The Crucible - Study Questions Act 2

pp. 850-862
Answer the following questions in complete sentences. They follow the plays events in
chronological order.
1. What is the significance of the conversation between Elizabeth and John at the beginning
of this act? What does it reveal about their relationship and about each of their
characters?
The conversation is significant because it shows that Elizabeth is still not trusting of John
ever since his relationship with Abigail. The way that John commands and rages at Elizabeth
shows that John is a much more powerful character than Elizabeth, and that she acquiesces
his words like a servant.
2. At the beginning of this act, John Proctor says, It is winter in here yet. Why is this
pertinent to what is going on?
John talks about his house as if there is winter going on within, and this is similar to the
relationship between Elizabeth and John. They do not have a hearty and loving relationship
because of the mistrust Elizabeth has with John and the anger he returns to her. This has turned
their house "icy".
3. Why hasnt John told the court what he knows? What does Elizabeth attribute his not
telling to?
He wants to figure out a way to prove that Abigail's words are lies without seeming like he made
the whole thing up, since he had no direct proof. Elizabeth thinks that he is only hesitant because
it is Abigail that has performed the misdeed, and if it were anyone else he would immediately
report them. She is still resentful over his relationship with Abigail.
4. What lie did John Proctor tell to Elizabeth which makes her more suspicious of him?
Elizabeth finds out that John was in a room alone with Abigail, and this fact makes Elizabeth
more suspicious of him.
5. What is the gift Mary Warren gives to Elizabeth?
She gives Elizabeth a puppet she made while waiting in court.
6. What proved that Goody Good was a witch?
She "confessed" to being a servant of Satan (witch) and wrote her name in his book in her blood.
7. What does Elizabeth realize when she finds out that she has been accused?
She realizes that Abigail is out to get her, not willing to stop until she gets executed for
witchcraft.
8. What does Elizabeth ask John to do? Why?
She wants him to go to Abigail and call her a whore. This would end any hopes that she had of
acquiring John as a lover, and since she will lose interest in taking Elizabeth's position as wife,
she will stop accusing Elizabeth for witchcraft.

9. How does Proctor respond to questions about why he has not been to church?
He tells about how he is dissatisfied with Reverend Parris's way of running the church as well as
being there for his wife when she was sick in the winter. He doesn't think Parris is a man worthy
of being the leader of a church, and so he boycotts many religious activities in protest.
10. What does Reverend Hale ask John Proctor to do? Why?
He wants him to recite the Commandments, because he wants to judge Proctor on how holy he
truly is. His inability to recite them all by memory puts suspicion in Hale's mind that John
Proctor is a warlock.
11. Discuss the significance of Elizabeths line, Adultery, John.
The line that he forgets is the same exact sin that he had committed which has made his house at
war with itself. It impacts him greatly because he feels the full weight of the guilt. It is also
ironic that the only commandment he forgets is a great sin that he had recently done.
12. What information does Proctor reveal to Rev. Hale?
He tells him about Abigail's confession that the children's sickness had nothing to do with
witchcraft and that the whole thing was fake.
13. Why does Elizabeth say that she doesnt believe in witches at this point?
She believes that people who do good in the world cannot come under the influence of the Devil,
and since she is not an evil woman, she is not a witch.
14. What advice does Rev. Hale give the Proctors?
He wants the last child to be baptized, the Proctors to go to church every Sunday, and lay low to
avoid suspicion.
15. What news does Giles Corey reveal to the Proctors and Rev. Hale?
The authorities have taken Giles' wife and Rebecca Nurse to jail.
16. What has Rebecca Nurse been accused of?
She has been charged with the murder of Mrs. Putnam's babies.
17. Why has Martha Corey been accused?
Walcott accused her of bewitching him so that he cannot raise a pig for more than four weeks.
18. Explain why Cheever is both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the
needle in it.
A puppet with a needle in it is believed to be a voodoo doll that witches use in order to practice
their witchcraft. Coincidentally, the doll has a needle in it that injured Abigail recently in the
same location.
19. Why is Elizabeth arrested?
She openly says that she wants Abigail gone from the world, which is enough evidence for the
officers to show that she wished harm onto Abigail. They assume she had used her voodoo doll
as a device to inflict harm onto Abigail.

20. What does John ask Mary Warren to do? Why is she afraid to do as he asks?
John commands that Mary testify about the origins of the puppet that the officers found in the
house in order to clear Elizabeth from any blame that owning it has caused. She is afraid to
testify because the puppet has already been linked to witchcraft and when she claims to owning
it, she is also putting herself in the path of danger where she will be thought of as a witch.
21. Why does Mary Warren warn John about testifying against Abigail?
She knows that Abigail, with her incredible power of being able to accuse anyone of witchcraft,
will turn on the Proctor family and "charge lechery" (862) on them all.