GCSE Arthur Miller | Text Revision in The Crucible

English Literature Quiz - The Crucible - Understanding the Text (Questions)

This GCSE English Literature quiz helps you understand The Crucible by linking key events, characters and stage directions so the plot and themes become clearer.

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Fascinating Fact:

Through characters like Hale and Danforth, the audience sees different responses to doubt, from honest rethinking to stubborn refusal to admit mistakes.

In GCSE English Literature, understanding The Crucible means following how events, characters and context fit together. You need to track the accusations, court scenes and power shifts, then explain how they reveal fear, guilt and the struggle to do what is right.

Key Terms

Protagonist: The main character who drives the action of the play and faces key conflicts, such as John Proctor.
Antagonist: A force or character that opposes the protagonist, for example Abigail Williams or the rigid court system.
Dramatic irony: When the audience knows more than the characters on stage, creating tension or highlighting mistakes and hypocrisy.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is The Crucible about in simple terms?

The Crucible is about a community gripped by fear and false accusations of witchcraft. Ordinary people are pushed to lie, betray others or stand up for the truth, showing how panic can destroy justice and trust.

How do I understand the ending of The Crucible for GCSE?

At the end, Proctor chooses honesty over saving his life with a lie. His decision shows the importance of personal integrity and exposes how deeply the trials have corrupted Salem’s sense of justice and religion.

What should I focus on when revising The Crucible for GCSE?

Focus on key scenes in each act, the development of main characters, important themes such as hysteria and reputation, and how Miller’s stage directions and historical context shape the audience’s response.

Try These Related Quizzes

Why does Reverend Parris ask Susanna Walcott not to speak of any "unnatural causes" of Betty's illness?

[ ]	He does not believe in "unnatural causes"
[ ]	He is afraid of the witches in Salem
[ ]	He believes that the people are superstitious and he does not wish to frighten them
[ ]	He is afraid that he and his family will lose respect in the town

When does the audience first realise that Betty is pretending?

[ ]	When Tituba comes into her room to see how she is
[ ]	When Mercy suggests that Abigail threaten to beat her
[ ]	When Abigail tells Betty that she has admitted all of their behaviour to Reverend Parris
[ ]	When John Proctor comes to find Mary Warren

Why are the girls afraid to admit to their activities in the forest?

[ ]	They will be punished and probably accused of witchcraft
[ ]	They will cause Tituba to be sold away from Salem
[ ]	They will be sent away from home
[ ]	The people of Salem will laugh at them

What does the text present as motivations for the various accusations of witchcraft?

[ ]	Jealousy and lust
[ ]	Grief and the desire to blame
[ ]	Greed for land and property
[ ]	All of the above

Why did Abigail lose her position as a servant in the Proctor household?

[ ]	She preferred to wander around Salem and neglected her duties
[ ]	Elizabeth Proctor discovered that she was having sex with John
[ ]	Elizabeth decided that she did not need a servant
[ ]	Abigail left the Proctor home because she was offered another job elsewhere

Why is the poppet given by Mary to Elizabeth considered evidence of witchcraft?

[ ]	The poppet has a needle stuck in its belly
[ ]	Cheever understands that all witches own poppets
[ ]	Cheever expects Elizabeth to use the poppet to poison Abigail
[ ]	The poppet has been passed from one accused woman to another

What is the obstacle facing Mary when she wishes to set the record straight?

[ ]	If she admits that the girls have been pretending, she also admits to lying in court
[ ]	Mary cannot keep track of all of the lies she and the other girls have told
[ ]	Mary is not considered to be a trustworthy witness
[ ]	Mary cannot clearly remember any of the events

Why is Reverend Parris afraid during the final act of the play?

[ ]	He is afraid of God's judgement
[ ]	He is afraid that the townspeople have turned against him
[ ]	He is afraid that the spirits of the dead will haunt him
[ ]	All of the above

Why does Reverend Parris fear that Salem will become restless and might even riot?

[ ]	Salem is a notoriously lawless place
[ ]	Respectable citizens have begun to hang for witchcraft
[ ]	The people have become more religious
[ ]	The people have become less religious

10.

Why does John Proctor refuse to sign his confession?

[ ]	Signing the confession means that he consents to all of the lies
[ ]	Signing the confession will make him a coward unfit to set a good example to his children
[ ]	Signing the confession condemns as liars and witches the others who hang
[ ]	All of the above

English Literature Quiz - The Crucible - Understanding the Text (Answers)

Why does Reverend Parris ask Susanna Walcott not to speak of any "unnatural causes" of Betty's illness?

[ ]	He does not believe in "unnatural causes"
[ ]	He is afraid of the witches in Salem
[ ]	He believes that the people are superstitious and he does not wish to frighten them
[x]	He is afraid that he and his family will lose respect in the town

The people of the town are already murmuring about witchcraft and Parris feels that his ministry to the people will be undermined if anyone knows about the girls dancing and running naked in the forest

When does the audience first realise that Betty is pretending?

[ ]	When Tituba comes into her room to see how she is
[ ]	When Mercy suggests that Abigail threaten to beat her
[x]	When Abigail tells Betty that she has admitted all of their behaviour to Reverend Parris
[ ]	When John Proctor comes to find Mary Warren

Betty whimpers while being shaken and threatened by her cousin Abigail, leaping out of bed and crying for her mother when she believes Abigail to have confessed their deeds

Why are the girls afraid to admit to their activities in the forest?

[x]	They will be punished and probably accused of witchcraft
[ ]	They will cause Tituba to be sold away from Salem
[ ]	They will be sent away from home
[ ]	The people of Salem will laugh at them

Being honest about their activities will result in a whipping at best, or, at worst, being hanged as witches

What does the text present as motivations for the various accusations of witchcraft?

[ ]	Jealousy and lust
[ ]	Grief and the desire to blame
[ ]	Greed for land and property
[x]	All of the above

Abigail is suspected of wishing to replace Elizabeth as John's wife; Mrs. Putnam cannot understand why all but one of her babies died and therefore wishes to have someone to blame; and Giles Corey accuses Mr. Putnam of using the accusations as a way of gaining more land

Why did Abigail lose her position as a servant in the Proctor household?

[ ]	She preferred to wander around Salem and neglected her duties
[x]	Elizabeth Proctor discovered that she was having sex with John
[ ]	Elizabeth decided that she did not need a servant
[ ]	Abigail left the Proctor home because she was offered another job elsewhere

Miller portrays the relationship as an affair and Abigail as a temptress. As a careful reader, you might notice that John is in his thirties and that Abigail was his teenage servant. You might also consider Miller's comment in his note on historical accuracy that he increased the age of the historical Abigail

Why is the poppet given by Mary to Elizabeth considered evidence of witchcraft?

[x]	The poppet has a needle stuck in its belly
[ ]	Cheever understands that all witches own poppets
[ ]	Cheever expects Elizabeth to use the poppet to poison Abigail
[ ]	The poppet has been passed from one accused woman to another

Cheever finds a needle in the poppet and believes that Elizabeth has used the doll to cause Abigail excruciating pain. Those investigating witchcraft cannot see their own credulity

What is the obstacle facing Mary when she wishes to set the record straight?

[x]	If she admits that the girls have been pretending, she also admits to lying in court
[ ]	Mary cannot keep track of all of the lies she and the other girls have told
[ ]	Mary is not considered to be a trustworthy witness
[ ]	Mary cannot clearly remember any of the events

Lies lead to more lies; honesty would also require the judges to acknowledge that they have caused the death of innocent people

Why is Reverend Parris afraid during the final act of the play?

[ ]	He is afraid of God's judgement
[x]	He is afraid that the townspeople have turned against him
[ ]	He is afraid that the spirits of the dead will haunt him
[ ]	All of the above

Reverend Parris is a weak, self-absorbed man who is only concerned for his own respectability. He is afraid of retribution for his part in the deaths