Crucible Act 2 Tone Lesson

Name: ____________________ Period: _____
The Crucible Act 2: Determining

Tone
What is tone?
Tone is the expression of the author’s attitude toward his/her audience and subject
matter. It is the feeling that grows out of the material.
Tone practice:
“Rachel/Rachelle and some other twit natter about this movie date before Mr.
Stetman starts class. I want to puke. Rachel/Rachelle is just ‘Andythis’ and
‘Andythat.’ Could she be more obvious? I close my ears to her stupid asthmatic
laugh and work on the homework that was due yesterday.” – Laurie Halse
Anderson, Speak
1. What is the attitude of the narrator toward Rachel/Rachelle?
2. Circle the words and details that reveal this attitude.
3. What is the tone of the passage? How do you know? Refer to your tone list.
Act 2: Elizabeth and Proctor

Directions: Read the excerpt from Act 2, where Proctor and his wife
Elizabeth are talking. Annotate the passage for words and/or short phrases
that give you clues as the tone of the passage. Look especially for words or
phrases that have connotations.
The common room of Proctor’s house, eight days later.

At the right is a door opening on the fields outside. A fireplace is at the left,
and behind it a stairway leading upstairs. It is the low, dark, and rather long
living room of the time. As the curtain rises, the room is empty. From above,
Elizabeth is heard softly singing to the children. Presently the door opens
and John Proctor enters, carrying his gun. He glances about the room as he
comes toward the fireplace, then halts for an instant as he hears her
singing. He continues on to the fireplace, leans the gun against the wall as
he swings a pot out of the fire and smells it. Then he lifts out the ladle and
tastes. He is not quite pleased. He reaches to a cupboard, takes a pinch of
salt, and drops it into the pot. As he is tasting again, her footsteps are heard
on the stair. He swings the pot into the fireplace and goes to a basin and
washes his hands and face, Elizabeth enters.
Name: ____________________ Period: _____
Elizabeth: What keeps you so late? It’s almost dark.

Proctor: I were planting far out to the forest edge. Elizabeth: Oh, you’re
done then.
Proctor: Aye, the farm is seeded. The boys asleep?
Elizabeth: They will be soon. And she goes to the fireplace, proceeds to
ladle up stew in a dish.
Proctor: Pray now for a fair summer.
Elizabeth: Aye.
Proctor: Are you well today?
Elizabeth: I am. She brings the plate to the table, and, indicating the food:
It is a rabbit.
Proctor, going to the table: Oh, is it! In Jonathan’s trap?
Elizabeth: No, she walked into the house this afternoon; I found her sittin’
in the corner like she come to visit.
Proctor: Oh, that’s a good sign walkin’ in.
Elizabeth: Pray God. It hurt my heart to strip her, poor rabbit. She sits and
watches him taste it.
Proctor: It’s well seasoned.
Elizabeth, blushing with pleasure: I took great care. She’s tender?
Proctor: Aye. He eats. She watches him. I think we’ll see green fields soon.
It’s warm as blood beneath the clods.
Elizabeth: That’s well.
Proctor eats, then looks up.
Proctor: If the crop is good I’ll buy George Jacob’s heifer. How would that
please you?
Elizabeth: Aye, it would.
Proctor, with a grin: I mean to please you, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth - it is hard to say: I know it, John.
He gets up, goes to her, kisses her. She receives it. With a certain
disappointment, he returns to the table.
Proctor, as gently as he can: Cider?
Elizabeth, with a sense of reprimanding herself for having forgot: Aye! She
gets up and goes and pours a glass for him. He now arches his back.
Proctor: This farm’s a continent when you go foot by foot droppin’ seeds in
it.
Elizabeth, coming with the cider: It must be.
Proctor, drinks a long draught, then, putting the glass down: You ought to
bring some flowers in the house.
Elizabeth: Oh! I forgot! I will tomorrow.
Proctor: It’s winter in here yet. On Sunday let you come with me, and we’ll
Name: ____________________ Period: _____
walk the farm together; I never see such a load of flowers on the earth. With
good feeling he goes and looks up at the sky through the open doorway.
Lilacs have a purple smell. Lilac is the smell of nightfall, I think.
Massachusetts is a beauty in the spring!
Elizabeth: Aye, it is.
What is the tone of this passage?
What is the purpose of this tone?

Tone chart – Act 2: The Crucible
Diction/Word Choice How it helps the reader understand the
(identify at least three narrator’s attitude? What are the connotations
single words or short behind the word/phrase?
phrases)
Example: “low, dark, and rather Each of these words, describing the Proctors’ living room,
long living room.” seems to also be describing the state of their relationship.
Clearly their relationship is at a “low” point, with a “dark”
cloud hanging over the couple. The “rather long living
room” symbolizes just how long their relationship has
been in this “dark” state.
Name: ____________________ Period: _____

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Name: ________________ Period: _

The Crucible Act 2: Determining

1. What is the attitude of the narrator toward Rachel/Rachelle?

2. Circle the words and details that reveal this attitude.

Act 2: Elizabeth and Proctor

The common room of Proctor’s house, eight days later.

Elizabeth: What keeps you so late? It’s almost dark.

What is the tone of this passage?

What is the purpose of this tone?

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