This GCSE English Literature quiz tests your understanding of the text in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Being sure you understand the text is the first step you take before you can begin to analyse and write about it. Surprisingly, this is more difficult than it sounds. After all, if authors only wished to convey a simple message, would it really take hundreds of pages and thousands of words to do so? When you read a text written long ago, or one from another country, or perhaps written in a strong dialect, understanding requires more effort. The Crucible requires good historical understanding as well as some practice in making sense of the characters’ dialect, in addition to the usual comprehension skills.
Authors convey meaning through a variety of methods.
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They often prefer not to state what they mean directly. Instead, they communicate with their readers through the various aspects of fiction, such as character, setting, plot, theme and dialogue. Consider each of these elements as you work to understand the text you are reading. Re-reading is a good idea and helps you understand more than you might if you only read a book once. If you do find that you need to read a text again, don’t worry! This is something that most people experience. It also proves that you have been paying attention!
What are the connections between context, setting and the events which the text relates? A timeline of events can be useful and making one will help develop your understanding of the text. Although in novels, events are not always related chronologically, a play will often present them in the order in which they occur. This makes the timeline easier to create, but you might want to consider where events occurring off stage fit in.
What do actions reveal about the characters’ motivations? Have you examined the text for clues to explain their behaviour? Can their words be taken at face value, or will you need to examine the subtext of those words more closely? Do characters’ actions match their words? Think about your reasoning behind the answers to these questions and justify your views by referring in detail to the text.
Remember to analyse beginnings and endings. Why does the text begin as it does? What do you learn straight away about the setting and the characters? How are future events foreshadowed? It is a good idea to analyse the beginnings and ends of individual acts and scenes in a play, too. Careful and detailed analysis of this sort will help you to dramatically improve your knowledge and understanding of the text.
Read the questions below on The Crucible and test your knowledge and understanding of the text.
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1.
|
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 |
|
|
2.
|
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 |
|
|
3.
|
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 |
|
|
4.
|
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 |
|
|
5.
|
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 |
|
|
6.
|
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 |
|
|
7.
|
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 |
|
|
8.
|
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 |
|
|
9.
|
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 |
|
|
1.
|
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 |
|
|
2.
|
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 |
|
|
3.
|
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 |
|
|
4.
|
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 |
|
|
5.
|
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 |
|
|
6.
|
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 |
|
|
7.
|
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 |
|
|
8.
|
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 |
|
|
9.
|
Why does Reverend Parris fear that Salem will become restless and might even riot? |
|
[ ] |
Salem is a notoriously lawless place |
[x] |
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 |
[x] |
All of the above |
|
|