This GCSE English Literature quiz takes a look at character. The characters in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, are based on historical figures who lived in Salem at the time of the famous trials for witchcraft. Despite their historical basis, and the fact that the characters share the same fates as their historical counterparts, these figures are fictional creations. It is important to remember that we are reading fiction when we read The Crucible and to discuss each character as we would any other fictional character.
The play presents several figures of authority, some of whom come from outside the town, such as Reverend Hale and Deputy Governor Danforth, and others, such as Reverend Parris, who are from Salem. The accusers are for the most part young women, including Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, Mercy Lewis and Susanna Walcott.
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Mr. and Mrs. Putnam play key roles in whipping up the hysteria which eventually endangers the lives of Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good and Tituba. Other key figures include Cheever, Marshal Herrick and Hopkins, all involved in the arrests and detentions of the accused.
Because this text is a play, we primarily understand these characters through their dialogue and behaviour. Miller also includes some explanation for their behaviour, or sometimes some background information which the reader should take into account. This is useful and can help actors know how to play their roles, but the information is not otherwise available to an audience watching the play in performance.
Pay attention to how each character interacts with others. Whose behaviour changes in different company? What do we learn when we see Proctor and Hale talking together at different points in the drama? How is Abigail’s character revealed? Who changes over the course of the play and how?
Answer the questions below to see how well you understand the characters in The Crucible.
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1.
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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"? |
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[ ] |
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 |
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2.
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How is Abigail's character presented in the beginning of the play, when she is being questioned by her uncle? |
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[ ] |
Fearful, honest, quick-tempered |
[ ] |
Fearful, lying, manipulative |
[ ] |
Honest, cheerful, fearless |
[ ] |
Cheerful, fearless, irreligious |
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3.
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"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? |
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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 |
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4.
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Which of the following is NOT true of John Proctor? |
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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 |
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5.
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What is Giles Corey known for? |
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[ ] |
Slyness |
[ ] |
Litigation |
[ ] |
Generosity |
[ ] |
Perfect memory |
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6.
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"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? |
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[ ] |
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 |
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7.
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Why is Tituba's position precarious? |
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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 |
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8.
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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? |
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[ ] |
Fearfulness |
[ ] |
Generosity |
[ ] |
Courage |
[ ] |
Love |
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9.
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Which of the following is true of Deputy Governor Danforth? |
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[ ] |
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 |
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10.
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Why is the conviction of Rebecca Nurse significant to the people of Salem? |
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[ ] |
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 |
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1.
|
"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"? |
|
[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 |
|
|
2.
|
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 |
|
|
3.
|
"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 |
|
|
4.
|
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 |
|
|
5.
|
What is Giles Corey known for? |
|
[ ] |
Slyness |
[x] |
Litigation |
[ ] |
Generosity |
[ ] |
Perfect memory |
|
|
6.
|
"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 |
[x] |
He is eager to find witches and confident that he can recognise one |
|
|
7.
|
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 |
|
|
8.
|
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 |
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following is true of Deputy Governor Danforth? |
|
[x] |
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 |
[x] |
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 |
|
|