Question

Read the passage from act 1 part 5 of the crucible by Arthur miller

me. hale is nearing forty a tight-skinned eager-eyed intellectual. This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for. Like almost all men of learning he spent a good deal of his time pondering the invisible world especially since he had himself encountered a witch in his parish not long before. That women, however turned into a mere pest under his searching scrutiny and the child she had allegedly been afflicting recovered her normal behavior after Hale had given her kindness and a few days of rest in his own house.

What can you infer about Reverend Hale from this passage?

A- He will be very forgiving of those accused of witchcraft
B- he will likely presume there is witchcraft
C- he is eager to dismiss the accusations of the villagers
D- he will be able to find a medical reason for the Salem girls behavior

Answer 1

Reverend Hale is presented as a committed specialist in witchcraft, suggesting a presumption towards the existence of witchcraft, but the passage does not directly support the other potential inferences.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the passage in Act 1, Part 5 of The Crucible, we can infer that Reverend Hale is deeply committed to his role as a specialist in the identification of witchcraft. His pride and sense of duty in being called to Salem to investigate the presence of witchcraft suggests that he takes his responsibilities seriously and believes in the very existence of witches, implying that he will likely presume there is witchcraft.

His approach to resolving an earlier situation in his own parish, with kindness and rest for a supposedly afflicted child, demonstrates that he is analytical in his methods, but it does not directly indicate that he will be forgiving, dismissive of accusations, or able to find medical reasons for unnatural behaviors. Therefore, the most supported inference is that he will likely presume there is witchcraft (B).

Answer 2

Answer: C

Explanation: Based on this passage, it seems that his encounter with a witch was nothing he had imagined and turned out to be nothing much. It can also be inferred that he was quite eager and proud to have his 'unique knowledge' be known to others. Thus, I would say that he is eager to dismiss the accusations of the villagers to show his individual intellect. He won't be able to find a medical reason for the salem girl's behavior because he didn't need to use medicine to help an afflicted child recover, and he won't be presuming there is witchcraft as his experience with it proves otherwise. He also probably won't be forgiving to those accused of witchcraft, as in the passage he describes one as 'a mere pest'. Not in a very forgiving tone lol.