The Crucible Act 2 11 th Grade English 3 pages 487-503
Read Page 487 Closely examine the dialog between Proctor and Elizabeth in the first scene. Remember that dialog can reveal a character s nature. 1. Re-read lines 1-42 come up with words and short phrases to describe the way Elizabeth responds to Proctor. 2. What does her dialogue reveal about her feelings toward Proctor in the beginning of this scene?
Read Page 488 Remember, a complication of the plot is a problem that makes the main conflict more difficult to resolve. 3. In lines 101-112, how is Mary s becoming an official of the court a plot complication? The play s dialog sometimes advances the plot, or sequence of events. 4. What do we learn about the progress of the witch hunt from Elizabeth s dialog in lines 114-119?
Read Page 489 Although two separate stage directions may employ the same or similar words, they may suggest very different motivations for the characters. 5. The stage directions in lines 147-153 both use the word quietly. What is the difference between each character s motivation to speak quietly in this moment? One way playwrights develop their characters is through indirect characterization, including what characters say. Lines 201-211 feature figurative language, which is language that is not used literally and gives us clues about what is happening with the characters. 6. Paraphrase the rich figurative language in lines 201-211, and infer what it must have been like around the Proctor house. Cite specific examples from the text to support your answer.
Read Page 490 While a play may have one large, global conflict, there may be many other smaller, local conflicts among the characters. 7. Describe the nature of the personal conflict between Proctor and Elizabeth. Plot complications can dramatically impact the mood of a scene. 8. How does the mood of the scene change when Mary Warren reveals that Goody Osburn has been sentenced to hang?
Read Page 491 Both dialogue and stage directions often provide valuable clues to character. 9. What do both the stage directions and Mary Warren s dialogue tell you about her character? Cite specific examples. You will encounter characters that are foils for other characters. These characters often minor ones contrast strikingly with a main character, thereby illuminating the characteristics of the main character. 10. How could Mary be seen as a foil for Elizabeth?
Read Page 492 Stage directions can offer historical background and help describe setting. 11. What stage directions in lines 402-421 suggest about what people were allowed to do their servants during the time of the play. Look for events in the play that are plot complications. 12.How did the event described in lines 419-431 qualify as a plot complication?
Read Page 493 Like everyday speech, dialogue can sometimes be ambiguous. It is necessary to pay close attention to the entire context of the play to make sure they understand what the characters mean. 13. Who do you think Elizabeth is talking about when she says she in lines 460-461? Cite textual evidence to support your answer. Stage directions can reveal motivations behind characters behavior. 14.Why do you think Miller puts the stage directions in quotes in lines 502-513? 15.What is revealed about Elizabeth in the stage directions that are in quotes?
Read Page 494 The climax of a play is its most exciting and tense moment. All the events of the play lead to the climax, and the climax has the potential to change the outcome of the conflict. In addition to the play s overall climax, an individual scene may have a climax as well the point of the highest excitement and tension. 16. Reread lines 520-546 and identify the climax. Cite specific details in the text to help explain why you think this is the climax. Stage directions can reveal characters feelings and motivations. 17.What does the stage direction in line 586 indicates about Hale s emotional state at that moment?
Read Page 495 In addition to revealing a character s feelings, dialogue can help to convey the theme of an entire play. A character s dialogue may express the underlying message of the playwright. 18. What does Proctor s dialogue in lines 655-664 reveal about his feelings for Parris?
Read Page 496 Dialogue moves the plot forward and also can hint at a future event. These hints of the future are called foreshadowing. 19.Based on what you have read, what event might lines 700-703 foreshadow, where Hale asks Elizabeth if she knows the Ten Commandments? Remember, stage directions can contribute to the mood of a scene or an entire play. 20. What is the mood of the scene? Cite stage directions in lines 700-766 to support your answer.
Read Page 497 Read all dialogue closely and look for punctuation and special type that the playwright may be using for effect and emphasis. Stakes are what the characters stand to lose or gain. A playwright develops the drama of his or her play by raising the stakes of the central characters. 21.How does Hale s request for Proctor to testify in court an example of raising Proctor s stakes?
Read Pages 498 and 499 Plot complications are additional problems that make the main conflict more difficult to resolve. They will often raise the stakes for the characters as well. 22. How can the arrest of the wives of Giles and Francis in lines 866-924 be seen as a plot complication? Character s motivation can be inferred from either dialogue, stage directions or both. 23.What motivates Cheever to come and arrest Elizabeth? Cite evidence from stage directions or dialogue.
Page 499 (continued) STOPPED Plot complications build on the events of the plot including previous complications and add intensity. 24. Why does Elizabeth s arrest qualify as plot complication, and how does Elizabeth s arrest build on previous plot complications?
Read Page 500 Dramatic irony occurs when readers know more than some or all of the characters. 25. How is the section about the poppet, in lines 1013-1057, an example of dramatic irony? Stage directions can give insight to characters feelings and understanding. 26.Does Mary know about Abagail s accusation against Elizabeth? Cite evidence from lines 1047-1099 to support your answer.
Read Page 501 Dialogue can convey the playwright s underlying message. 27. Identify the sentence in lines 1132-1143 that states one of Miller s central themes. What does this sentence mean, and how does it relate to the theme? Stage directions sometimes require interpretation. 28.Why do you think Proctor is not able to look at Elizabeth in lines 1154-1163?
Read Pages 502 and 503 Stage directions can help establish mood. 29. How do the stage directions that describe sounds in lines 1174-1201 help establish the mood of the scene? Cite specific sounds listed in the text in your answer. Character s dialogue, such as Proctor s speech in lines 1282-1296 can reveal more about the central conflict of the play and the character s role in it. 30.How does Proctor s speech relate to the central conflict of the play?