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Guided Reading Questions for The Crucible, Act II, pp. 171-178 (end of Act II)
AS YOU READ, answer the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES. (Trust me. It will take less
time if you answer as you read. ) DO NOT START A SENTENCE WITH “THAT” OR “BECAUSE” UNLESS
YOU AIM TO FINISH THAT SENTENCE!
1. Paraphrase in your own words, Rev. Hale’s explanation of why he’s visiting the Proctors (171).
2. What is Proctor’s purpose in sharing the “golden candlesticks” story with Rev. Hale?
3. Rev. Hale claims “there is a softness is [John Proctor’s] record” (172). What “record” is Hale referring to?
(You may need to re-read what leads up to this statement to understand the context of Hale’s remark.)
4. A) What sort of test does Hale give Proctor to test his Christian character?
B) How does Proctor do? (Be specific)
5. What vital information does Elizabeth push John to share with Rev. Hale?
6. A) Rev. Hale seems confident about his examinations of those that have “confessed to dealing with the
Devil” (173). Paraphrase Proctor’s counter argument.
B) Look carefully at the stage directions given for Hale as he responds to Proctor’s point. What internal
conflict is Arthur Miller hoping that an actor portraying Hale might communicate to the audience?
7. Paraphrase the argument Elizabeth makes that surprises Hale. (174)
8. Why were each of the following women charged with witchcraft: (What or who have each of them
supposedly used their witchcraft to harm or hurt?) Finish the sentences below.
A) Rebecca Nurse is charged with bewitching…
B) Martha Corey is charged with bewitching…
9. Miller forces us to do some inference work when it comes to the charge against Elizabeth. Based on the
text, draw some conclusions about how Abby came to charge Elizabeth with stabbing her. Was Mary
Warren in on it? Explain.
10. "I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem—vengeance is walking Salem.”
Explain this quote. What is Proctor trying to point out? (Bonus points! What kind of figurative language is
Miller using here?)
11. How does Elizabeth show her strength when she is arrested and taken away?
12. A) At the end of the act, what does John demand that Mary Warren must do? (be specific)
B) Why is Mary Warren afraid to do this?
13. A) In Mary Warren’s opinion, what danger does John Proctor face if he testifies in court?
B) At the very end of Act II, what is his decision? What is he going to do?