The Crucible Act 4 Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. What does the report about Andover contribute to the conflict in Act 4?
It confirms that Hale has been appointed to lead a new court there
It proves that Abigail has begun making accusations in another town
It shows that opposition has disrupted another witch court and could spread to Salem
It reveals that Salem’s prisoners will be transferred before execution
2. When Elizabeth is asked to influence John’s decision, what position does she ultimately take?
She orders him to confess because his family needs him
She urges him to refuse because any confession would shame her
She leaves the choice to John and refuses to judge his conscience
She asks Hale to decide which choice is morally correct
3. Which contrast best captures the conflict between Danforth and Hale in Act 4?
Danforth values religious mercy, while Hale insists on strict legal procedure
Danforth doubts every accusation, while Hale continues to defend the trials
Danforth wants private confessions, while Hale demands public statements
Danforth protects the court’s consistency, while Hale responds to the human cost of its judgments
4. Danforth asks Proctor whether he has seen other people with the Devil. Why does Proctor resist naming anyone?
He will not save himself by helping the court condemn other people
He cannot remember the names used during earlier testimony
He believes only a minister may identify another person in a confession
He has promised Parris that he will mention only members of his family
5. John Proctor initially agrees to confess primarily because he wants to—
remain alive
restore Parris’s authority
become a witness for the court
prove that Rebecca Nurse is innocent
6. Why does Danforth resist postponing the scheduled executions?
He believes a delay would violate a direct order from England
He thinks the prisoners will escape if they are given more time
A delay could suggest doubt about the guilt of people already executed
A delay would prevent Hale from questioning the prisoners
7. Where does Act 4 begin?
In the Proctor home on the evening after the trials begin
In a Salem jail cell shortly before dawn
In the meeting house during Rebecca Nurse’s examination
In the forest after Abigail leaves Salem
8. Why do Danforth and the court officials want Proctor’s signed confession displayed publicly?
A respected man’s confession would support the court’s claims and influence others
It would allow Elizabeth to avoid future questioning
It would legally transfer Proctor’s farm to the town
A written confession is required before Hale can offer forgiveness
9. Why has Reverend Hale returned to Salem in Act 4?
To persuade condemned prisoners to confess and save their lives
To replace Parris as Salem’s minister
To defend the court’s decisions against unrest
To gather evidence for a new group of accusations
10. At the end of the act, the officials maintain the execution schedule despite serious doubts and unrest. What does this most clearly reveal?
The court has discovered new evidence that resolves the earlier uncertainty
Protecting institutional authority has become more important to the court than reconsidering justice
The prisoners have prevented Hale from presenting their appeals
The town now fully supports the court’s proceedings
11. Elizabeth’s final refusal to persuade John to change his mind most strongly suggests that she—
has accepted Danforth’s judgment as legally and morally correct
believes the court will secretly pardon him before the execution
recognizes that he has recovered a sense of moral integrity and will not take it from him
cares more about the family name than about John himself
12. What troubling news does Reverend Parris give Danforth about Abigail and Mercy Lewis?
They have publicly accused Danforth of serving the Devil
They have gone to Andover to support its court
They have confessed that the original accusations were invented
They have disappeared, and Abigail has taken Parris’s money
13. Why did Giles Corey refuse to enter a plea before the court?
He expected Elizabeth Proctor to testify on his behalf
By refusing to plead, he helped preserve his property for his heirs
He wanted Danforth to replace hanging with imprisonment
By remaining silent, he could force the court to release Martha
14. What is the main dramatic function of the opening exchange involving Tituba and Sarah Good?
It establishes that they have secretly organized the resistance in Andover
It shows the prisoners’ distress and the disorder produced by the hysteria
It proves that supernatural events have occurred inside the jail
It explains how Abigail obtained enough money to leave Salem
15. How does Rebecca Nurse respond when she sees that John Proctor appears ready to confess?
She urges him to name other prisoners so they can also be spared
She immediately agrees to make the same confession
She asks Danforth to let Elizabeth decide for him
She reacts with shock and continues to reject a false confession
16. What is the clearest reason Proctor destroys his signed confession?
He realizes that signing will cause Elizabeth’s immediate arrest
He expects Danforth to accept a private spoken confession instead
He learns that the document falsely accuses Giles Corey
He decides that preserving his integrity and name matters more than extending his life through a public lie