English Online – http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz
The Crucible

Quote Test

Act One

1.	"Speak nothing of  it in the village Susanna"
- Who is speaking? - What is "it"? Why should nothing be spoken of "it" in the village? - Who is Susanna?

2.	"I would never hurt Betty.  I love her dearly."
- Who is speaking? - Why are these words spoken? - What do they reveal about the speakers attitude towards the dancing in the forest?

3.	"There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit."
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - Why is the dancing incident so important to the speaker? - Is there any truth to the statement?

4.	"I cannot blink what I saw, Abigail, for my enemies will not blink it."
-  Who is speaking? - To Whom? - What does the expression "blink” mean? - What had been seen, according to the speaker?

5.	"There be no blush about my name"
- Who is speaking? - What does "no blush about my name" mean? - What incident is being referred to?

6.	"I will not black my face for any of them"
- Who is speaking? - What is being referred to? - Why is the phrase "black my face" used?

7.	"It is a providence the thing is out now!"
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - What is the "thing" that is referred to? - What is "providence"? - Why does the speaker make the statement?

8.	"...it's death driving' into them, forked and hooved."
- Who is speaking? - Who are the people spoken of? - What does the phrase "forked and hooved" refer to? - Who is being spoken to? - Is this welcome comment to the listener?

9.	"... I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth".
- Who is speaking? - What does the statement mean? - What is its relevance to the situation? - What sort of person is the speaker?

10.	"I take on my soul, but who else may surely tell us..."
- Who is speaking? What is taken "upon my soul"? - Who is the person being referred to? - What could this person tell the speaker?

11.	"They're thirsting for your word, Mister!"
- Who is speaking? - Who are they"? - Who is being spoken to? - What does "your word" refer to specifically?

12.	"Oh, we'll be whipped"
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - How are the persons spoken to involved? - What sort of people are they? - What word is stressed in the phrase? - What does this imply? - Why is the statement made?

13.	"Betty you never say that again!"
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - What has been said? - What is the danger in saying it again? - What is the mood of the speaker?

14.	"I only come to see the great doings in the world"
- Who is speaking? - Who whom? - What has been said? - What is the danger in saying it again? - What is the mood of the speaker?

15.	"Give me a word, John.  A soft word."
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - What is their relationship?  How long have they known each other? - What is a "soft" word?

16.	"And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes?"
- Who is speaking? - To whom? - What is the "light"? - Is the speaker accurate in what she says? - What is happening at the time this is said?

17.	"This is society will not be a bag to swing around your head, Mr Putnam."
- Who is speaking? - What does he mean? - What prompted the comment? - What sort of man is Mr Putman?

18.	"There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!"
- Who is speaking? - What is the tone in his voice? - What does the image refer to?

19.	"We vote by name in this society, not by acreage."
- Who is speaking? - To whom? -  What is he complaining about?

20.	"Aye, and well instructed in arithmetic!"
-Who is speaking? - To whom? - What is he complaining about?

21.	"Why, then I must find it and join it."
- Who is speaking? - What is he speaking of? - Why does he say this? - What is the reaction to these words?

22.	"I like not the smell of this "authority".
- Who is speaking? - Why is the word "authority" in inverted commas?  - What is meant by "the smell"?

23.	"He had no right to sell it".
- Who is speaking? - What is the subject? - Who is "he"? - What does this incident show the speaker to be like?

24.	"They are weighted with authority."
- Who is speaking? - What are "they"? - What is the pun he is making? - What does this indicate about the type of person the speaker is?

25.	"...we will abide by your judgement."
- Who speaks to whom? - What "judgement" is he referring to? - Why does the speaker need to say this?

26.	"I go to God for you, sir."
- Who speaks to whom? - What does the statement mean? - What does the person addressed think it implies? - What does this say of his feelings?

27.	"She made me do it! She made Betty do it!"
- Who is speaking to whom?  - Who is "she"? What is "it"? Is what the speaker says the truth?  How can you tell?

28.	"My baby's blood?"
- Who speaks to whom? - What does she refer to?  Is she being sensible? - What causes her to say it? - What type of blood was it really?

29.	"You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the devil's agents among us".
- Who speaks to whom? - What is meant? - What effect do these words have?

30.	"I want to open myself"
- Who speaks? - What previous statement by Hale is being imitated?  - - What does the phrase mean? - What effect does it have? - Can you explain the effect?

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For each of the following quotes say:

1.	Who is speaking?
2.	To whom?
3.	About what?
4.	What importance does the quote have in the play?

Act Two

a.	"Spare me!  You forget nothin and forgive nothin!  Learn charity, woman". 

b.	"It is her dearest hope, John, I know it.  There be a thousand names, why does she call mine"?

c.	"Is your husband a lecher?"

d.	"A fire, a fire is burning!  I hear the boot of Lucifer". 

Act Three

e.	"Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious may justify the taking of it". 

f.	"I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint.  It is a fraud.  I am not that man". 

g.	"It were a cold house I kept". 

h.	"It is evil.  Good, then - it is evil, and I do it"!

i.	"Damn the village!  I confess to God, and God has seem my name on it". 

j.	"He have his goodness now.  God forbid I take it from him". 

© Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand (First published 1998)