Name _____________________________________________
Act Three
Standards Focus: Note-taking and Summarizing
Period ____________
Directions: Refer to the chart on page 19, “Note-Taking and Summarizing.” Use it to complete the following chart as
you read Act Three of the play.
Question
Predict
Connect
Summarize
Reflect
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The Crucible Literature Guide
Name _____________________________________________
Act Three
Standards Focus: Irony
Period ____________
One of the most powerful elements of The Crucible is Miller’s use of irony. There are several examples of
irony in Act Three of The Crucible.
Irony is an inconsistency between appearance and reality. There are several types of irony:
• Verbal irony is when a speaker or writer says one thing but actually means the opposite. For
example, when your mom walks into your filthy bedroom and says, “I see you’ve cleaned your
room!” Sarcasm is one type of verbal irony.
• Situational irony is when the outcome of a situation is inconsistent with what we expect would
logically or normally occur. An example of situational irony would be if a thief’s house was
broken into at the same time he was robbing someone’s house.
• Dramatic irony is when the audience or the reader is aware of something that a character does not
know. For example, when Romeo believes Juliet is dead, but the audience knows that she has only
been given a potion to sleep.
Directions: Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
1. What was John’s intention in publicly admitting his affair with Abigail? How is this ironic? What
type of irony is this?
2. What was Elizabeth’s intention when lying about John’s affair? What is ironic about Elizabeth’s
lie? What type of irony is this?
3. What is ironic about the beliefs of the Puritan community and the events of the play so far?
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The Crucible Literature Guide
Name _____________________________________________
Period ____________
Act Three
Assessment Preparation: Word Roots
Directions: In this exercise, you will be going on a “dictionary scavenger hunt.” For Part A, use the vocabulary
words from Act Three to answer the question. Then, in part B, use the dictionary to find other words with the same
root.
1. The word perceive comes from the Latin percipere, meaning “to thoroughly take in”.
a. Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b. What other words have this same root? ___________________ ____________________
2. The word frontal comes from the Latin frons, meaning “front”.
a. Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b. What other words have this same root? ___________________ ____________________
3. The word abound comes from the Latin undare, meaning “to move in waves”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
4. The word complain comes from the Latin plangere, which means “to lament”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
5. The word go comes from the Middle English ghe, which means “to release; let go”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
6. The word gore comes from the Old English gar, meaning “to pierce; stab”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
7. The word compose comes from the Latin ponere, meaning “to put or place.”
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
8. The word creed comes from the Latin credo, meaning “believe”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
9. The word invest comes from the Latin vestis, meaning “garment”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
10. The word writhe comes from the Old English wreit, which means “to turn”.
a.
Which vocabulary word has the same root? ______________________________________
b.
What other words have this same root? ____________________ ____________________
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The Crucible Literature Guide
Name _____________________________________________
Period ____________
Act Three
Comprehension Check
As you read The Crucible, use the Note-Taking techniques described on page 19. To give you a complete and
comprehensive method of reading and understanding all aspects of the play, answer the following questions for Act
Three. Write your answers using complete sentences.
1. When the act begins, who is on the stand, and of what is she accused?
2. Who bursts into court, and why?
3. What does Mary Warren tell the court?
4. What does Cheever say that Proctor did when they came to arrest Elizabeth Proctor?
5. What do we learn about Elizabeth Proctor?
6. How many people signed the deposition? Who are the people who signed, and to what are they
testifying?
7. Why is Giles Corey arrested?
8. How many death warrants has Hale signed?
9. What do the men of the court want Mary Warren to do on command?
10. What does Proctor confess?
11. What does Proctor say about his wife that eventually works against him?
12. What do the girls pretend to see in the courtroom?
13. What does Mary claim Proctor made her do?
14. What does Hale do at the end of the act? Why?
15. In our court system today, the accused is innocent until proven guilty. In what ways does the
court of Salem ignore the “innocent until proven guilty” clause?
16. If you were a lawyer defending one of the accused today, what arguments would you make to
defend your client? Compose a one-page speech which defends the innocence of John Proctor. Be
sure to use examples from the text to make your case.
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The Crucible Literature Guide