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How well have you learned The Crucible by Arthur Miller?
The Crucible - Extract 1
This GCSE English Literature quiz is the first of two extract questions for The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It takes place in Act III and presents the confusion and twisted logic which prevails in the court at Salem. The motivation of each character is entirely clear to the audience, without being clear to Danforth, Hathorne and Parris, who will ultimately decide the fates of the accused. Miller shows how individual weaknesses (even sins, as the characters would themselves describe them) create a momentum which will destroy the community.
How to answer an extract question in an exam:
Before beginning to write an answer to an extract question, it is important to read the passage through carefully more than once.
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MARY WARREN: It’s not a trick! (She stands.) I used to faint because I - I thought I saw spirits.
DANFORTH: Thought you saw them!
MARY WARREN: But I did not, Your Honour.
HATHORNE: How could you think you saw them unless you saw them?
MARY WARREN: I - I cannot tell how, but I did. I - I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honour, you seemed to believe them, and I -- It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I - I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not.
Danforth peers at her.
PARRIS (smiling, but nervous because Danforth seems to be struck by Mary Warren’s story): Surely Your Excellency is not taken by this simple lie.
DANFORTH (turning worriedly to Abigail): Abigail, I bid you now search your heart and tell me this - and beware of it, child, to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause. Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when --
ABIGAIL: Why, this - this is a base question, sir.
DANFORTH: Child, I would have you consider it --
ABIGAIL: I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people - and this is my reward! To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a --
DANFORTH (weakening): Child, I do not mistrust you --
ABIGAIL (in an open threat): Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it! There is -- (Suddenly, from an accusatory attitude, her face turns, looking into the air above - it is truly frightened.)
DANFORTH (apprehensively): What is it, child?
ABIGAIL (looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold): I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. (Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.)
MARY WARREN (terrified, pleading): Abby!
MERCY LEWIS (shivering): Your Honour, I freeze!
PROCTOR: They’re pretending!
HATHORNE (touching Abigail’s hand): She is cold, Your Honour, touch her!
MERCY LEWIS (through chattering teeth): Mary, do you send this shadow on me?
MARY WARREN: Lord, save me!
SUSANNA WALCOTT: I freeze, I freeze!
ABIGAIL (shivering visibly): It is a wind, a wind!
MARY WARREN: Abby, don’t do that!
DANFORTH (himself engaged and entered by Abigail): Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out?
With a hysterical cry, Mary Warren starts to run. Proctor catches her.
MARY WARREN (almost collapsing): Let me go, Mr. Proctor, I cannot, I cannot --
ABIGAIL (crying to Heaven): Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow!
Without warning or hesitation, Proctor leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair, pulls her to her feet. She screams in pain. Danforth, astonished, cries, “What are you about?” and Hathorne and Parris call, “Take your hands off her!” and out of it all comes Proctor’s roaring voice.
PROCTOR: How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!
Arthur Miller, The Crucible (The Cresset Press, 1961)
MARY WARREN: It’s not a trick! (She stands.) I used to faint because I - I thought I saw spirits.
DANFORTH: Thought you saw them!
MARY WARREN: But I did not, Your Honour.
HATHORNE: How could you think you saw them unless you saw them?
MARY WARREN: I - I cannot tell how, but I did. I - I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honour, you seemed to believe them, and I -- It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I - I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not.
Danforth peers at her.
PARRIS (smiling, but nervous because Danforth seems to be struck by Mary Warren’s story): Surely Your Excellency is not taken by this simple lie.
DANFORTH (turning worriedly to Abigail): Abigail, I bid you now search your heart and tell me this - and beware of it, child, to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause. Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when --
ABIGAIL: Why, this - this is a base question, sir.
DANFORTH: Child, I would have you consider it --
ABIGAIL: I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people - and this is my reward! To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a --
DANFORTH (weakening): Child, I do not mistrust you --
ABIGAIL (in an open threat): Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it! There is -- (Suddenly, from an accusatory attitude, her face turns, looking into the air above - it is truly frightened.)
DANFORTH (apprehensively): What is it, child?
ABIGAIL (looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold): I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. (Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.)
MARY WARREN (terrified, pleading): Abby!
MERCY LEWIS (shivering): Your Honour, I freeze!
PROCTOR: They’re pretending!
HATHORNE (touching Abigail’s hand): She is cold, Your Honour, touch her!
MERCY LEWIS (through chattering teeth): Mary, do you send this shadow on me?
MARY WARREN: Lord, save me!
SUSANNA WALCOTT: I freeze, I freeze!
ABIGAIL (shivering visibly): It is a wind, a wind!
MARY WARREN: Abby, don’t do that!
DANFORTH (himself engaged and entered by Abigail): Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out?
With a hysterical cry, Mary Warren starts to run. Proctor catches her.
MARY WARREN (almost collapsing): Let me go, Mr. Proctor, I cannot, I cannot --
ABIGAIL (crying to Heaven): Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow!
Without warning or hesitation, Proctor leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair, pulls her to her feet. She screams in pain. Danforth, astonished, cries, “What are you about?” and Hathorne and Parris call, “Take your hands off her!” and out of it all comes Proctor’s roaring voice.
PROCTOR: How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!
Arthur Miller, The Crucible (The Cresset Press, 1961)
1 .
What is the immediate context for this passage?
Rebecca Nurse attends Betty's bedside
John Proctor brings Mary Warren to court
Reverend Parris sends for Reverend Hale to come to Salem
Elizabeth Proctor is arrested
John hopes that Mary's confession will stop court proceedings and save his wife
2 .
What immediately follows this passage?
Abigail confesses to her lies
John Proctor accuses Abigail of "harlotry"
Reverend Hale refuses to work with the court
Danforth accuses John Proctor of working with the anti-Christ
Abigail's trustworthiness would be destroyed if the judges were to lose their impression of her as a pure and innocent girl. Having had sex with John makes her a sinner in their eyes and therefore also untrustworthy as a witness
3 .
Mary tries to convey how she was persuaded that she saw spirits. Which of the following does NOT refer to a persuasive factor for her prior behaviour?
"I used to faint"
"I heard the other girls screaming"
"You, Your Honour, you seemed to believe them"
"But then the whole world cried spirits, spirits"
Mary tries to explain how she could believe she saw something which was not real. Danforth cannot understand her attempts to explain the psychology behind her behaviour. Fainting is not a cause, but part of the behaviour which she tries to explain
4 .
How can the audience see that Danforth is inclined to believe in Abigail's trustworthiness?
He warns her of the gravity of the situation
He questions her in depth
He repeatedly refers to her as "child"
All of the above
Danforth questions Mary more sternly, calling her by her full name
5 .
(Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.) What is the effect of this stage direction?
The audience knows that Mary is spiritually attacking Abigail
The audience knows that Abigail's look is one of despair
Mary Warren and Proctor become wary; the audience can predict what Abigail will do next
The line is not effective; it merely tells the actor where to look
Stage directions are very informative and the details in this passage are especially interesting
6 .
Which of the following is true?
Abigail reminds Danforth that he can easily fall to accusations of witchcraft, too
Abigail believes that if Danforth is against her, he is also guilty of practising witchcraft
Abigail reminds Danforth that he has a duty to seek the truth
All of the above
Abigail has been given so much power by the investigation that a veiled threat is enough to persuade Danforth to drop his line of questioning
7 .
Which of the following does NOT describe the atmosphere of this passage?
Foreboding
Chaotic
Charged
Solemn
Although some of Danforth's questioning sounds solemn, the atmosphere of the room is highly charged and descends quickly into chaos
8 .
What is demonstrated by Proctor's cry of "Whore! Whore!"
He knows the other men do not really believe Abigail, but are bewitched by her
He has lost control of his careful, diplomatic manner in approaching the court
He has carefully calculated that an emotional outburst is the best way of saving his wife
He thinks Abigail will drop her accusations if she knows how he feels about her
Proctor's cry condemns him as well as Abigail, although choosing to shame himself makes his testimony more believable (and Abigail's less so, according to the double standards of the community)
9 .
Examine how each character addresses Danforth. Which character differs from the others?
Mercy Lewis
Mary Warren
Abigail
Hathorne
The other characters address him with a title such as "Your Honour" or "Your Excellency". Abigail uses "you" and the simple "Mr. Danforth". Earlier John Proctor addresses Danforth as "Your Excellency". Abigail has no need to show such respect because he is in thrall to the drama she provides
10 .
Why might Danforth's, Hathorne's and Parris's speech towards the end of this passage be included in the stage directions?
To indicate that they all speak at once
To create a sense of confusion
To provide a noisy context for Proctor's sudden, loud confession
All of the above
It is easy to visualise the confusion on stage when reading these stage directions
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