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The Crucible, Act II by Arthur Miller
Reading Warm-up B
Read the following passage. Pay special attention to the underlined words. Then, read it again,
and complete the activities. Use a separate sheet of paper for your written answers.
Soon after World War II, two plays swiftly established
Arthur Miller as a major new talent in the American theater. The first was All My Sons (1947), a drama about a
prosperous businessman with a weighty secret that
amounts to a burden on his conscience. As the head of
an airplane-parts company, Keller has approved the decision to ship out defective equipment. The defective parts
led to the deaths of many wartime pilots. Confronted by
authorities later, he refuses to flinch or confess to his
crime. Instead, he evasively covers up the truth, insisting
that he had no part in the matter. Keller’s wily strategy
fails in the end, however. He is unmasked as a man in
whom morality has yielded to greed and ambition for his
family.
Miller’s second important play of this period was
Death of a Salesman (1949). Few people today would
begrudge this drama the status of an American classic.
The play is the story of an aging salesman, Willy Loman,
who is flailing in anguish to reconcile his dreams of
material success with the reality of failure in his life.
Willy has cherished an image of himself as a mover and
shaker in his profession. The play, however, shows that
he has performed ineptly—a sad victim of his own pretensions and his distortion of the American dream. In the
end, we recognize the main character as more of a victim
than a hero. After the play’s opening night, critics reacted
not only civilly but enthusiastically with their reviews,
hailing Miller as a sensation, and later that year, the
playwright won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
1. Underline the words that give
a clue to the meaning of
weighty. Write a sentence
using the word weighty.
2. Circle the words in this sentence that give a clue to the
meaning of flinch. What are
two synonyms for flinch?
3. Underline the words in this
and the previous sentence
that hint at the meaning of
evasively. Use a word meaning the opposite of evasively
in a sentence.
4. Underline the words in this
sentence and the next sentence that give a clue to the
meaning of wily. What are
two synonyms for wily?
5. Circle the words in this sentence that give a clue to the
meaning of begrudge. What
do you feel when you do the
opposite of begrudge?
6. Underline the words in this
sentence that hint at the
meaning of flailing.
7. Circle the words that hint at
the meaning of ineptly. Use a
word meaning the opposite
of ineptly in a sentence.
8. Circle the words in this sentence that hint at the meaning of the word civilly. What
is a synonym for civilly? What
is an antonym for this word?
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Name
Date
The Crucible, Act II, by Arthur Miller
Literary Analysis: Allusion
An allusion is a reference to some well-known thing or idea. In our society, for example,
people often allude to sports phenomena: “This project is the Super Bowl for us.” Common
allusions often take their reference from the surrounding society, so it’s little wonder that the
Salem Puritans in The Crucible make Biblical allusions as knowledgeably and as frequently as
we allude to sports
DIRECTIONS: Use a dictionary or other reference work to explain the italicized allusion in each of
the following items.
1. At the beginning of Act II, a kind of cold war exists between John and Elizabeth because of
past events.
2. Although an honest and strong man, John Proctor has an Achilles heel—his relationship
to Abigail.
3. Something between a siren and a harpy, Abigail proves to be Proctor’s undoing.
4. Reverend Hale brings an ivory-tower approach to his examination that ill fits the world
he finds.
5. With the sword of Damocles above his head, Proctor flusters and cannot remember the Ten
Commandments.
6. When Abigail walks through the courtroom, the crowd parts like the Red Sea.
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The Crucible, Act II, by Arthur Miller
Reading Strategy: Make and Confirm Predictions
As you read a complicated drama such as The Crucible, you can use your background
knowledge to help you make predictions about what will happen next in the story. Your
background knowledge about life in seventeenth-century New England, along with what you
have already observed in the first act of the play, plus your understanding of human nature in
general, can help you form predictions about future events in the story. Pay attention to the
author’s hints about what might be coming up. You can confirm your predictions as you read
and at the end of the play.
DIRECTIONS: Before and during your reading of Act II, make predictions about future events in
The Crucible in the chart below. Then explain what background knowledge made you think each
event might happen. If you can confirm or disprove a prediction by the end of Act II, do so in the
third column. You may come back when you have finished reading the entire play to confirm or
disprove your other predictions.
Prediction
Background Knowledge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Confirm or Disprove
Name
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The Crucible, Act II, by Arthur Miller
Vocabulary Builder
Using the Suffix -ology
The most common meaning of the suffix -ology is “the science or study of.” The suffix derives
from a Greek word meaning “reason” or “word.”
A. DIRECTIONS: Use a dictionary to discover and define the root of each of the following words.
Then write the meaning of the root of each, and explain how the suffix -ology combines with
the meaning of the root to make the word.
1. sociology
2. ontology
3. entomology
4. zoology
Using the Word List
ameliorate
avidly
base
deference
pallor
theology
B. DIRECTIONS: Choose the word or phrase most nearly similar in meaning to the Word List
word. Circle the letter of your choice.
1. pallor:
A. ease
B. majesty
C. paleness
D. sitting room
2. ameliorate:
A. nourish
B. improve
C. criticize
D. plot
3. avidly:
A. rapidly
B. loftily
C. eagerly
D. coolly
4. base:
A. degraded
B. faded
C. safe
D. planned
5. deference:
A. distinction
B. citation
C. delay
D. respect
6. theology:
A. study of legal issues
B. study of religious philosophy
C. study of life forms
D. study of ancient books
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The Crucible, Act II, by Arthur Miller
Support for Writing: Persuasive Letter
DIRECTIONS: You will be writing a persuasive letter in which one character from the play tries to
persuade another character to take a different course of action. To help you with your prewriting,
review the first two acts of The Crucible and choose the character and position you will represent
in your persuasive letter. In the chart below, record facts, examples, and personal experiences that
can be used to support the course of action you want the reader of your letter to take. Remember
that you are writing from the point of view of a character in the play.
Character and position you will represent:
Evidence to Support Your Position
Facts
Examples
1.
2.
3.
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Personal Experience
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The Crucible, Act II by Arthur Miller
Open-Book Test
Short Answer Write your responses to the questions in this section on the lines provided.
1. As the Proctors converse in the opening scene of Act II of The Crucible, how would
you characaterize their relationship? Cite evidence from the play to support your
answer.
2. In the early part of Act II of The Crucible, Elizabeth tells Proctor that Mary Warren
has been to court and speaks of Abigail, the chief accuser, as a saint. Knowing that
Mary works for the Proctors, and that Abigail bears a grudge against Proctor, what
prediction can you make about the impact of Mary’s attitude on her employers?
3. Early in Act II of The Crucible, Elizabeth insists that John should go to Salem to
testify to the falseness of the witchcraft charges. What does this show about what
kind of woman she is?
4. In Act II of The Crucible, Hale has been called to Salem to help in determining
whether the Devil is taking hold of the community. As Act II progresses, he begins
to show signs of inner conflict about his initial assumptions about this issue. Use
the graphic organizer to trace Hale’s role and his evolving views of the witchcraft
scare in Salem.
When he first arrives:
Early in Act II:
Later in Act II:
5. In Act II of The Crucible, John Proctor initially shows some reluctance to go to
Salem to expose the falseness of Abigail’s charges of witchcraft. His reluctance is
due to an inner conflict over what longstanding issue?
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6. When Mary returns to the Proctors’ residence in Act II of The Crucible, why does she
present a doll (poppet) to Elizabeth?
7. In Act II of The Crucible, when Hale appears at the Proctors’ door, he is described
as “different now—drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt,
about his manner now.” What inner conflict accounts for this change?
8. When Hale quizzes Proctor on the Ten Commandments in Act II of The Crucible,
Proctor has trouble remembering one of them. Which one does he forget, and why?
9. In Act II of The Crucible, when Hale hears that Rebecca Nurse has been charged, he
is troubled. Read his allusion below to the story that the Devil was once an angel.
What does he intend to point out by making this allusion?
an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven.
10. If you noticed that your dinner companion was eating his meal avidly, would you
assume that he was enjoying the dish? Explain your answer, basing it on the
meaning of avidly as it is used in Act II of The Crucible.
Essay
Write an extended response to the question of your choice or to the question or questions
your teacher assigns you.
11. Early in The Crucible, Mary Warren seems like a timid and unimportant character.
What does Mary learn throughout the first two acts that shows her a way to acquire
more power and importance in the community? How does she use this knowledge?
Explain Mary’s changing role in an essay that cites details from the play.
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12. Write an essay in which you explain the influence of Abigail Williams on the events
of Act II of The Crucible. Does she actually appear in the act? How does her character
affect the action and dialogue of the other characters? Consider Abigail’s motivations
for her actions and their impact on other characters.
13. In an essay, analyze the state of life in Salem at the end of Act II of The Crucible. Are
most people in the community happy or unhappy? As the witchcraft trial proceeds,
are standards of justice in the community rising or falling? What effect is the
religious fervor surrounding the trials having on the moral life of the community?
Cite evidence from Act II to support your response.
14. Thinking About the Essential Question: How does literature shape or reflect
society? In The Crucible, Miller portrayed the religious hysteria of seventeenth
-century Salem as being comparable to the anti-Communist fervor that spurred the
divisive investigations of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s in the United
States. To emphasize the irrational, rigid nature of this fervor, Miller uses religious
allusions throughout Act II. In an essay, give examples of at least two of these
allusions, and explain how they deepen the reader’s understanding of the elements
of Puritan society that contributed to the hysteria over witchcraft.
Oral Response
15. Go back to question 6, 8, or 9 or to the question your teacher assigns to you. Take
a few minutes to expand your answer and prepare an oral response. Find additional
details in Act II of The Crucible that support your points. If necessary, make notes to
guide your oral response.
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The Crucible, Act II, by Arthur Miller
Selection Test A
Critical Reading Identify the letter of the choice that best answers the question.
1. At the beginning of The Crucible, Act II, what is the relationship between the
Proctors?
A. difficult
B. trusting
C. comfortable
D. affectionate
2. In The Crucible, Act II, what does John Proctor mean when he says to Elizabeth
that no matter what he does, “an everlasting funeral marches around” her
heart?
A. He fears she wishes he were dead.
B. She is always sad, whatever he does.
C. He wants to move and she doesn’t.
D. She goes to too many funerals.
3. In The Crucible, Act II, what does Mary mean to suggest when she says that the
crowd parted for Abigail like the Red Sea parted for the people of Israel?
A. She compares Abigail’s power to the power of Moses.
B. She compares Abigail’s power to the power of witches.
C. She compares Abigail’s power to the power of a queen.
D. She compares Abigail’s power to the size of the Red Sea.
4. In The Crucible, Act II, what do these stage directions: with a smile, to keep her
dignity, reveal about Elizabeth’s character?
A. She is always cheerful and dignified.
B. She thinks it is undignified to show anger.
C. She smiles all of the time.
D. She is tired of trying to be dignified.
5. What is John suggesting about Mary Warren when he says “It’s strange work
for a Christian girl to hang old women” in The Crucible, Act II?
A. Mary is getting to be powerful.
B. Mary is religious.
C. Mary is leaving the church.
D. Mary is dangerous.
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6. In The Crucible, Act II, Hale is in shock when the beloved Rebecca Nurse is
accused. What does he mean when he alludes to the Devil, saying that: “an
hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven”?
A. Beauty and goodness are not the same.
B. God’s will is not for humans to know.
C. Evil can masquerade as Good.
D. God’s opinions are unimportant.
7. What do you learn about John’s character in The Crucible, Act II, based on the
stage directions that read “[he] is striving against his disgust with HALE and
with himself for even answering”?
A. He has the answers but hides them.
B. He is often in conflict with himself.
C. His feelings for Hale are scornful.
D. He does not have the answers he needs.
8. What is the “poppet” that is used in The Crucible?
A. It is a toy made for children.
B. It is a tool of witchcraft.
C. It is a gift from woman to woman.
D. It is evidence that one is religious.
9. In The Crucible, Act II, Hale appears at the Proctors’ door and is described as
“different now—drawn a little, and there is a quality . . . even of guilt, about his
manner now.” What do these stage directions allow you to predict about Hale’s
future actions?
A. He will be completely comfortable with all of his actions.
B. He will continue to respect the Proctors but will still believe they are guilty.
C. He will become exhausted by his work and will want to quit.
D. He will be increasingly disturbed by what he has seen in court.
10. Why does Proctor think Abigail accuses his wife of witchcraft in The Crucible,
Act II?
A. to show Salem how much power she has
B. to make John pay for rejecting her
C. to punish Elizabeth for firing her
D. to distract attention from her own sins
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Vocabulary and Grammar
11. Which word best replaces pallor in this sentence: “The pallor of her face suggested that she was frightened”?
A. smile
B. eagerness
C. excitement
D. paleness
12. A volume on the subject of theology would most likely be concerned with interpreting which of the following books?
A. the Bible
B. an engineering manual
C. a collection of recipes
D. a history of early settlements in New England
13. Which of the following words is CLOSEST in meaning to deference?
A. foresight
C. respect
B. punishment
D. similarity
14. Which of the following words is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to avidly?
A. skillfully
C. indifferently
B. enjoyably
D. peacefully
Essay
15. When John Proctor tries to keep his wife Elizabeth from being dragged off to court
in act II of The Crucible, Reverend Hale says, “The court is just,” as if he is saying it
is not his problem and that someone else will decide her fate. Do you think Hale
should have taken on more responsibility? In a brief essay, describe what you
believe to be the right path for Hale.
16. In The Crucible, Mary Warren seems like a quiet and powerless character at first.
What does Mary learn in Act I, and now in Act II, that shows her a way to achieve
more power? How does she use this knowledge? Write a brief essay to answer these
questions.
17. Thinking About the Essential Question: How does literature shape or reflect
society? In The Crucible, Miller portrayed the religious hysteria of seventeenth
-century Salem as being comparable to the anti-Communist fervor that spurred the
divisive investigations of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s in the United
States. To emphasize the irrational, rigid nature of this fervor, Miller uses religious
allusions throughout Act II. In an essay, give examples of at least two of these
allusions, and explain how they deepen the reader’s understanding of the elements
of Puritan society that contributed to the hysteria over witchcraft.
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