Comprehension Questions Week 3

1. What is the mood at the beginning of Act Two? Why?

 Tension
 Due to the affair with John and Abigail

2. What do we learn about John and Elizabeth’s relationship at the beginning of the act?

 John isn’t as committed

 There’s still an obvious conflict between them

3. What does Mary give Elizabeth?

 Poppet (rag doll with a needle in it)

4. What news does Mary Warren bring from court?

 She states more women have been accused

 Elizabeth being mentioned of being involved

5. What does Elizabeth mean when she says: “Oh, the noose, the noose is up!”

 She’s calling out John

 To give up and confess

6. What does Elizabeth want John to do in town? What will everyone find out if he does this?

 She wants him to confess that he was with Abigail

 So people will find out she is lying

7. Why has Reverend Hale come to the Proctor house?

 To see if they are involved with witchcraft

8. To what is John referring when he says: “…it tells me that a minister may pray to God without he
have golden candlesticks upon the altar.”

 He was referring to his belief that he does not have to be at church to pray.

9. What does Hale ask John to do? What happens?

 He asks him to recite to commandments

 He forgets one (adulty)

10. What is ironic about this omission?

 John committed the sin

11. What news do Giles Corey and Frances Nurse tell John Proctor?

 That they took Rebecca and they are accused.

12. On what basis are they accused?

 She was accused of killing babies.

13. What is the significance of the poppet? How does this serve as “proof” for Elizabeth’s
accusation?

 There was a needle in the stomach of the poppet

 Which was set up by Mary prior to giving it to Elizabeth
 Abigail has a needle in her stomach which she impaled herself with

14. What does John mean when he says “I’ll tell you what’s walking in Salem—vengeance is walking
in Salem”?

 The girls are planning to set-up people to look like they are acting with witchcraft; all led by
Abigail.