GCSE Arthur Miller | Character Revision in The Crucible

English Literature Quiz - The Crucible - Character (Questions)

In this GCSE English Literature quiz you will explore key characters in The Crucible and how their actions reveal fear, power and conscience in Salem.

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Fascinating Fact:

Rebecca Nurse is respected for her wisdom and kindness, and her calm refusal to confess a lie under pressure highlights genuine goodness in the chaos.

In GCSE English Literature, you are expected to analyse how Arthur Miller presents characters in The Crucible, including their motives, relationships and how they change as the witch hunts grow more intense.

Key Terms

Protagonist: The main character in a text whose actions and decisions drive the plot, such as John Proctor.
Integrity: The quality of staying true to your moral beliefs, even when it is risky or unpopular.
Hysteria: A state of extreme fear or excitement that spreads through a group and leads to irrational behaviour.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

Who is John Proctor in The Crucible and how is he presented?

John Proctor is a farmer who values honesty but is haunted by guilt over his past affair with Abigail. Miller presents him as flawed yet courageous, willing to challenge the court and finally choosing truth over saving his own life.

Why is Abigail Williams such an important character in The Crucible?

Abigail Williams drives much of the action by accusing others of witchcraft, often to protect herself or gain power. She shows how fear, jealousy and desire for control can twist the truth and destroy reputations in Salem.

How does Reverend Hale change during The Crucible?

Reverend Hale begins as a confident expert on witchcraft who trusts the court. As he sees innocent people condemned, he grows doubtful and ashamed, eventually urging the accused to save their lives rather than die for the court’s mistakes.

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"Now tell me true, Abigail. And I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry's at stake, my ministry and perhaps your cousin's life. Whatever abominations you have done, give me all of it now, for I dare not be taken unaware when I go before them down there." What is significant about Reverend Parris's choice of the word "abomination"?

[ ]	He presumes the girls are guilty
[ ]	He believes all girls are an abomination
[ ]	He knows for certain that actual witchcraft was being practised in the forest
[ ]	All of the above

How is Abigail's character presented in the beginning of the play, when she is being questioned by her uncle?

[ ]	Fearful, honest, quick-tempered
[ ]	Fearful, lying, manipulative
[ ]	Honest, cheerful, fearless
[ ]	Cheerful, fearless, irreligious

"It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you." What do Mrs. Putnam's first lines of the play indicate about her character?

[ ]	She is optimistic that the troubles of the Parris household will be resolved quickly
[ ]	She secretly practises witchcraft at home
[ ]	She takes a disturbing delight in the thought of malign influence at work in the town
[ ]	She is a cheerful woman who can find joy even in the darkest situations

Which of the following is NOT true of John Proctor?

[ ]	He does not always attend worship on Sunday mornings because he does not like Reverend Parris
[ ]	He struggles with temptation to cheat on his wife with Abigail
[ ]	He sees himself as a good man
[ ]	He can be fierce, even threatening to beat Mary Warren

What is Giles Corey known for?

[ ]	Slyness
[ ]	Litigation
[ ]	Generosity
[ ]	Perfect memory

"Mr. Hale is nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for." What does Miller's depiction of Mr. Hale tell us?

[ ]	He is a kindly man, who struggles to teach people that witchcraft does not exist
[ ]	He is dull-witted and does not truly understand his task
[ ]	He is a clever man and does not actually believe in witchcraft
[ ]	He is eager to find witches and confident that he can recognise one

Why is Tituba's position precarious?

[ ]	She is a slave in the Parris household
[ ]	She is foreign
[ ]	She has attempted to help Ruth speak to the spirits of her dead siblings
[ ]	All of the above

Elizabeth Proctor declares to Reverend Hale that if he believes her to be a witch, she does not believe that witches exist at all. Her declaration shows which of the following qualities?

[ ]	Fearfulness
[ ]	Generosity
[ ]	Courage
[ ]	Love

Which of the following is true of Deputy Governor Danforth?

[ ]	He allows fear to trump justice
[ ]	He is bored by the legal proceedings in Salem
[ ]	He is mistrustful of young women as witnesses
[ ]	He is a rigorously rational man with a steady mind

10.

Why is the conviction of Rebecca Nurse significant to the people of Salem?

[ ]	Her conviction is significant because it provokes an immediate revolt in the town
[ ]	Her conviction confirms the suspicions about her character which people had harboured for years
[ ]	Her good character is so well known in the town that her conviction makes the people distrust the judgement of the court
[ ]	Her conviction is no more significant to the town than those of the others who hang

English Literature Quiz - The Crucible - Character (Answers)

[x]	He presumes the girls are guilty
[ ]	He believes all girls are an abomination
[ ]	He knows for certain that actual witchcraft was being practised in the forest
[ ]	All of the above

Abigail describes the activities in the forest as "sport", but her uncle's suspicious nature presumes the girls to have been knowingly engaged in evil behaviours. Their private games are treated with utmost seriousness by the community

How is Abigail's character presented in the beginning of the play, when she is being questioned by her uncle?

[x]	Fearful, honest, quick-tempered
[ ]	Fearful, lying, manipulative
[ ]	Honest, cheerful, fearless
[ ]	Cheerful, fearless, irreligious

Abigail appears to be perfectly honest, having admitted to the dancing and accepted a potential whipping as punishment. She is visibly afraid of the implications of her uncle's questioning, and shows signs of temper when her good name is questioned. There is no clear indication that she is lying until she and Mercy are left alone with Betty

"It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you." What do Mrs. Putnam's first lines of the play indicate about her character?

[ ]	She is optimistic that the troubles of the Parris household will be resolved quickly
[ ]	She secretly practises witchcraft at home
[x]	She takes a disturbing delight in the thought of malign influence at work in the town
[ ]	She is a cheerful woman who can find joy even in the darkest situations

She is delighted at the thought that the devil has struck Parris's household, even though her own daughter lies ill in bed

Which of the following is NOT true of John Proctor?

[ ]	He does not always attend worship on Sunday mornings because he does not like Reverend Parris
[ ]	He struggles with temptation to cheat on his wife with Abigail
[x]	He sees himself as a good man
[ ]	He can be fierce, even threatening to beat Mary Warren

John Proctor is aware of his failings; his determination not to perjure himself at the end of the play is seen by his wife as proof of the goodness that he has been seeking

What is Giles Corey known for?

[ ]	Slyness
[x]	Litigation
[ ]	Generosity
[ ]	Perfect memory

Corey is involved in frequent court cases, accusing Proctor, for example, of slanderously saying that Corey had burnt his roof

[ ]	He is a kindly man, who struggles to teach people that witchcraft does not exist
[ ]	He is dull-witted and does not truly understand his task
[ ]	He is a clever man and does not actually believe in witchcraft
[x]	He is eager to find witches and confident that he can recognise one

Mr. Hale is also depicted as kind; a prior case of witchcraft revealed itself to be merely a situation where a child required extra care and attention

Why is Tituba's position precarious?

[ ]	She is a slave in the Parris household
[ ]	She is foreign
[ ]	She has attempted to help Ruth speak to the spirits of her dead siblings
[x]	All of the above

Tituba's foreign practices, including her songs and her supposed ability to speak to the dead, are recognisable to the Puritan inhabitants of Salem as witchcraft. Notably, Mrs. Putnam, who asks Ruth to have Tituba conjure the souls of her dead babies, does not feel any responsibility for her actions

Elizabeth Proctor declares to Reverend Hale that if he believes her to be a witch, she does not believe that witches exist at all. Her declaration shows which of the following qualities?

[ ]	Fearfulness
[ ]	Generosity
[x]	Courage
[ ]	Love

Elizabeth, originally presented as a cold, unforgiving woman, shows herself to be remarkably courageous in telling Hale that being herself accused of witchcraft makes her not believe that witches even exist. This is courageous because it means that she is denying the literal truth of the Bible, which mentions witchcraft