The Crucible Comprehension Questions:
1. What seems to be the main reason for Reverend Parris’s concern about the girl's behavior in the forest? Explain (Make an Inference)
2. What do Abigail, Betty, Mercy, and Mary discuss after Parris leaves his daughter’s room? What events does this scene suggest may occur later in the play? (Predict)
3. How does the news of the arrest of Rebecca Nurse affect the Proctor? What does this news suggest about Abigail Williams's changing status in Salem? Explain.
4. Is Hale a good person? Why or why not?
5. What external conflicts confront the people who are charged with witchcraft?
6. At the beginning of Act III (Part III) what hard evidence do Giles and Francis provide the girls are frauds?
7. Why does Proctor confess to the affair with Abigail? What does his confession reveal about his character?
8. What motivates Hale to denounce the proceeding and quit the court? How does Hales’s character change from the beginning to the end of Act III?
9. When Hale urges Danforth to pardon the prisoners, why does Danforth refuse? What does Danforth’s attitude reveal about his sense of justice and the legitimacy of the executions?
10. Why does Proctor confess and then retract his confession?
