Acts 1-4 Crucible

Later in the introduction, Miller writes: "But the people of Salem in 1692 were not quite the dedicated folk that arrived on the Mayflower. A vast differentiation had taken place, and in their own time a revolution had unseated the royal government and substituted a junta which was at this moment in power. The times, to their eyes, must have been out of joint, and to the common folk must have seemed as insoluble and complicated as do ours today. It is not hard to see how easily many could have been led to believe that the time of confusion had been brought upon them by deep and darkling forces. No hint of such speculation appears on the court record, but social disorder in any age breeds such mystical suspicions, and when, as in Salem, wonders are brought forth from below the social surface, it is too much to expect people to hold back very long from laying on the victims with all the force of their frustrations." Miller uses this passage to suggest which THREE of the following? A That the lives of the people in Salem were just as complex as ours are today. B That during the period of the witch trials, a great social upheaval had taken place. C That when people are frustrated, they take those frustrations out on others. D That the Puritans lived in a simpler time.

A,B,C

All of the following are listed as reasons that Rebecca Nurse was targeted by the Putnams EXCEPT A Rebecca Nurse wanted to break off and form a new community in Topsfield. B The Putnams and others resented the rise in social status of the Nurses. C They had a land war that lasted two days. D The Nurses did not support Thomas Putnam's candidate for the Salem Ministry.

A.

The play begins with this description of Reverend Parris' bedroom. Given your knowledge of the entire first act, what does the passage most likely indicate? "A small upper bedroom in the home of Reverend Samuel Parris, Salem, Massachusetts, in the spring of the year 1692. There is a narrow window at the left. Through its leaded panes the morning sunlight streams. A candle still burns near the bed, which is at the right. A chest, a chair, and a small table are the other furnishings. At the back a door opens on the landing of the stairway to the ground floor. The room gives off an air of clean spareness. The roof rafters are exposed, and the wood colors are raw and unmellowed." A The physical setting of this act is not as important as the dialogue and actions. B Reverend Parris is wealthy and the decor demonstrates this. C Miller's mention of the exposed roof rafters foreshadows the secrets that will be exposed in Act 1. D Reverend Parris is not wealthy yet at this part in the play.

A.

Which of the following lines of dialogue best shows how Reverend Hale approaches his examination of witchcraft accusations in Salem? A "HALE, holding up his hands: No, no. Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her." B "HALE, setting down his books: They must be; they are weighted with authority." C "HALE, surprised: You permit dancing?" D "HALE: We shall need hard study if it comes to tracking down the Old Boy. Noticing Rebecca : You cannot be Rebecca Nurse?"

A.

Which of the following stage directions BEST exemplifies a major truth about Rebecca as she's been portrayed in the play thus far? A "REBECCA: I wish I knew. SAt the end of the act, the purpose of having all the girls cry out, listing townspeople they have seen with the Devil, is to A Bring the act to a satisfying conclusion. B Show how when working together the girls have power. C Preview how the girls will act at the witchcraft trials. D Cause the audience to have a negative reaction and begin to despise the girls.he goes out; they feel resentful of her note of moral superiority." B "HALE, with a tasty love of intellectual pursuit: Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. C "Rebecca, with great pain, turns her face away. There is a pause." D "PARRIS, with trepidation—and resentment: I hope you do not mean we go to Satan here! Slight pause."

A.

In Act 1, when John Proctor arrives, Abigail's behavior immediately changes from threatening to flirtatious. Once Proctor firmly states that their affair is over, Abigail turns angry again lashes out. Select the TWO lines that describe Abigail's true belief as to why John denies her. Select answer(s) below ABIGAIL, now softening: And you must. You are no wintry man. I know you,John. I know you. She is weeping. I cannot sleep for dreamin'; I cannot dreambut I wake and walk about the house as though I'd find you comin' throughsome door. She clutches him desperately. PROCTOR, gently pressing her from him, with great sympathy but firmly: Child -ABIGAIL, with a pash of anger: How do you call me child! PROCTOR: Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off myhand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We nevertouched, Abby. ABIGAIL: Aye, but we did. PROCTOR: Aye, but we did not. ABIGAIL, with a bitter anger: Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such asickly wife be - PROCTOR, angered - at himself as well: You'll speak nothin' of Elizabeth!

ABIGAIL, with a bitter anger: Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such asickly wife be -

After the Putnams and Parris have finished their conversation and left the room, Abigail and the other young girls have a conversation regarding what they should do about Betty. Abigail ends the conversation by saying: "Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! She goes to Betty and roughly sits her up. Now, you-sit up and stop this!" Miller's primary purposes in including this passage include all the following EXCEPT A To establish that what Reverend Parris saw in the forest did indeed happen B To show just how far Abigail will personally go if the girls reveal what happened in the forest C To reveal Abigail's personal history, which helps to explain her personality D To foreshadow how Abigail will control the girls throughout future events in the play DEFINITION ENGLISH

B.

At the end of the act, the purpose of having all the girls cry out, listing townspeople they have seen with the Devil, is to A Bring the act to a satisfying conclusion. B Show how when working together the girls have power. C Preview how the girls will act at the witchcraft trials. D Cause the audience to have a negative reaction and begin to despise the girls.

B.

Later in his introduction of Hale, Miller makes the following statement: "In the countries of the Communist ideology, all resistance of any import is linked to the totally malign capitalist succubi, and in America any man who is not reactionary in his views is open to the charge of alliance with the Red hell. Political opposition, thereby, is given an inhumane overlay which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized intercourse. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence. Once such an equation is effectively made, society becomes a congerie of plots and counterplots, and the main role of government changes from that of the arbiter to that of the scourge of God. Miller uses highly critical language here. What phrase was likely the most controversial during the time he was writing this, given that the play functions as an allegory for the Red Scare/Communist "Witch Hunts" of the 1950s? A "[...] in America any man who is not reactionary in his views is open to the charge of alliance with the Red hell." B "[...] the main role of government changes from that of the arbiter to that of the scourge of God." C "[...] all resistance of any import is linked to the totally malign capitalist succubi [...]" D "A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence."

B.

"The words "going up to Jesus" are heard in the psalm, and Betty claps her ears suddenly and whines loudly.ABIGAIL: Betty? She hurries to Betty, who is now sitting up and screaming. Proctor goes to Betty as Abigail is trying to pull her hands down, calling "Betty!"PROCTOR, growing unnerved: What's she doing? Girl, what ails you? Stop that wailing!" What MOST likely indicates the reason for Betty's behavior in the excerpt above? A Betty is responding to Abigail's threats from earlier in the act. B Betty has been awake the entire time and is tired of lying still. C Betty has heard the psalm and is pretending to be in pain in order to seem bewitched. D Betty is truly bewitched and can not bear to hear the psalm.

C.

In the introduction to Act 1, Miller writes: "The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages, developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution. Simply, it was this: for good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies. It was forged for a necessary purpose and accomplished that purpose. But all organization is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition, just as two objects cannot occupy the same space. Evidently the time came in New England when the repressions of order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against which the order was organized. The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom." What sentence from the passage best represents the paradox Miller is expressing? A "Simply, it was this: for good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and to prevent any kind of disunity that might open it to destruction by material or ideological enemies." B "Evidently the time came in New England when the repressions of order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against which the order was organized." C "The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom." D "The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages, developed from a paradox."

C.

Miller introduces John Proctor, the protagonist of the play, in the following way: "Proctor was a farmer in his middle thirties. He need not have been a partisan of any faction in the town, but there is evidence to suggest that he had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites. He was the kind of man—powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led—who cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment. In Proctor's presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly-and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore." Using your knowledge of the play and Proctor's character thus far, what does calumny most likely mean in this instance? A Hardship B Intelligence C Slander and accusations D Forthright

C.

Miller introduces the character of Reverend Hale with a long interlude in which he opines on the true nature of the Salem Witch Trials. He writes: "Like Reverend Hale and the others on this stage, we conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. Ours is a divided empire in which certain ideas and emotions and actions are of God, and their opposites are of Lucifer. It is as impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth without "sky." Since 1692 a great but superficial change has wiped out God's beard and the Devil's horns, but the world is still gripped between two diametrically opposed absolutes. The concept of unity, in which positive and negative are attributes of the same force, in which good and evil are relative, ever-changing, and always joined to the same phenomenon—such a concept is still reserved to the physical sciences and to the few who have grasped the history of ideas." What is the primary purpose of this passage? A Miller wants to show the power of religion over society. B Miller wishes to relate that we believe what Reverend Hale believes. C Miller believes that Good and Evil are relative and that few grasp this concept. D Miller thinks that the world is still gripped by absolutes.

C.

What line from the conversation between Reverend Parris and the Putnams best represents the mood of the majority of the characters in the play up to that point? A "PARRIS: Now, Goody Ann, they only thought that were a witch, and I am certain there be no element of witchcraft here." B "MRS. PUTNAM, with vicious certainty: I'd not call it sick; the Devil's touch is heavier than sick. It's death, y'know, it's death drivin' into them, forked and hoofed." C "PUTNAM: Don't you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark." D "MRS. PUTNAM: They were murdered, Mr. Parris! And mark this proof! Mark it! Last night my Ruth were ever so close to their little spirits; I know it, sir. For how else is she struck dumb now except some power of darkness would stop her mouth? It is a marvelous sign, Mr. Parris!"

C.

Abigail Williams' attitude towards her uncle, Reverend Parris, throughout their entire conversation in Act 1 can best be described as A Parris is a greedy man. B Proctor has followers who will support him against Parris and Putnam. C Putnam has great sway and influence in Salem. D Proctor is a man of principle who will stand up for what he thinks is right.

D.

After the scene with Abigail, Parris has a conversation with the Putnams, wealthy landowners in the town. To Thomas Putnam, he says: "Thomas, Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft. I know that you-you least of all, Thomas, would ever wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house." This passage seems to indicate A That Parris respects Thomas Putnam and wants support for his daughter Betty's care. B Parris is afraid that his daughter Betty will be implicated as a witch. C Thomas Putnam is about to charge Reverend Parris with being involved with the dancing in the forest D That Parris believes that if the town finds out his daughter is bewitched, they will think he is corrupted as well.

D.

By the end of Act 1, the character who has the most power and respect is A Proctor B Abigail C Parris D Hale

D.

In the play's introduction, Miller discusses that: "To the European world the whole province was a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of fanatics who, nevertheless, were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value." Here, he is speaking about A The impetus for the Salem Witch Trials. B The Puritan belief system. C The economic system of the colonies. D The European view of the New World at the time.

D.

The argument between Parris, Putnam, and Proctor near the end of Act 1 primarily serves to reveal that A Parris is a greedy man. B Proctor has followers who will support him against Parris and Putnam. C Putnam has great sway and influence in Salem. D Proctor is a man of principle who will stand up for what he thinks is right.

D.

When being questioned by Hale in Act 1, Abigail's attitude before Tituba enters the scene can best be described as A Callous B Arrogant C Reverent D Submissive

D.

In Act 1, when the girls argue over what to tell people happened in the woods, John Proctor enters. To explain his character and establish him as one of the voices of reason in the play, the narrator interjects to reveal information about John for the reader. Select the ONE sentence that best demonstrates a feature of Proctor's personality that my come back to hurt him later in the play. Select answer(s) below He was the kind of man - powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led - who cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment. In Proctor's presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly - and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore.

In Proctor's presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly - and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore.

When Rebecca comes in to see Betty in Act 1, everyone discusses what is going on. She, along with others like John Proctor, insists the girls are just being silly. However, others like the Putnams, insist it is something more sinister. Select the FOUR lines that best demonstrate the most sound reasoning about what they should do. Select answer(s) belowREBECCA: Pray, John, be calm. Pause. He defers to her. Mr. Parris, I think you'dbest send Reverend Hale back as soon as he come. This will set us all to arguin'again in the society, and we thought to have peace this year; I think we oughtrely on the doctor now, and good prayer.MRS. PUTNAM: Rebecca, the doctor's baffled!REBECCA: If so he is, then let us go to God for the cause of it. There is prodigiousdanger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and -PUTNAM: How may we blame ourselves? I am one of nine sons; the Putnamseed have peopled this province. And yet I have but one child left of eight - andnow she shrivels!

REBECCA: Pray, John, be calm. Pause. He defers to her. Mr. Parris, I think you'dbest send Reverend Hale back as soon as he come. This will set us all to arguin'again in the society, and we thought to have peace this year; I think we oughtrely on the doctor now, and good prayer.

In Act 1 of the play, Putnam arrives to explain that his daughter Ruth is ill and demands answers. When Putnam insists that witchcraft is the cause, the narrator again interjects to reveal some information about his background. Select the ONE sentence that best demonstrates his role in the witch trials. Select answer(s) below Another reason to believe him a deeply embittered man was his attempt to break his father's will, which left a disproportionate amount to a stepbrother. As with every other public cause in which he tried to force his way, he failed in this. So it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam, or that his name is so often found as a witness corroborating the supernatural testimony, or that his daughter led the crying-out at the most opportune junctures of the trials, especially when - But we'll speak of that when we come to it.

So it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam, or that his name is so often found as a witness corroborating the supernatural testimony, or that his daughter led the crying-out at the most opportune junctures of the trials, especially when - But we'll speak of that when we come to it.