Crucible Act I

Arthur Miller

The Crucible

01

Lesson Objective

Analyse Act I from the drama.

Act

When Mercy and Abigail are alone, Abigail tries desperately to wake Betty. At the same time she and Mercy try to get their stories straight: they all danced and Ruth and Tituba conjured spirits. Abigail tells Mercy that Parris saw her naked. Another girl, Mary Warren, runs in. She's terrified that the town will condemn them as witches. She says they have to confess because the penalty for witchcraft is hanging, but if they confess to just dancing, they'll only be whipped.

Abigail is established as a liar, and Mary as frightened of Abigail. It's obvious that Mary Warren, at least, believes there wasn't any real witchcraft. Note that like Parris, Abigail is at the moment putting all her effort into denying witchcraft.

Act

Betty suddenly wakes and huddles against the wall, calling for her dead mother. Abigail tells Betty not to worry because she told Parris everything. But Betty says Abigail didn't tell that she drank blood as a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail smacks her across the face. She tells the other three girls that if they admit to anything more than dancing and Ruth and Tituba's conjuring, she'll kill them. Betty collapses back into her strange coma.

Now it's revealed that Abigail really did push well beyond the strict religious laws of Salem in hopes of killing Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail is more than just a liar: she's capable of murder.

Act

John Proctor enters. He reprimands Mary, his servant, for leaving his house when he ordered her not to. Mary and Mercy Lewis leave.

Proctor is portrayed as strong-willed and moral.

Act

When he's alone with Abigail, Proctor mentions the town's rumors of witchcraft. Abigail dismisses them, steps closer to Proctor, and says it's all nothing more than mischief. She says they were dancing and Betty just fainted. Proctor smiles, and says, "ah, you're wicked yet, aren't y'!" Abigail steps even closer and asks for a "soft word." She insists he still loves her. Proctor admits he has some feelings for her, but says the affair is over. Abigail, hurt and angry, insults Elizabeth, infuriating Proctor.

Proctor's outward morality hides immoral thoughts and actions. Yet Proctor's self-hatred regarding his affair with Abigail actually proves his morality: he hates himself for being immoral. It's now clear that Abigail wanted to kill Elizabeth Proctor to have her teenage crush to herself.

Act

Downstairs, Parris and the crowd sing a psalm. Betty begins to wail. Parris and the Putnams run into the room. Mrs. Putnam says it's a sign of witchcraft: Betty can't bear to hear the Lord's name.

Is it just a coincidence that Betty cries out when the hymn begins? Or has she been swayed by all the talk of witchcraft?

Act

Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey enter. Parris implores Rebecca to go to Betty. She does, and Betty quiets down. Parris and the Putnams are astonished. Rebecca says this is just an example of children being children, and adds that she hopes Parris isn't really going to claim "loose spirits" were the cause.

Rebecca Nurse speaks sensibly, but Parris and the Putnams resent her wisdom, perhaps as part of a general resentment of Rebecca's high standing in the community.

A disagreement arises about whether Parris should have called Reverend Hale to come search Salem for spirits without first holding a meeting. The dispute erupts into an argument between Proctor, Putnam, Mrs. Putnam, Rebecca Nurse, and Parris about town politics and grievances. The argument covers everything from Putnam's meddling, to Mrs. Putnam's envy that none of Rebecca Nurse's children has died, to Proctor's dislike of Parris' fiery sermons, to Parris's belief that his salary is insufficient and that there's a faction against him in the town, to boundary disputes between Putnam, the Nurses, Proctor, and Corey.

Act

Witchcraft provides a forum for venting all of the resentments of Salem's close-knit oppressive society. Whether consciously or unconsciously, these resentments will impact all the characters' interactions as the hysteria about witchcraft grows.

Act

Reverend Hale enters carrying a stack of religious books about witchcraft. He seems eager to flex his authority. Proctor departs, but not before saying he's heard Hale is a sensible man and that he hopes he'll bring some sense to Salem. Hale examines Betty, but when Putnam mentions witchcraft Hale stops him. Hale says that the mark of the devil is clear. He asks them all to agree not to push the issue of witchcraft if he finds no evidence.

Though a minister, Hale sees himself as a doctor building up a diagnosis based on facts. His focus on facts makes him less ideological than other ministers, less likely to impose his own beliefs on others or to need to protect his reputation.

Act

Putnam, Mrs. Putnam, and Parris tell Hale of the recent events. Hale and Rebecca are shocked Mrs. Putnam would send her child to commune with spirits, but Mrs. Putnam shouts that she won't allow Rebecca to judge her.

Note the resentment between the Putnams and the Nurses. Salem society had previously kept their bitterness confined to silence.

Act

As Hale takes out a book about witchcraft and prepares to examine Betty further, Rebecca departs, clearly dismissing all this fuss as foolish. Giles interrupts. He asks Hale why his wife Martha reads books that she refuses to show him. Hale says they'll speak about it later, and gets to work.

Proctor and Rebecca, two voices of reason, leave before the investigation begins. Those who can stop hysteria from growing often don't take it seriously until too late.

Act

Betty doesn't respond to Hale's question, so he turns to Abigail. She repeats that they were only dancing. When Parris mentions he saw them dancing around a kettle, Abigail says the kettle just held soup. Parris then says he thought he saw movement in the soup. Abigail says a frog jumped into the soup.

Abigail continues to lie to save her reputation and her life, even as the evidence mounts against her.

Act

Troubled, Hale asks Abigail if she conjured the devil. Abigail says Tituba did. As Mrs. Putnam goes to get Tituba, Hale asks Abigail several questions: did she feel the devil's presence, did she drink from the kettle, did she sell herself to the devil? Abigail denies everything. As soon as Tituba enters, however, Abigail screams that Tituba made her do it, that Tituba made her drink blood.

Abigail switches tactics once Hale makes it clear he believes there might have been witchcraft. Abigail gives him what he wants: she says there was witchcraft, and portrays herself as its innocent victim.

Act

Tituba responds that Abigail begged her to conjure. But Abigail says Tituba often "sends her spirit out" and makes Abigail laugh at prayer in church.

Like Abigail did before, Tituba at first denies the presence of any witchcraft.

Act

Hale asks Tituba when she made a "compact with the devil." Tituba says she never has. Parris threatens to whip her to death unless she confesses. Putnam yells that she should be hanged. Tituba screams in terror that she didn't want to work for the devil, but he forced her. She says many witches exist in Salem. Hale and Parris ask if she's seen them. Tituba says yes. Putnam asks: was it Sarah Good, or maybe Mrs. Osburn? Tituba hesitates, but Hale tells Tituba not to fear: if she confesses whom she saw, she will be blessed.

Tituba discovers that nobody wants to hear denials, just as Abigail realized earlier. The religious authorities interpret denials as lies, so Tituba gives them what they want: a confession. The men then encourage their shared delusion by planting the names of possible witches in Tituba's mind.

Act

Tituba identifies Sarah Good and Mrs. Osburn as other witches. Mrs. Putnam shouts that she knew it! Osburn was the midwife at the births of three of her dead babies.

Mrs. Putnam finally gets what she wants, someone to blame: Mrs. Osburn.

Act

Suddenly Abigail stands up and shouts that she too wants to confess, to return to God. She starts chanting names of women she's seen with the devil. Betty wakes and begins to chant names too. Parris, Putnam, and Hale call for the town marshal as the girls scream out the names of witch after witch.

Tituba discovers that nobody wants to hear denials, just as Abigail realized earlier. The religious authorities interpret denials as lies, so Tituba gives them what they want: a confession. The men then encourage their shared delusion by planting the names of possible witches in Tituba's mind.

Themes

1. Puritanism and Individuality
2. Hysteria
3. The Danger of Ideology
4. Reputation and Integrity