THE CRUCIBLE
By: Arthur Miller
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| THE CRUCIBLE By: Arthur Miller |
Play Summary
The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The action begins at the home of Reverend Parris, whose daughter Betty lies unconscious and appears very ill. Around midnight the previous night, Parris had discovered Betty, her niece Abigail, and Tituba, her black slave, dancing in the woods, causing Betty to pass out. The local doctor cannot determine the cause of Betty's illness. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam arrive and reveal that their daughter Ruth is also ill. There is talk in the village of an unnatural cause.
Abigail warns her friend Mercy Lewis and the overseers' servant, Mary Warren, not to reveal that they were all casting spells in the woods. Betty wakes up and Abigail threatens the other girls with violence if they tell anyone she drank blood and cast a spell to kill Goody Proctor. Betty passes out again.
John Proctor and Abigail speak privately about their previous relationship. Prior to the play's premiere, Abigail worked as a servant in the Proctor household. Elizabeth Proctor was ill at the time, and Abigail took on more responsibility within the Proctor household. When Elizabeth found out about the affair, she fired Abigail. During their argument, Abigail gets mad at Proctor because he refuses to acknowledge his feelings for her.
Betty wakes up again and is hysterical. The highly respected Rebecca Nurse visits Parris' house and calms her down. Prophetically, Rebecca warns Parris that identifying witchcraft as the cause of Betty's illness will set a dangerous precedent and lead to more trouble in Salem. Mr. Putnam asks Rebecca to visit Ruth and try to wake her up. Ruth is Putnam's only daughter to survive infancy, and Mrs. Putnam is jealous of Rebecca because all of Rebecca's children are healthy, while Mrs. Putnam had lost seven babies.
Putnam, Proctor and Giles Corey argue with Parris over his salary and other expectations. Parris claims a faction is working to drive him out of town and questions the salary figures. Putnam, Proctor, and Corey then begin to argue over property lines and ownership. Putnam accuses Proctor of stealing lumber from land he does not own, but Proctor defends himself, claiming he bought the land from Francis Nurse five months ago. Putnam claims that Francis had no right to the land and therefore could not sell it.
Reverend Hale arrives from another town to investigate the strange happenings in Salem. The people of Salem summoned him as a witchcraft expert to determine if witchcraft is the cause of children's illnesses. Hale learns that the girls were dancing in the woods with Tituba and that Tituba can conjure up spirits. Abigail blames Tituba for tempting her to sin. Hale then questions Tituba, and she admits that she has seen the devil, as have Goody Good and Goody Osburn. Abigail also confesses to witchcraft, stating that she had given herself to the devil, but now regrets it. Betty wakes up and she and Abigail name the people they claim to have seen with the Devil.
Eight days later, Elizabeth discovers that Proctor spoke to Abigail privately in Salem. Elizabeth and Proctor argue over this. Mary Warren comes home from Salem, where she is a clerk, and gives Elizabeth a doll she made for her as she sat in the courtroom. Mary Warren tells Proctor that some of the girls accused Elizabeth of witchcraft, but the court dismissed the charge because Mary Warren defended her.
Hale arrives at Proctor's house and questions Proctor about his low church attendance. He asks Proctor to name the Ten Commandments. Proctor successfully names nine, but forgets the commandment against adultery. Hale also questions Elizabeth. Proctor reveals that Abigail admitted to him that the witchcraft accusations were false.
Marshal Herrick then arrives and arrests Elizabeth. Earlier that night, Abigail feels a needle stick while having dinner and accuses Elizabeth of attempted murder. Salem authorities search Proctor's house and discover the doll, along with a needle. Hale questions Mary Warren and learns that she sewed the doll and kept the needle inside. Mary Warren also tells her that Abigail saw her sewing the doll and putting away the needle. However, Elizabeth is arrested.
The court convicts Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft. Giles Corey tells the court he has proof that Putnam is accusing his neighbors of witchcraft to gain their land. Judge Danforth asks for the name of the witness who gave Corey the information, but Corey refuses to cooperate. The court arrests him. Judge Danforth informs Proctor that Elizabeth is pregnant.
Mary Warren tells the court she pretended to see spirits and falsely accused others of witchcraft. She reveals that Abigail and the other girls are also lying. However, Abigail denies Mary Warren's accusation, and she and the others claim that Mary Warren is sending her spirit against them to court.
Proctor denounces Abigail's accusation against Mary Warren, stating that Abigail is a lying whore. Proctor informs the court of his affair with Abigail and claims that she is lying to execute Elizabeth, thus giving herself the opportunity to become his wife. After Proctor agrees that Elizabeth would never lie, the court summons Elizabeth and questions her about it. Unaware that her husband confessed, Elizabeth lies about the affair and returns to prison. Abigail takes up her claim that Mary Warren is attacking her until Mary Warren retracts her confession that she lied about witchcraft and accuses John Proctor of being an evil man.
Several months pass. Proctor is in jail and is to be hanged with Rebecca Nurse. Elizabeth is also in prison, although the court has delayed her execution until after she gives birth. Hale tries to convince the prisoners to confess rather than hang them, but they all refuse. Proctor confesses and signs an affidavit in writing, but destroys the document instead of posting it on the church door. Proctor is led to the gallows.
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