Here are some essay questions I’ve developed on Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’. The specific word choices and phrasing is tailored towards GCSE and A-Level students on the following exam boards: AQA, CIE / Cambridge, OCR, WJEC / Eduqas, CCEA, Edexcel. However, they can also be used by anyone studying the subject at any level!


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DISCURSIVE ESSAY QUESTIONS:

(Discursive essays are based around characters or themes).

What do you think is the importance of Mary Warren in the play and how does Miller present her?

In what way does Miller present different attitudes to the court in The Crucible?

How does Miller present ideas about freedom in The Crucible?

How do you respond to Miller’s presentation of Abigail in The Crucible?

In which way does Miller present ideas about witch-hunts in The Crucible?

How does Miller explore the themes of envy and greed in ‘The Crucible’?

CLOSE READING ESSAY QUESTIONS:

(Close readings are extract / passage based questions).

Extract: MARY WARREN: It’s not a trick! (She stands.) I used to faint because I — I thought I saw spirits.>>>>> PROCTOR: How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!

In what ways does Miller use this scene to explore ideas about fear and paranoia in The Crucible?

ELIZABETH: ‘The deputy governor promise hangin’ if they’ll not confess >>>> PROCTOR: [laughing bitterly] “Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!”(Act 2)

How does Miller present the relationship between Elizabeth and John Proctor at the beginning of Act 2, and how does it change by the end of the play?

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY QUESTIONS:

(Argumentative essays are based around extracts).

To what extent do you think Proctor is to blame for his own downfall?

How far do you agree that Hale is a negative character who contributes to the hysteria in Salem?

‘Abigail is not a villain, but a victim of the oppressive society in which she lives.’ How far do you agree?


Thanks for reading! If you find this resource useful, try our full course on The Crucible.

If you’re interested, check out our other related articles: The Crucible ContextKey Themes + IdeasCharacter Analysis of Tituba, and Key Quotations.