The Crucible (Miller)
Short summary
Salem, Massachusetts, spring 1692. Reverend Parris discovered his daughter Betty and several girls dancing in the forest. Betty fell into a mysterious illness, unable to wake. Rumors of witchcraft spread through the village.
John Proctor arrived at Parris's house.
He confronted Abigail Williams, who had worked as his servant.
She still desired him, but Proctor rejected her advances. Under pressure, the girls began accusing townspeople of witchcraft. Abigail accused Elizabeth Proctor, John's wife. Reverend Hale arrived to investigate.
Elizabeth was arrested. Proctor brought Mary Warren to court to testify that the girls were pretending. When Abigail and the girls turned on Mary, she accused Proctor of witchcraft. He was arrested and condemned to hang. In prison, officials pressured Proctor to confess falsely to save his life. He initially agreed but then refused to sign the confession, crying out:
Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name?
Proctor tore up the confession and was led to the gallows with Rebecca Nurse and others, choosing death over dishonor.
Detailed summary by acts
Division of acts into scenes is editorial.
Act 1. The outbreak of witchcraft accusations
Bettys mysterious illness and Parriss fears
In the spring of 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, ten-year-old Betty Parris lay motionless in bed in her father's house. Her condition was mysterious and alarming. Her father knelt beside her bed in prayer, deeply troubled by what had occurred the previous night. He had discovered Betty, his niece, and several other girls dancing in the forest, and since then Betty had fallen into this strange, unresponsive state.
The minister was terrified not only for his daughter but for his reputation. He feared that if word spread about the girls' activities in the forest, his enemies in the village would use it to drive him from his position. His household had become the center of scandal, and he knew the faction opposed to him would seize this opportunity.
Abigail and the girls confront the truth
His niece entered the room. She had been living with him since becoming an orphan, and she had been among the girls discovered in the forest.
The minister pressed her for the truth about what had happened in the forest. She insisted they had only been dancing, and that Betty had fainted from fright when he suddenly appeared. But he had seen more than dancing. He had witnessed someone running naked through the trees and had found a kettle over a fire. He demanded to know if they had been conjuring spirits, warning her that his ministry and perhaps Betty's life were at stake. She denied any involvement with witchcraft, but her uncle remained suspicious, especially about why she had been dismissed from service at the Proctor household seven months earlier.
Proctor confronts Abigail about the dancing
The household soon filled with concerned neighbors. The Putnams arrived with news that their daughter Ruth was also afflicted with a similar mysterious illness. They believed witchcraft was at work and urged the minister to declare it openly. The tension in the room grew as more people gathered, each bringing their own fears and suspicions about what was happening to the children.
A farmer arrived at the house, and when he was alone with the girl, he confronted her about the forest incident.
He knew the truth about the dancing and wanted to ensure she would tell the authorities it had nothing to do with witchcraft. But she had other intentions. She reminded him of their affair, which had occurred when she worked as a servant in his house. She still harbored feelings for him and hoped his wife would be accused so she could take her place. He firmly rejected her advances, telling her their relationship was over and that she must put it out of her mind. She refused to accept this, insisting he still loved her despite his denials.
Reverend Hale arrives to investigate
An expert on witchcraft arrived from Beverly, carrying heavy books filled with knowledge about the Devil and his works.
He came with confidence in his ability to identify the Devil's presence. He examined Betty carefully and questioned those present about what they had witnessed. He explained that the Devil's marks were precise and definite, and he would not proceed unless they were prepared to believe him if he found no evidence of Hell's influence. He learned about the dancing in the forest, the kettle that had been seen, and began to piece together what might have occurred.
Titubas confession under pressure
The minister's slave from Barbados was brought before the investigator. The girl immediately accused her of making her drink blood and of consorting with the Devil. Under intense questioning and threats of whipping and hanging, the terrified woman began to confess. She admitted that the Devil had come to her, that he had promised to take her back to Barbados, and that he had shown her white people who belonged to him. The pressure mounted as the men demanded names of those she had seen with the Devil.
The girls begin naming names
As the slave woman named Sarah Good and Goody Osburn as Devil's servants, the atmosphere in the room became charged with religious fervor. Suddenly, the girl who had led the dancing rose up, declaring she wanted to open herself to God's light. She began calling out names of people she claimed to have seen with the Devil. Betty, who had been lying motionless, suddenly sat up and joined in, crying out more names. The room filled with ecstatic shouts as the girls named woman after woman, while the men praised God and called for the marshal to bring irons. The witch hunt had begun.
Act 2. Growing tensions and Elizabeths arrest
John and Elizabeths strained marriage
Eight days later, in the Proctor household, the farmer returned home from planting his fields. His wife had prepared rabbit stew for dinner.
The tension between them was palpable. Though he tried to please her and spoke of buying a heifer and bringing flowers into the house, a coldness remained between them. She had not fully forgiven him for his affair with the girl, and he felt constantly judged in his own home. When she mentioned that he had been in Salem that afternoon, he grew defensive, knowing she suspected he had seen the girl. Their conversation was strained, filled with unspoken accusations and hurt.
Mary Warren returns from court with news
Their servant girl returned from Salem, where she had been serving as an official of the newly established court.
She brought shocking news: fourteen people were now in jail, accused of witchcraft, and the Deputy Governor himself was presiding over the trials. She gave the wife a small rag doll she had made while sitting in court. The farmer was furious that his servant had disobeyed his orders not to go to Salem, but she insisted she was now an official of the court and could not be ordered about. She revealed that Sarah Good would hang, but had confessed to save herself. The servant described how the accused sent out their spirits to torment the girls in court, and how she herself had been choked and attacked.
Reverend Hale tests the Proctors faith
The investigator from Beverly arrived unexpectedly at the house. He had been visiting those whose names had been mentioned in court, including the highly respected woman who had been accused. He questioned the farmer about his church attendance and asked him to recite the Ten Commandments. The farmer managed to recite them all except one, which his wife had to remind him of: adultery. The investigator was troubled by this and by the farmer's admission that he saw no light of God in the minister. When the farmer revealed that the girl had told him the dancing had nothing to do with witchcraft, the investigator was stunned and urged him to testify in court.
The poppet and Elizabeths arrest
Officials arrived with a warrant for the farmer's wife. They had come to search the house for dolls. The girl had been stabbed with a needle during dinner at the minister's house, and she had accused the farmer's wife of sending her spirit to do it. The officials found the doll the servant had made, and discovered a needle stuck in its belly. Despite the servant's confession that she had made the doll and stuck the needle in it herself, the officials arrested the wife. The farmer was enraged, tearing up the warrant and threatening the officials. His wife tried to calm him, asking him to bring her home soon. As she was led away in chains, the farmer vowed to bring her back and declared that vengeance was walking Salem.
I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem - vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!
Act 3. The trial and Proctors desperate gambit
Giles Corey and Francis Nurse present evidence
In the vestry room of the Salem meeting house, which now served as the court's anteroom, an old man burst in, claiming he had evidence that the accusations were fraudulent.
He was forcibly removed from the courtroom. Another man arrived, equally desperate to be heard.
Her husband brought a petition signed by ninety-one people testifying to the good character of his wife and others who had been accused. The Deputy Governor who presided over the trials received them.
Mary Warrens deposition claiming pretense
The farmer entered with his servant, who appeared terrified and on the verge of collapse. He presented a deposition in which she swore that she and the other girls had never seen spirits and that all their accusations were pretense. The Deputy Governor was shocked by this claim. He warned the farmer that he was accusing the girl who led the accusers of murder, and that if the servant was lying now, she would hang for it. The farmer insisted his wife would never die for him, and that he would prove the girls were frauds. The Deputy Governor was deeply troubled, for he had already signed seventy-two death warrants based on the girls' testimony.
The court examines Mary Warren
The Deputy Governor questioned the servant about how she had come to this reversal. She admitted she had lied in court, that she had pretended to see spirits. When asked why she could not faint now as she had in court, she explained that she had only thought she saw spirits because everyone else was screaming and the judges seemed to believe them. The Deputy Governor was struck by her testimony but remained skeptical. He ordered the other girls brought in to face these accusations.
Proctor confesses lechery; Elizabeth lies
Desperate to prove the lead accuser's motivation, the farmer made a shocking confession. He admitted to having an affair with her, calling her a whore and explaining that she wanted his wife dead so she could take her place. The Deputy Governor was stunned by this revelation. To test the truth of this claim, he sent for the farmer's wife, who was known to never lie. He ordered both the farmer and the girl to turn their backs, then questioned the wife about why she had dismissed the girl from service. Trying to protect her husband's reputation, she lied for the first time in her life, denying that he had turned from her or committed adultery. The farmer cried out that he had already confessed, but it was too late. His wife was removed, and his attempt to expose the truth had failed.
The yellow bird and mass hysteria
At that moment, the lead accuser began screaming and pointing at the ceiling, claiming to see a yellow bird. The other girls joined in, mimicking her terror. They claimed the servant was sending her spirit in the form of a bird to attack them. The servant desperately denied it, but the girls repeated everything she said, creating a terrifying echo. The Deputy Governor demanded to know if she was witching them. The pressure became unbearable, and the servant finally broke. She turned on the farmer, accusing him of being the Devil's man and forcing her to sign his book. The investigator from Beverly, horrified by what he had witnessed, denounced the proceedings and quit the court.
Mary turns on Proctor; Hale quits the court
The farmer was arrested and taken to jail along with the old man. The investigator's protests were ignored. The farmer's final words rang through the courtroom as he was dragged away, declaring that the Deputy Governor was pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore.
Act 4. Proctors final choice
Parris and Hales desperate attempts to delay executions
That fall, in a cell in Salem jail, the minister and the investigator were desperately trying to convince the condemned to confess. Twelve had already been hanged, and seven more were scheduled to die that morning. The minister was terrified because the girl who had led the accusations had stolen his money and fled with another girl. He feared rebellion in the town, especially since Andover had thrown out their court. He begged the Deputy Governor to postpone the hangings, but the official refused, saying it would cast doubt on those already executed.
Elizabeth and Johns final meeting
The farmer's wife was brought from her cell. She was pregnant and had been spared until after the birth of her child. The Deputy Governor hoped she could convince her husband to confess and save his life. When the farmer was brought in, bearded and filthy after months in chains, the couple faced each other. They spoke quietly of their children and of others who had confessed. She told him that the old man had died, pressed to death by stones because he refused to answer the indictment. The farmer admitted he had been thinking of confessing, calling it pretense since he was no saint. His wife told him she could not judge him, that the decision was his alone. She confessed her own sins, admitting she had been a cold wife and that her suspicion had helped drive him to adultery. She told him that whatever he chose to do, it would be done by a good man.
Proctor agrees to confess but refuses to sign
The farmer decided he wanted his life. He agreed to confess to witchcraft. The officials rushed to record his confession, asking if he had seen the Devil and bound himself to the Devil's service. He answered yes to their questions. But when they asked him to name others he had seen with the Devil, he refused. He would confess his own sins but would not condemn others. When they brought the written confession for him to sign, he hesitated. He signed his name but then refused to hand over the paper. He insisted they had witnessed his confession and that was enough. The Deputy Governor explained they needed to post the signed confession on the church door as proof. The farmer was horrified at the thought of his name being used to condemn others who refused to confess.
Proctor tears his confession and goes to hang
In a moment of clarity and courage, the farmer tore up the confession. He declared that he could not have another name in his life, that he had given them his soul but they could not have his name. His wife wept and embraced him, telling him not to give them tears. The respected old woman who was also condemned told him to fear nothing, that another judgment awaited them all. As the drums rolled and the sun rose, the farmer and the others were led out to be hanged. His wife stood at the window, and when the investigator begged her to stop her husband, she refused. She said he had his goodness now, and God forbid she take it from him. The final drumroll crashed as the new sun poured through the window, and the condemned went to their deaths with their integrity intact.