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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who has heard that Hale has a "reputation for rationality" and tells him so?

2. What does Tituba "admit" the devil told her to do?

3. What does Giles Corey's wife do with books after she reads them?

4. At the end of Act 1, what does Mr. Putnam threaten to do?

5. Who asks if Parris has gone through the "proper channels" to investigate witchcraft in Salem?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Abigail really fired from being a servant to the Proctors?

2. Rebecca suggests that they put their faith in "God and the doctor." Why is this an ironic statement?

3. Why might Mr. Putnam be suspicious of Sarah Good?

4. Abigail and Parris are both concerned about their "reputation" in Salem. Why?

5. Describe John Proctor.

6. Who probably has the most rights to the firewood, John Proctor or Mr. Putnam?

7. Where is Betty's mother in Act 1?

8. Mercy Lewis tells Parris that she thinks that Ruth is feeling better near the end of Act 1. What gives her the idea that she is on the mend?

9. Giles asks Hale about his wife's behavior. What is he concerned about?

10. Why do John Proctor and Mr. Putnam not like one another?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Act 4, Elizabeth wants Proctor to have a chance to forgive himself. She has already forgiven him. What other characters could benefit from acts of forgiveness? How might it have changed the way things turned out? Could forgiveness change our modern world? In what ways?

Essay Topic 2

Abigail was a servant and Tituba a slave. Yet, by the end of the play both young women wield a great deal of power. Consider other events in American history when formerly repressed groups quickly take on power. What are the similarities/difference? How is power gained and lost so easily? To what extent does guilt and blame play a role?

Essay Topic 3

Some compare the witch hunts of Salem to the McCarthy trials in the '50s. Has this type of hysteria happened again since? Could it happen in the future? Provide specific examples and support for all claims.

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