The Crucible Summary and Analysis

Act I Summary

At the beginning of Act I, Reverend Parris is observed kneeling beside the bed of his comatose daughter, Betty, pleading with God to bring her back to consciousness. Abigail Williams and Susanna Walcott bring news from Doctor Greggs. Susanna informs him that the doctor was unable to diagnose her and that he should consider sorcery. Agitated, Reverend Parris interrogates Abigail about the girls’ activities in the forest and questions why his Barbadian slave, Tituba, was swaying over the fire. She informs him that they were merely dancing while Tituba sang songs and that Betty fainted abruptly when Tituba jumped out of the woods from hiding. However, she denies that they were naked.

Mrs. Anne Putnam enters and is glad that witchcraft is finally being discussed. She discusses odd anecdotes, such as Betty flying and Ruth, her daughter, sleepwalking. She adds that she suspects a witch may have murdered her previous seven children in their infancy. Her husband, Thomas, a wealthy landowner also believes that witchcraft is rampant in Salem; he accuses landowners whose lands he covets of witchcraft.

When pressed for more information, Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth had summoned spirits. Mercy Lewis arrives and reports that Ruth has finally been broken free from her sleepwalking spell.

Mr. Putnam and Mrs. Putnam accompany Reverend Parris downstairs where people are observed praying.

Abigail, Mercy, and Mary Warren discuss the proceedings of the previous night. Abigail commands the other two to not reveal details of the previous night. For if the truth were to emerge, Abigail contends, they would be flogged and whipped in public. She threatens to cast a spell on anyone who disobeys her commands.

John Proctor enters Betty’s room. Abigail attempts to seduce him and convince him to abandon Elizabeth and marry her instead. John explains to her that their affair ended seven months ago and that he wishes to salvage his marriage with Elizabeth. Abigail is upset at this and denigrates Elizabeth, and John yells at her severely. Hearing the quarrel between the two, Betty wakes up, screams, and falls unconscious once again.

Reverend Parris enters the room along with the Putnams, Giles Corey, and Rebecca Nurse. Abigail informs them that Betty heard people singing in the adjacent room and woke up abruptly. Trying to calm them, Rebecca Nurse explains that children could be silly occasionally; she assures them that Betty would wake up if she got tired of whatever game she might be playing. Meanwhile, Anne Putnam expresses her grief over her own children’s deaths and seems surprised that Rebecca’s children have managed to survive. She believes that since Betty had screamed while they read the Bible aloud, Betty could have sided with the Devil.

John and Corey argue with Thomas Putnam and tell Reverend Parris that grief is unbecoming of a minister. The Reverend demands Thomas Putnam to side with him, not with John and Corey.

Toward the end of Act I, Reverend John Hale, a renowned minister and witchcraft expert, enters the room. He greets the people and appreciates their warmth toward him and enquires about the children’s conditions and happenings in Salem. Giles Corey, having questions of his own for Reverend Hale, mentions that he cannot understand why his wife loves reading so much. The Reverend informs him that they would need to discuss the issue at a later time. After learning of Betty’s screaming, Reverend Hale informs everyone that he will try to drive the Devil away from Betty. However, Betty is unmoved when Reverend Hale prays and utters holy Latin phrases, and Abigail is interrogated further.

She claims that Tituba had summoned the Devil. When Tituba vehemently denies the allegation, Mr. Putnam demands that she be hanged. Fearing for her life, Tituba offers the names of villagers she believes are witches in disguise.

Abigail and Betty, who suddenly wakes up, then provide a list of people they claim to have seen with the Devil.

Act I Analysis

Reverend Parris is the one who sows the seeds of hysteria in the play. He strives to rule the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692. His laws and moral philosophy are based on The Bible, and he judges his congregation’s thoughts and actions accordingly. Although the original pilgrims may have sought America to gain religious freedom, the Puritans of 1692 condemned interpretations that did not align with their religion. Fearing that they may be excommunicated for their unorthodox opinions, the townsfolk accept Reverend Parris’ dictates without question. Their fears, combined with the Reverend’s discovery of the girls’ and Tituba’s activities, create the perfect atmosphere for a witch hunt.

To avoid being flogged and humiliated in public for disobeying the theocracy’s laws, the girls lie that sorcery was the cause of their condition.

Reverend Parris attempts to protect his position of power within the community, which is threatened by his daughter’s participation in the night’s events. To this end, he threatens Tituba, Abigail, and the other girls.

The Salem witch hunt is driven by interlocked causes and events, most of which are based on the citizens’ selfish interests.

John Proctor comes across as a serious man; he keeps his thoughts to himself. There is tension between him and Abigail when she suggests that they should rekindle their affair and speaks disparagingly of his wife, Elizabeth. When Betty screams, Abigail informs Reverend Parris and the Putnams that she woke up because of their praying. Mrs. Putnam interprets this sign as Betty having sided with the Devil. Rebecca Nurse explains that children could be silly, and that they shouldn’t assume the worst. John agrees with her and requests the Reverend to inform the town’s people to quit thinking that the Devil had cursed Salem with witchcraft. However, Mr. Putnam suggests that they continue searching for witches. Reverend Parris insists that John follow his teachings instead of sharing his own opinions. John, on the other hand, is aware that rumors feed people’s imagination and fears and insists that the Reverend condemn any baseless allegations from the pulpit. Reverend Parris is staunch in his unwillingness to consider another person’s point of view; this enables the audience to see that the Reverend’s character is intended as an embodiment of theocratic injustice. Additionally, this also highlights the primary conflict of the play—person against person.

The characters also hold diametrically opposite worldviews. To understand the goodness of God, they must comprehend the evil of the Devil. As a minister in a theocracy, the books Reverend Hale has studied are only those he is permitted to study. They reinforce the Bible’s perspective on spirits and Lucifer. When Corey innocently remarks about his wife Martha’s reading habits, he provides Mr. Putnam a reason to accuse her of practicing witchcraft.

The atmosphere of fear is further cultivated by the concept of guilt by association. When Hale interrogates Abigail about the happenings of the previous night, Abigail reacts to save herself from punishment by accusing Tituba of conjuring the Devil. She also adds that Tituba had summoned the Devil by cooking a soup made of frogs and had forced her to drink blood. Tituba denies it all, but is perfectly aware of her position as a powerless slave. When Reverend Parris begins naming people in the village who might be co-conspirators, Tituba has no choice but to agree that the women mentioned are indeed witches. This provides Abigail an escape, and Betty, realizing this, wakes up and gives the names of men or women that come to her mind.