XII. The Minister's Vigil Quiz — The Scarlet Letter

What drives Dimmesdale to walk to the scaffold in the middle of the night?

• A deliberate plan to confess publicly at dawn
• The impulse of Remorse paired with Cowardice that prevents true disclosure
• A direct request from Hester Prynne to meet there
• A desire to spy on Chillingworth's movements

Why does the town not awaken after Dimmesdale's shriek on the scaffold?

• The scaffold is too far from any houses
• A violent storm drowns out the sound
• Drowsy residents mistake the cry for a dream or the noise of witches
• Chillingworth uses herbs to keep the town asleep

Where is Reverend Mr. Wilson returning from when he passes the scaffold?

• A late-night prayer meeting at the church
• Governor Bellingham's house after a political council
• The deathbed of Governor Winthrop
• A visit to Hester Prynne's cottage

Dimmesdale calls out "A good evening to you, venerable Father Wilson" aloud as Wilson passes the scaffold.

What is Hester's reason for being out at night with Pearl?

• She was delivering embroidery to a merchant
• She was watching at Governor Winthrop's deathbed and measuring him for a burial robe
• She was searching for medicinal herbs in the forest
• She had been summoned by the magistrates for questioning

What does Hawthorne call the connection formed when Dimmesdale takes Pearl's hand?

• A chain of fire
• An electric chain
• A bond of scarlet
• A holy covenant

Pearl asks Dimmesdale if he will stand with her and Hester on the scaffold at noon the next day.

How do the townspeople interpret the meteor's letter A the following day?

• As a sign of approaching apocalypse
• As a mark of divine punishment for collective sin
• As standing for "Angel," honoring Governor Winthrop's death
• As a warning of Indian warfare

What does "expiation" mean as used in the phrase "this vain show of expiation"?

• Public celebration or triumph
• The act of making amends for wrongdoing or guilt
• A formal religious ceremony
• Physical exhaustion from hard labor

Pearl gives Dimmesdale useful information about Chillingworth's identity when she whispers in his ear.

How does the meteor's light reveal Chillingworth in this chapter?

• It shows him kneeling in prayer near the scaffold
• It reveals the malevolence with which he looked upon his victim
• It catches him attempting to climb the scaffold stairs
• It shows him hiding behind Governor Bellingham's house

What does "somnambulism" mean in the chapter's opening line?

• A state of religious ecstasy
• Deep melancholy or depression
• Walking or performing activities while asleep
• Extreme physical weakness from fasting

What object does the sexton return to Dimmesdale the next morning?

• A Bible left on the scaffold steps
• A black glove found on the scaffold
• A piece of scarlet cloth caught on a nail
• A letter addressed to the congregation

Dimmesdale delivers a weak and faltering sermon the day after his midnight vigil.