THE CRUCIBLE, STUDY AND COMPREHENSION
QUESTIONS
ACT IV
1. Why has Reverend Hale returned to Salem? – to try and
get people to confess
2. What is Reverend Hale advising the condemned to do? confess
3. What does Reverend Parris reveal about his niece
Abigail? – She took off with Mercy Lewis and all of Parris’s
money
4. What is the condition of Salem at this point? – people
are dying, cows are wandering and the crops are rotting.
People are getting drunk
5. How does Andover differ from Salem? – overthrown the
court and there has been rebellion
6. How do the proposed hangings of Rebecca Nurse and
John Proctor differ from the past executions? – they are
good, moral people
7. What does Reverend Parris want Danforth to do? –
postpone
8. What does Reverend Hale want Danforth to do? –
pardon them
9. What does Reverend Hale mean when he says,” there is
blood on my head!”? – holds himself responsible for all of
the previous executionsHow is this a radical change from
the way that we are first introduced to him?
10. Why does Danforth refuse to postpone the hangings?
Ego and pride; refuses to admit he could be wrong
11. What do Hale and Danforth request of Elizabeth
Proctor? – get Proctor to get confess
12. What happened to Giles Corey? – pressed to death;
refuses to answer his questions
13. What is John’s excuse for confessing? – already a
sinner and he thinks this will be a smaller sin
14. What is Elizabeth’s proof that John is a good man? – he
has put off confessing this long
15. How has Elizabeth changed since we first met her?
Recognizes her role in their relationship
16. After John confesses, what does Danforth want him to
do? Name names and sign his name to the confession
which will be posted publicly
17. Discuss,"I am John Proctor! You will not use me!" –
refuses to save them or harm anyone else
18. What does Hale attribute Proctor’s willingness to hang
to? Pride and vanity
19. What does Elizabeth attribute it to? - goodness