The Crucible Act 1 Summary
The Crucible Summary _________________________________________________ Act 1 Portrayed in Massachusetts - 1962, the play begins with the prayers of Reverend Samuel Parris in his house, next to his daughter's bed. His ten-year old daughter - Betty, who became ill and unconscious ever since Parris found her dancing in the woods with Abigail – his seventeen-year old niece – and Tituba – his slave from Barbados – with some of other girls in the village. Worried about Betty and her strange illness , which he believes that it was caused by witchcraft, he sent for help from Reverend Hale of Beverly – a famous specialist in witchcraft. While praying in his daughter's room, Abigail came in. Parris starts to interrogate her
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about what happened that night , which he tells Abigail he can't admit that he saw all that to the public and warns her not to tell anyone. He is afraid of his enemies using this scandal against him. Abigail says that she will admit dancing in the forest and accept the punishment for it, but denies doing witchcraft. However, Parris is half-convinced by her story. Parris asks if her reputation in the town is “entirely white” because of the rumors that Elizabeth Proctor – wife of John Proctor and past employer of Abigail – fired her because Elizabeth thinks Abigail is a “soiled woman”. Abigail denies and states that Elizabeth hates her because she “would not be her slave”. Thomas Putnam and his wife enters the room. Mrs. Putnam tells Parris that someone saw Betty flying over a barn. They also inform Parris about Ruth – their daughter – is sick and they believe she has supernatural symptoms and might be even bewitched. Mrs. Putham has seven babies but they all died in a day of their births. She admits sending Ruth to Tituba because of her ability to speak to the dead so she can reveal the identity of her children' murderer. Mercy Lewis – Putnam's servant – enters and informs them that Ruth has signs of life. Abigail suggests Parris to meet the crowd gathered up downstair and “lead them in a palsm” but he refuses to say anything about witchcraft just yet. After everyone leaves, Abigail tells Mercy what happened and then Mary Warren – Proctor's servant – enters the room and freaks out about what's happening and worries that people might call them witches.
Betty suddenly wakes up and calls for her mother but her mother is “dead and burried”. Abigail tells all of them that she has told Parris about everything they did in the woods but Betty points out that she didn't tell him about her drinking blood as a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor – John Proctor's wife. Abigail then threatens to kill them if they tell anyone else what happened except for the dancing and Tituba conjuring Ruth's dead sisters. After that, Betty goes back to her unconscious state. John Proctor enters and forces Mary to go home. Both Mercy and Mary then leave the room with only unconscious Betty, John and Abigail. Abigail admits about the dancing and everything, then declares her feelings for him. John however, refuses about his feelings and the affair, which makes Abigail angry. She says that he still has feelings for her because she saw him looking up at her window, he admits the feelings but still refuses to accept the relationship. Abigail insults Elizabeth, which makes John angry and threaten Abigail for insulting his …show more content…
wife. Suddenly, Betty covers her ears and shouts when hearing people singing the palsm which has the Lord's name. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, Parris, Mercy then come into the room and rush to Betty. Mrs. Putnam says Betty's bewitched and can't hear the Lord's name. Rebecca – a highly respected old woman in Salem – enters and approaches Betty, somehow Betty calms down as she approaches. Giles Corey – a disputative old farmer – enters the room right after Rebecca. Rebecca tells everyone that there's probably nothing wrong with Ruth and Betty, just some childish behaviours out of her own experiences as mother of eleven children and grandmother of twenty-seven grandchildren. Parris then asks Proctor about his absence in the church recently, Proctor claims that he doesn't like Parris's kind of authority and his willingness to join the enemies of Parris, which shocks everyone. Reverend John Hale arrives from Beverly with a load of heavy books. Parris after carrying his books and welcoming him in, informs Hale about what happened. At the same time, Giles asks Hale about his wife reading strange books and why he couldn't pray while she was reading in the house. Hale tells Giles to put the matter later and questions Abigail about the dancing but Abigail stands firm and refuses that dancing still has nothing to do with witchcraft. Parris then says that he saw a kettle in the glass and Abigail says it was soup. However, Parris states he saw something moving but she says it was a frog jumped in. Under the pressure, Abigail pushes everything to Tituba, telling everyone Tituba made her drink the blood. Putnam – under the impression of Tituna being a witch – says Tituna should be hanged but Hale confronts her. Tituna tells everyone that Abigail begged her to conjure and make that charm. Knowing that she can only save herself by admitting, she tells everyone that the devil came to her and promises many things, including bringing her back to Barbados. She tells Parris that the devil told her to kill Parris but she refuses no matter what the devil offered to give her. Tituna starts telling everyone the name of many women in the town that she saw with the devil, Abigail and Betty starts adding up more names to the list. Hale in the end calls the marshal to arrest the witches that were named. _________________________________________ Act 2 A week later in the Proctor's home, John returns after a long day planting on the fields.
Even though Elizabeth forbade her, Mary was summoned to the court for the witchcraft trials anyway. Elizabeth advises John to tell Ezekiel Cheever - the constable – that Betty's illness is not due to witchcraft. John then admits that nobody will believe him because he was alone with Abigail at the time. Elizabeth is jealous and feel unhappy with this, but John criticizes Elizabeth for her behaviours.
Mary arrives home and gives Elizabeth a doll that she says was made in the court. Mary informs them that thirty-nine people have been arrested and Sarah Osburn will be hanged, but Sarah Good whom confessed will not. John becomes angry at Mary but she mentions that Elizabeth's name was mentioned and she saved her
life.
Hale arrives right after. He tells Elizabeth and John that Rebecca was charged. He makes John state the ten commandments. There are ten but he can only remember nine, but ironically Elizabeth reminds him of adultery. John tells Hale what Abigail admitted about Parris discovering her in the woods, but Hale doesn't believe him. John reminds him that the people who confessed had to confessed or they will be hanged. Hale asks John whether he believes in witches, and he says that he does, but not those in Salem. However, Elizabeth doesn't.
Ezekiel Cheever comes to arrest Elizabeth, charging her for cursing Abigail with spirits, piercing a needle through her stomach. Cheever finds the doll with a needle in it. Mary says that she made the doll in court that day and Abigail witnessed her making it. As she hears the charges against her, Elizabeth claims that Abigail is a murderer, who must be ripped out of the world. John rips up the warrant and refuses to turn in his wife. He tells Mary to come to court and testify against Abigail, but she refuses and sobs.
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Act 3
Vestry room of the Salem meeting house, Giles Corey arrives with Francis Nurse – Rebecca's husband - and convinces Deputy Governor Danforth, who is in charge of the trials, that Mr. Putnam is trying to gain people' lands so he's charging people with witchcraft. He also says that he meant nothing when he said that his wife read strange books. John and Mary arrive, presents a deposition signed by Mary declares that she didn't see any spirits. The judge questions if John has any other hidden motive, and tells John that Elizabeth is pregnant and even if she was to be convicted, she will live at least one more year. John presents a petition signed by ninety-one people to testify that Elizabeth, Rebecca and Martha are good people.
Mr. Putnam arrives. Giles accuses him with murdering. He states that someone , whom he refuses to give the name of, told him that Mr. Putnam told his daughter to accuse George Jacobs so that he could buy his land. Abigail then arrives with the other girls. John tells the judge how Abigail tries to murder his wife. Abigail pretends that she feels a sharp wind threatening her. John grabs her by the hair and calls her a whore, and then finally admitting the affair.
The judge brings Elizabeth to the court. If Elizabeth admits she fired Abigail for her affair, the judge will charge Abigail for murdering. Elizabeth thinks about her husband and claims that she fired Abigail due to poor work habits. Abigail then claims that Mary's spirit is attacking her in the form of a bird. Although Mary claims that the girls are lying, she soon tells the judge that John is in league with Satan and wants to pull down the court. John cries out that God is dead, and that a fire is burning in Hell because the court is pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore. Hale objects and then quits the court.
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Act 4
Several months later, in the autumn at the Salem jail cell, Cheever talks about the town now that so many people are in jail. Hale has been begging Rebecca to admit to witchcraft. Parris arrives and tells the judge how Abigail has vanished with Mercy and stolen his money. Parris worries about the rumors of rebellion against witchcraft in Andover, but Hathorne – the other judge – reminds Parris how there has only been great satisfaction in all of the Salem executions. Parris reminds him that Rebecca Nurse is no immoral woman like the others executed and there will be consequences to her execution. However, the judge refuses to postpone the executions.
The judge calls for Elizabeth, and Hale tells her that he does not want John to die, for he would feel responsible for the murder. He tells Elizabeth that God may damn a liar less than a person who throws one's life away, but Elizabeth claims that this may be the Devil's argument. Elizabeth agrees to speak with John, who is now bearded and filthy. John and Elizabeth talk about their children, and Elizabeth tells him how Giles died. He refused to answer yes or no to his indictment, they tortured him with stones until he would answer. He only said "more weight" until they crushed him.
John says that he cannot mount the gibbet as a saint, for it would be a fraud to claim that he has never lied. Elizabeth says that she has her own sins, for only a cold wife would prompt lechery. Finally John decides that he will confess himself. The judge demands a written confession and he demands that John accuse others. Hale suggests that it is enough for John to confess to God, but the judge still requires a written statement. John refuses because he wishes only to keep his good name for the respectability of his children. The judge refuses to accept his confession, and orders that he be hanged. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with the judge to sign a confession, but Elizabeth claims that the judge now has his goodness, and nobody should take it away from him.
about what happened that night , which he tells Abigail he can't admit that he saw all that to the public and warns her not to tell anyone. He is afraid of his enemies using this scandal against him. Abigail says that she will admit dancing in the forest and accept the punishment for it, but denies doing witchcraft. However, Parris is half-convinced by her story. Parris asks if her reputation in the town is “entirely white” because of the rumors that Elizabeth Proctor – wife of John Proctor and past employer of Abigail – fired her because Elizabeth thinks Abigail is a “soiled woman”. Abigail denies and states that Elizabeth hates her because she “would not be her slave”. Thomas Putnam and his wife enters the room. Mrs. Putnam tells Parris that someone saw Betty flying over a barn. They also inform Parris about Ruth – their daughter – is sick and they believe she has supernatural symptoms and might be even bewitched. Mrs. Putham has seven babies but they all died in a day of their births. She admits sending Ruth to Tituba because of her ability to speak to the dead so she can reveal the identity of her children' murderer. Mercy Lewis – Putnam's servant – enters and informs them that Ruth has signs of life. Abigail suggests Parris to meet the crowd gathered up downstair and “lead them in a palsm” but he refuses to say anything about witchcraft just yet. After everyone leaves, Abigail tells Mercy what happened and then Mary Warren – Proctor's servant – enters the room and freaks out about what's happening and worries that people might call them witches.
Betty suddenly wakes up and calls for her mother but her mother is “dead and burried”. Abigail tells all of them that she has told Parris about everything they did in the woods but Betty points out that she didn't tell him about her drinking blood as a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor – John Proctor's wife. Abigail then threatens to kill them if they tell anyone else what happened except for the dancing and Tituba conjuring Ruth's dead sisters. After that, Betty goes back to her unconscious state. John Proctor enters and forces Mary to go home. Both Mercy and Mary then leave the room with only unconscious Betty, John and Abigail. Abigail admits about the dancing and everything, then declares her feelings for him. John however, refuses about his feelings and the affair, which makes Abigail angry. She says that he still has feelings for her because she saw him looking up at her window, he admits the feelings but still refuses to accept the relationship. Abigail insults Elizabeth, which makes John angry and threaten Abigail for insulting his …show more content…
wife. Suddenly, Betty covers her ears and shouts when hearing people singing the palsm which has the Lord's name. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, Parris, Mercy then come into the room and rush to Betty. Mrs. Putnam says Betty's bewitched and can't hear the Lord's name. Rebecca – a highly respected old woman in Salem – enters and approaches Betty, somehow Betty calms down as she approaches. Giles Corey – a disputative old farmer – enters the room right after Rebecca. Rebecca tells everyone that there's probably nothing wrong with Ruth and Betty, just some childish behaviours out of her own experiences as mother of eleven children and grandmother of twenty-seven grandchildren. Parris then asks Proctor about his absence in the church recently, Proctor claims that he doesn't like Parris's kind of authority and his willingness to join the enemies of Parris, which shocks everyone. Reverend John Hale arrives from Beverly with a load of heavy books. Parris after carrying his books and welcoming him in, informs Hale about what happened. At the same time, Giles asks Hale about his wife reading strange books and why he couldn't pray while she was reading in the house. Hale tells Giles to put the matter later and questions Abigail about the dancing but Abigail stands firm and refuses that dancing still has nothing to do with witchcraft. Parris then says that he saw a kettle in the glass and Abigail says it was soup. However, Parris states he saw something moving but she says it was a frog jumped in. Under the pressure, Abigail pushes everything to Tituba, telling everyone Tituba made her drink the blood. Putnam – under the impression of Tituna being a witch – says Tituna should be hanged but Hale confronts her. Tituna tells everyone that Abigail begged her to conjure and make that charm. Knowing that she can only save herself by admitting, she tells everyone that the devil came to her and promises many things, including bringing her back to Barbados. She tells Parris that the devil told her to kill Parris but she refuses no matter what the devil offered to give her. Tituna starts telling everyone the name of many women in the town that she saw with the devil, Abigail and Betty starts adding up more names to the list. Hale in the end calls the marshal to arrest the witches that were named. _________________________________________ Act 2 A week later in the Proctor's home, John returns after a long day planting on the fields.
Even though Elizabeth forbade her, Mary was summoned to the court for the witchcraft trials anyway. Elizabeth advises John to tell Ezekiel Cheever - the constable – that Betty's illness is not due to witchcraft. John then admits that nobody will believe him because he was alone with Abigail at the time. Elizabeth is jealous and feel unhappy with this, but John criticizes Elizabeth for her behaviours.
Mary arrives home and gives Elizabeth a doll that she says was made in the court. Mary informs them that thirty-nine people have been arrested and Sarah Osburn will be hanged, but Sarah Good whom confessed will not. John becomes angry at Mary but she mentions that Elizabeth's name was mentioned and she saved her
life.
Hale arrives right after. He tells Elizabeth and John that Rebecca was charged. He makes John state the ten commandments. There are ten but he can only remember nine, but ironically Elizabeth reminds him of adultery. John tells Hale what Abigail admitted about Parris discovering her in the woods, but Hale doesn't believe him. John reminds him that the people who confessed had to confessed or they will be hanged. Hale asks John whether he believes in witches, and he says that he does, but not those in Salem. However, Elizabeth doesn't.
Ezekiel Cheever comes to arrest Elizabeth, charging her for cursing Abigail with spirits, piercing a needle through her stomach. Cheever finds the doll with a needle in it. Mary says that she made the doll in court that day and Abigail witnessed her making it. As she hears the charges against her, Elizabeth claims that Abigail is a murderer, who must be ripped out of the world. John rips up the warrant and refuses to turn in his wife. He tells Mary to come to court and testify against Abigail, but she refuses and sobs.
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Act 3
Vestry room of the Salem meeting house, Giles Corey arrives with Francis Nurse – Rebecca's husband - and convinces Deputy Governor Danforth, who is in charge of the trials, that Mr. Putnam is trying to gain people' lands so he's charging people with witchcraft. He also says that he meant nothing when he said that his wife read strange books. John and Mary arrive, presents a deposition signed by Mary declares that she didn't see any spirits. The judge questions if John has any other hidden motive, and tells John that Elizabeth is pregnant and even if she was to be convicted, she will live at least one more year. John presents a petition signed by ninety-one people to testify that Elizabeth, Rebecca and Martha are good people.
Mr. Putnam arrives. Giles accuses him with murdering. He states that someone , whom he refuses to give the name of, told him that Mr. Putnam told his daughter to accuse George Jacobs so that he could buy his land. Abigail then arrives with the other girls. John tells the judge how Abigail tries to murder his wife. Abigail pretends that she feels a sharp wind threatening her. John grabs her by the hair and calls her a whore, and then finally admitting the affair.
The judge brings Elizabeth to the court. If Elizabeth admits she fired Abigail for her affair, the judge will charge Abigail for murdering. Elizabeth thinks about her husband and claims that she fired Abigail due to poor work habits. Abigail then claims that Mary's spirit is attacking her in the form of a bird. Although Mary claims that the girls are lying, she soon tells the judge that John is in league with Satan and wants to pull down the court. John cries out that God is dead, and that a fire is burning in Hell because the court is pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore. Hale objects and then quits the court.
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Act 4
Several months later, in the autumn at the Salem jail cell, Cheever talks about the town now that so many people are in jail. Hale has been begging Rebecca to admit to witchcraft. Parris arrives and tells the judge how Abigail has vanished with Mercy and stolen his money. Parris worries about the rumors of rebellion against witchcraft in Andover, but Hathorne – the other judge – reminds Parris how there has only been great satisfaction in all of the Salem executions. Parris reminds him that Rebecca Nurse is no immoral woman like the others executed and there will be consequences to her execution. However, the judge refuses to postpone the executions.
The judge calls for Elizabeth, and Hale tells her that he does not want John to die, for he would feel responsible for the murder. He tells Elizabeth that God may damn a liar less than a person who throws one's life away, but Elizabeth claims that this may be the Devil's argument. Elizabeth agrees to speak with John, who is now bearded and filthy. John and Elizabeth talk about their children, and Elizabeth tells him how Giles died. He refused to answer yes or no to his indictment, they tortured him with stones until he would answer. He only said "more weight" until they crushed him.
John says that he cannot mount the gibbet as a saint, for it would be a fraud to claim that he has never lied. Elizabeth says that she has her own sins, for only a cold wife would prompt lechery. Finally John decides that he will confess himself. The judge demands a written confession and he demands that John accuse others. Hale suggests that it is enough for John to confess to God, but the judge still requires a written statement. John refuses because he wishes only to keep his good name for the respectability of his children. The judge refuses to accept his confession, and orders that he be hanged. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with the judge to sign a confession, but Elizabeth claims that the judge now has his goodness, and nobody should take it away from him.