrated democracy at its best. d. Purged the country of potential communists. How did the Puritans view the wilderness? a. They saw it as an ideal place for hunting. b. They were indifferent to the wilderness. c. They feared it and thought it was the devils last preserve. d. They saw it as the place where they would introduce the Native Americans to Christianity. From Revered Parriss comments in Act I, his concern for his daughter seems primarily based on his a. Anxiety about his reputation. b. Fear for the fate of her soul. c. Great love for his only child. d. Terror of the Devil. In Act I, Parris calls for Reverend Hale to come to Salem because a. Parris fears that Bettys sickness may be contagious. b. Thomas Putnam demands it. c. Parris wants to rule out witchcraft as the cause of Bettys illness. d. Parris believes Abigails assertion that Betty was not bewitched. What year do the trials take place? a. 1583 b. 1692 c. 1542 d. 1675 Mrs. Putnams comments in Act I suggest that her primary motivation in hunting for witches is a. Anger at having lost her children. b. Compassion for the two sick girls. c. Curiosity about the mysterious events in the woods. d. Resentment of Reverend Parris. Miller tells us in Act I that John Proctor has come to regard himself as a as a kind of fraud. But no hint of this has yet appeared on the surface. How does this statement create dramatic irony?

_____ 2.

_____ 3.

_____ 4.

_____ 5.

_____ 6.

_____ 7.

a. b. c. d.

Reverend Hale knows Proctors secret but chooses to keep it from the court. Proctor is so tormented by his guilt that he publicly confesses at the end of Act I. The reader does not know why Proctor sees himself as a fraud, and Miller keeps this information from the reader until Act IV. The reader knows how Proctor feels about himself but other characters in the play do not know.

_____ 8.

Which phrase best describes Abigail Williamss character? a. Impulsive and thoughtless b. Nave and timid c. Proud and manipulative d. Affectionate and vulnerable Considering Titubas state of mind when she began naming names at the end of Act I, what can you infer about her motivation? a. She was afraid of being punished and thought naming names would deflect the blame on others. b. She actually saw Goody Good and Goody Osburn in the forest and wanted to tell the truth. c. She was confused and was talking about a dream she once had. d. She didnt like the women she named, and she hoped theyd be punished.

_____ 9.

_____ 10. At the beginning of Act II, what do the stage directions indicate to the reader about the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor? a. They are warm and affectionate. b. They are more concerned about the children than their own relationship. c. They seem tense around each other. d. They are aggressively hostile and angry toward each other. _____ 11. When Hale appears at the Proctors door in Act II, he is described as different now drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now. What accounts for this change? a. He sees that the accusations in Salem are starting to get out of control. b. He no longer believes in witchcraft, but must proceed. c. He feels guilty that he has also felt desire for Abigail. d. He fears that even he may be at risk. _____ 12. What commandment does John Proctor forget when being questioned by Reverend Hale? a. Thou shall not lie. b. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors goods. c. Thou shall not commit adultery. d. Thou shall not kill. _____ 13. Why is the poppet with the needle important? a. It shows that Mary Warren conspired against Elizabeth. b. It shows that the court is interested in being fair and democratic. c. It proves that Abigail is the true victim in the story. d. It serves as the basis for charging Elizabeth with witchcraft.

_____ 14. In Act III what development causes Mary Warren to recant her confession and rejoin Abigail and the other girls? a. John Proctors confession of his relationship with Abigail. b. Judge Danforths persistent questions. c. The confusion about Elizabeth Proctors poppets. d. Abigails pretending to be attacked by Marys spirit. _____ 15. It is an example of dramatic irony when Elizabeth tells the court that Proctor did not commit adultery because a. Abigail already told the court. b. Proctor did not really commit adultery. c. Elizabeth also committed adultery. d. Proctor has already confessed to it. _____ 16. Proctor chooses to hang because he desires to a. Make Elizabeth feel guilty. b. Preserve his good name and stand up for truth. c. Be reunited with Abigail in the afterlife. d. Prove to the town that he never committed adultery _____ 17. After Proctor is taken away to be hanged, Parris urges Elizabeth to go to her husband in order to a. Comfort him in his final moments. b. Try once more to persuade him to confess. c. Show that she believes the death sentence is just. d. Make a last appear to the mercy of the judges. _____ 18. Act IV ends with, He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! Who speaks these lines? a. Rebecca Nurse b. Reverend Hale c. Elizabeth Proctor d. Judge Danforth _____ 19. Which of the following statements best describes Elizabeths feelings toward witchcraft? a. Abigail is the only witch in town. b. Elizabeth refuses to believe in witches if she (Elizabeth) is accused of being one. c. The accusatory girls are right, witchcraft is everywhere. d. Witchcraft may be present in Andover, but certainly not in Salem.

_____ 20. Which idea from the play is applicable our society today? a. Superstitions of colonial America are no longer an issue. b. Believe in the supernatural is dangerous. c. Government is overly concerned with religious issues. d. Fear and hysteria can lead to perversions of justice.

Section 2 Matching (2 points each) Match the character/vocabulary word to the correct description A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Rebecca Nurse Mary Warren Lechery Deposition Abigail Williams Reverend Hale Calumny H. I. J. K. L. M. N. Pallor Elizabeth Proctor Crucible Dissembling Deputy Governor Danforth John Proctor Sibilance

_____ 1. _____ 2. _____ 3.

false accusation; slander lust; adultery She is a very kind women who is the midwife to the Putnam's. They feel she is a witch because seven out of eight of their children died at birth. _____ 4. a vessel used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat; a severe test _____ 5. The judge at the witch trials. He is dedicated to removing all witches. He rules by the law and will not allow exceptions or anyone to try to undermine his court. _____ 6. paleness _____ 7. She works for the Proctor's. She was going to testify against the girls but then in the end she accuses John of being a witch. _____ 8. hissing sound _____ 9. He is the minister who is called in to investigate the witch trials. At first he believes them, but later he returns to the town to try and stop the trials. _____ 10. the testimony of a witness made under oath but not in open court

Section 3 Short Answer (5 points each) Provide a brief description for each of the following. Write answers on a separate sheet of paper. Answers should be written in paragraph form. 1. At the beginning of the play Miller mentions the Devils Last Preserve. What is he describing and what does it mean? 2. The McCarthy trials were Millers inspiration for writing this play. Explain the connection. 3. Choose ONE of the following characters and explain how this character evolves over the duration of the play. a. Mary Warren b. John Proctor c. Elizabeth Proctor d. Reverend Hale 4. Why does John refuse to sign his confession?