Synopsis

 

​Salem, Province of Massachusetts Bay, Spring 1692

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Act One: In the upper bedroom of Reverend Samuel Parris's home, the Reverend is in fervent prayer at his daughter Betty's bedside. The Revered refuses to believe her daughter's illness has "unnatural causes" and has sent for Reverend Hale for assistance. Meanwhile, a crowd has gathered downstairs in hopes the Reverend will address rumors of witchcraft. Parris's niece Abigail warns her uncle that "the rumor of witchcraft is all about" - in part because a group of girls, including Abigail and Betty, were seen dancing in the woods with Tituba, Parris's slave and a Barbados native. Parris has been concerned with Abigail's reputation since she was fired from her employment with Elizabeth and John Proctor. The Putnams arrive, certain that Betty has been afflicted by "a murdering witch," as they have lost many infant daughters for no identifiable reason. Abigail accuses the Putnam's daughter and Tituba of conjuring spirits. John Proctor arrives, and he and Abigail have a heated conversation about their past. When other townspeople arrive, the political, religious, and economic conflicts among the villagers become clear, as charges of land grabs and insufficient salary are traded. Reverend Hale arrives and attempts to assess Betty's condition and the validity of the witchcraft claims. Defensive, Abigail indicts Tituba as a witch; Tituba deflects the blame, and Abigail and Betty ecstatically accuse several townswomen of cavorting with the devil.

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Act Two: Eight days later, John Proctor returns home to his wife Elizabeth after a day sowing the fields. Elizabeth tells John that Boston magistrates have gone to Salem to oversee the witch trials, and she urges him to inform the court that the allegations, brought about principally by Abigail, must be false. There is clear tension as John is not convinced Elizabeth forgives him for his indiscretion with Abigail. Mary Warren, the Proctors' servant girl, returns home and informs the couple the witchcraft accusations have more than doubled to three dozen; executions have been ordered. Mary also informs them that when Elizabeth's name was mentioned in the context of witchcraft, Mary defended her - an advantage she had due to her standing as a witness for the court. Reverend Hale arrives and questions the couple about their faith - why they don't attend church weekly, why one of their three sons has not been baptized, whether they can recite the Ten Commandments. John reveals his antipathy toward Reverend Parris (John believes Parris is self-important, if not greedy). When John names the Ten Commandments, ironically, he forgets adultery. Two townsfolk enter to bemoan the arrests of their wives, followed by the arrival of a marshal with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. Abigail has accused her of putting a spell on her, and the marshal points to a doll in Elizabeth's possession, just given to her by Mary, who sewed it to pass time in court. It's obvious that Abigail saw Mary create the toy and stick the needle in it for safekeeping. After Elizabeth is taken into custody, John insists Mary come clean to the court about Abigail's lying. Fearful, Mary refuses. Enraged, John lunges for Mary: "We are only what we always were, but naked now."

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Act Three: The voices of a witchcraft trial carry through to the antechamber of the Salem meeting house. The proceedings are interrupted when Mary Warren confesses that all the allegations she, Abigial, and others made were never true. Unmoved, Judge Danforth reveals that Elizabeth Proctor is pregnant, and he offers to stay her prosecution and likely execution until she gives birth - if John Proctor drops his charges against the girls. Instead, John submits a petition signed by some 100 townspeople attesting to the good Christian nature of the accused, but Reverend Parris calls this a ploy to undermine the court. Danforth considers Proctor's petition and summons the girls. Meanwhile, Danforth questions Mary's truthfulness, and she insists she's now telling the truth about the false accusations. When the girls enter, Abigail insists Mary is lying - and falsely charges that Elizabeth is known to keep doll - a sure sign of witchcraft. When Judge Danforth challenges Abigail about her accusations, the girls begin to claim Mary is afflicting them. To prove Abigail is lying, Proctor confesses his adultery, but when Danforth questions Elizabeth, but she insists her husband is no "lecher," thinking she is protecting him. Just as Reverend Hale rushes to John's defense, the girls break into hysterics as they claim to be afflicted by witchery; Mary Warren joins in. Reverend Hale denounces the proceedings as Danforth arrests Proctor, who condemns the actions: "You are pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore!" 

 

Act Four: Six months later, Tituba and other townsfolk sit in jail. Judges Danforth and Hathorne are wary that Reverends Hale and Parris have been praying with the prisoners. Hale has been pleading with the condemned to confess to witchcraft in order to stay their executions. Parris reveals Abigail has stolen all his money and has likely skipped town: the people of neighboring Andover have overthrown their court, and the people of Salem seem similarly fed up with the aggressive prosecutions and hangings. Even though Parris has received threats and Hale defends the accused, Danforth refuses to issue pardons or even postpone the executions. Hale presses Elizabeth to convince John to confess - before his scheduled hanging at dawn. Although she calls it "the Devil's argument," Elizabeth agrees to speak to her husband. She tells him that many townsfolk have confessed, and many who have not have been executed - including Giles Corey, who was pressed to death when he refused to enter a plea to witchcraft charges. Though resistant to giving a false confession but still racked with guilt about his affair, John relents and agrees to confess. When Danforth insists the confession be written and published, John recants: "I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" The judges and reverends urge John to change his mind and save his life, and Elizabeth declines to help them: "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" Drums sound as Proctor is hanged.

 

Context

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With The Crucible, Arthur Miller responded directly to McCarthyism and HUAC investigations. In the middle of Act I, Miller describes the judge Mr. Hale and opines on contemporary politics:

 

In the countries of the Communist ideology, all resistance of any import is linked to the totally malign capitalist succubi, and in American any man who is not reactionary in his views is open to the change of alliance with the Red hell.

 

Read the full passage here.

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Read Arthur Miller's "Why I Wrote The Crucible: An Artist's Answer to Politics" (New Yorker, 1996)

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Read Arthur Miller's "Journey to Crucible" (New York Times, 1953)

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Watch "None without Sin," a two-part documentary about Miller, his relationship with director Elia Kazan, and the "Red Scare" (PBS, 2003)