The Crucible Act One Summary
If yous need to refresh your retentivity on the plot of The Crucible or just want some clarification on exactly what's happening in each act of the play as you read, you've come to the right place. I've written a full plot summary, divided by act, and so you can better understand and recollect the events of the play. Equally a bonus, this article also includes short descriptions of the main characters and a list of major themes that ingather upward throughout the narrative. Reverend Samuel Parris is praying next to the sick bed of his 10-twelvemonth-one-time daughter, Betty Parris. The night earlier, Parris defenseless her dancing in the wood with a group of girls, including his teenage niece, Abigail Williams, and his slave, Tituba. Since then, Betty has been in a deep slumber and volition not respond to whatsoever efforts to wake her. Rumors have spread around town that witchcraft is the cause of Betty'south illness, and people are now gathered in the parlor of the Parris household. Parris, concerned near his reputation, interrogates Abigail most what happened, but Abigail says they were just dancing. A woman named Ann Putnam says that her daughter, Ruth, who was with the group of girls, is besides afflicted with a foreign illness. Ann claims that she sent Ruth to see Tituba so that Tituba could facilitate advice with Ann's other children who died as infants. Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth were, in fact, conjuring spirits in the woods. Abigail and 2 other girls named Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren, who were besides part of the grouping in the woods, are left alone with Betty. When they try to wake her up, she blurts out that Abigail drank chicken blood to cast a spell that would kill Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail threatens Betty and the others with violence if they don't keep quiet near this. A farmer named John Proctor (Elizabeth Proctor'due south hubby) then enters the room. The other girls go out, and he speaks with Abigail lone. John and Abigail had an matter when Abigail worked every bit a retainer in his firm, and Abigail wants information technology to continue. John rejects her because he has recommitted himself to his wife. Reverend Unhurt arrives from the town of Beverley to investigate Betty's situation, and Abigail confesses that Tituba called the Devil after more details about the night in the woods come to light. When Tituba is threatened with hanging, she confesses that she's been forced to work for the Devil. Abigail and Betty and then confess their coerced involvement in witchcraft and name several other people who they claim to have seen with the Devil. Act ii opens with John and Elizabeth Proctor discussing the witch trials in Salem. Elizabeth tells John he has to go into boondocks and inform them that Abigail is a liar. John's reluctance to do so leads to an argument where he accuses Elizabeth of being too judgmental and she accuses him of still harboring feelings for Abigail. Mary Warren, who went to Salem to evidence against the Proctors' wishes, returns to the house and gives Elizabeth a doll she made in court. Mary reveals that Elizabeth was amidst the defendant. Elizabeth knows that Abigail is accusing her because she hopes to have her place as John'south wife. Elizabeth urges John to tell Abigail directly that there's no possibility of them e'er reinstating a romantic relationship. Reverend Hale arrives and questions the Proctors about their religious devotion considering of the accusations against Elizabeth. John tells him that the girls are frauds, and Hale starts to believe him. Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come to the house and reveal that both of their wives (Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse) have been arrested for witchcraft. So, Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick get in with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. They find the doll that Mary gave Elizabeth and find that it has a needle stuck in it. This matches up with an "set on" on Abigail that was allegedly perpetrated by Elizabeth's spirit. Proctor gets Mary to tell them that she made the doll in court and stuck the needle in herself with Abigail sitting right next to her. Unhurt, Cheever, and Herrick are still not convinced Abigail is lying. Proctor tears up the arrest warrant in frustration, but Elizabeth agrees to go with the officials. Proctor tells Mary that she must testify on Elizabeth's behalf in court. Mary is terrified to do then because she fears that Abigail will turn the court confronting her. Proctor expresses his feelings that he and all the other hypocrites are finally being punished for their sins. At the get-go of Human activity 3, the audience hears Judge Hathorne questioning Martha Corey aggressively off-stage. Giles Corey interrupts the proceedings to defend his wife and is dragged into a room off of the courtroom (on stage) by Marshal Herrick. They are accompanied by Judge Hathorne, Governor Danforth, Reverends Parris and Unhurt, Francis Nurse, and Ezekiel Cheever. After a short discussion where the truth of the accusers' claims is disputed by Francis Nurse and Giles Corey, Mary Warren and John Proctor enter the room. Mary admits to Danforth that she and the other girls were faking the whole time. Danforth is not convinced that this is the truth based on all the supernatural events he's witnessed in court (including people ostensibly being choked by spirits and slashed by daggers, which he describes on page 84). Proctor presents a petition signed by 91 people who are willing to vouch for the good character of Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey. Danforth orders warrants to be drawn up for all the people who signed the petition. Proctor then presents a statement from Giles Corey where Corey testifies that Thomas Putnam encouraged his daughter Ruth to make accusations against George Jacobs and so Putnam could snatch up his land. However, Giles refuses to reveal his source, so this evidence is discredited, and he is arrested for antipathy of court. Finally, Proctor gives Danforth Mary Warren's statement where she admits in writing that she and the other girls were faking. The other girls are brought in from the court for questioning, and Abigail denies Mary's accusations. Mary is asked to pretend to faint if it was then easy for her before, but she is unable to deed under pressure. Abigail and the other girls feign symptoms of witchcraft to turn the court confronting Mary. Proctor is enraged and calls Abigail a whore. He admits that they had an affair and so she will be discredited (although information technology also means destroying his own reputation). Danforth brings Elizabeth Proctor in for questioning on this issue, but she covers up the affair to protect her husband because she doesn't realize that he has already confessed. John'southward charges confronting Abigail are dismissed. Abigail claims to come across a bird on the rafters higher up her that she insists is Mary Warren's familiar spirit poised to assail her. Mary breaks downwardly under the force per unit area of these accusations and "confesses" that Proctor has forced her to work for the Devil. Proctor and Corey are arrested, and Hale quits the court in disgust at this blatant display of irrationality. The 4th deed opens with Herrick removing Tituba and Sarah Good from a jail prison cell and so the courtroom officials can concord a meeting there. Both Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris are currently praying with the condemned prisoners, which is unsettling to Danforth and Hathorne. When Parris arrives at the meeting, he explains that Unhurt is actually trying to become the prisoners to confess to their crimes to avoid execution. He also reveals that Abigail and Mercy Lewis take run abroad, and Abigail stole his life's savings. The authorities then talk over the state of social unrest that has emerged in Salem later on the jailing of then many citizens. Hathorne denies that at that place is any possibility of rebellion, but Parris is very concerned about what will happen if they hang people like Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor, who are even so well-respected. He advises that they postpone the hangings and continue pushing for confessions, but Danforth refuses considering it would make him look bad. Hale arrives and says that he hasn't gotten confessions out of anyone. The ane prisoner who he hasn't talked to is John Proctor. The officials decide that they will bring in Elizabeth Proctor to speak with him and convince him to confess. When they are left alone, Elizabeth informs John of Giles Corey's decease, and John begs her to tell him whether or not he should confess. He's leaning towards confessing considering he feels his soul is already beyond redemption. He asks for Elizabeth's forgiveness, simply she says her forgiveness doesn't mean anything if he won't forgive himself. She tells him that only he tin make up one's mind whether or non to confess. John tentatively agrees to confess, but he refuses to implicate anyone else and and so is reluctant to sign the confession. He decides he can't go through the rest of his life after signing his proper name into disgrace in this permanent way. He snatches the confession away at the concluding minute and rips information technology to shreds, thus sealing his fate. The others beg Elizabeth to convince him to reconsider, but she refuses to deprive him of this choice when it's the only manner he's finally been able to break costless from his self-hatred and see some adept within himself. Herrick leads John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse off to the gallows. If you want more details about the plot in each human activity, you tin can read individual summaries at the following links: Each article includes short and long summaries along with key quotes and brief thematic analyses. Hither's a quick rundown of the ten most prominent characters in the play, including short descriptions of their almost important traits. This section should give you a better thought of who these people are and how they chronicle to one another. John is a farmer in his mid-30s who is outwardly stiff and confident merely inwardly tormented by guilt. His self-hatred stems from an thing he had with a teenage retainer girl, Abigail Williams, which was a betrayal of his own morals and his wife's trust. John is non easily manipulated by others. He is disliked by foolish and insecure people in positions of power because he sees right through them. He also has a volatile temper and is terrible at expressing his feelings in a constructive way. Abigail is a 17-year-old orphan girl raised by her uncle, Reverend Parris after her parents were murdered by Native Americans. Abigail is a clever, rebellious, selfish, and somewhat disturbed teenager who is willing to take drastic measures to go what she wants. She is smitten with John Proctor afterward their affair, and she dreams of replacing his wife. She'due south the ringleader of the accusers and skillfully manipulates men who are older and supposedly wiser than her into believing her stories of witchcraft. Elizabeth is a sickly adult female who is married to John Proctor. Despite her physical weaknesses, Elizabeth has a certain internal force that John is defective. She is very steadfast in her behavior and will not compromise on what she thinks to please others. However, she too has some insecurities about her worthiness which she feels have made her dubiety her hubby's devotion to her and may have helped to push him away. Reverend Hale is a government minister from the boondocks of Beverley who is supposedly an expert on witchcraft. Hale is an big-headed intellectual who perceives himself as a savior of the ignorant. He is responsible for setting off many of the terrible events in the play, but he is ultimately cursed with enough self-awareness and critical thinking ability to realize that he was wrong. He is emotionally destroyed by guilt over his mistakes. Parris is an unpopular, paranoid, and greedy government minister who presides over the town of Salem. He is ability-hungry merely has weak convictions and a shallow, materialistic outlook that enables him to bend his views whichever fashion will give him the biggest boost in public opinion. As a petty and whiny narcissist, Parris just cares well-nigh the events of the play if they bear upon him directly. His main concerns are preserving his reputation and personal wealth. Tituba is Reverend Parris' center-aged slave from Barbados. As someone with very little power in this guild, she is used throughout the play as a scapegoat for the actions of other characters. Tituba confesses to witchcraft out of cocky-preservation while hinting at a stiff dislike for Parris and a desire to return to her homeland with its less draconian civilization. Danforth is a somewhat pedantic man experienced in legal matters who takes his position of authorization very seriously. Partially because he is so concerned with preserving the integrity of the court, he is prone to letting paranoia become the best of him and is entirely inflexible in his decisions. He believes he is conducting a methodical investigation, but he ultimately makes decisions that are based on bias and fright of damage to his reputation. Mary is a teenage girl who is employed as a servant by the Proctors. Mary is timid and impressionable. She is easily influenced past peer force per unit area and approving or disapproval from dominance figures. Mary has a weak sense of her identity and convictions, so she is constantly pulled in different directions by other characters. She allows fright to rule most of her decisions. Giles is an outspoken elderly man who is arguably the near fearless grapheme in the play. He refuses to let anyone push him effectually. While not formally educated, he's intelligent and legally savvy in his own way. Having been embroiled in a slew of legal battles in the past, he is ane of the few who understands that many accusations of witchcraft are politically motivated. Rebecca is a gentle old adult female who is extremely well-respected in Salem and portrayed equally a well-nigh saintly figure. Although she is highly devout, she has accumulated enough practical wisdom to exist skeptical of the accusations of witchcraft. She becomes a victim of the town'south hysteria because of a political dispute between her family and the Putnams (the Nurses prevented Thomas Putnam's chosen candidate for the Salem ministry from taking part). We've also written articles that focus specifically on certain characters and their significance in the play. Bank check out these links for more than information on the following characters: In this section, I'll list the half-dozen nearly prominent themes that are establish throughout The Crucible forth with some important discussion questions. For more than details on how the role these ideas play in the story, check out our complete guide toThe Crucible themes. The Crucible is filled with moments of irony that can brand it seem well-nigh like a work of satire. How is irony used to show the hypocrisy of the society portrayed in the play? How does it aid the states better empathise the characters? This play is one of the nearly influential portrayals of mass hysteria in popular culture. Why does mass hysteria grow out of one small-scale incident, and how are the fires of hysteria stoked throughout the play? What does this tell us about homo nature? There is a continuous thread of concern for i'south reputation that runs throughout The Crucible. Why is reputation and then important in this gild? Which characters value their reputations the almost, and how does this impact their actions and the course of the play as a whole? Characters in The Crucible are e'er looking to gain ability over others or maintain a high condition that gives them control within their community. How exercise the power dynamics between characters shift as the play progresses? How does a desire to obtain or preserve power and authority impact dissimilar characters' actions? Why does power seem to correspond with irrationality and rigidity? Almost everything that happens in The Crucible is a result of lies in one form or some other. What are some critical points in the play where telling the truth could have changed the course of events? Why do different characters lie? Why are people in the play seemingly then easily deceived? John Proctor, in particular, struggles with guilt throughout The Crucible, although in the final act other characters as well express these feelings. How does the gild portrayed in the play encourage guilt and shame? Does John really overcome his guilt at the finish? Who should feel near guilty for what happened? For more elaboration on these themes and how they are expressed throughout the play, read my more than in-depth article on the principal themes in The Crucible. You can likewise read my commodity on McCarthyism and The Red Scare as they relate to the play to go more information on the context in which The Crucible was written and why its themes remain relevant throughout history. Now that yous've read the completeThe Crucible summary, exist sure to explore the other parts of our guide for additional insight into the play. Whether you're looking for summaries of private acts, analyses of main characters, or a breakup of the play'due south major themes, you should be able to notice the information you need to answer all of your English instructor'south most confusing questions. Protip: If all else fails, merely pretend you can't answer the question because y'all're beingness attacked by the familiar spirit of the almost abrasive kid in your class. In that location are a couple of common questions that come up about the plot of The Crucible that we've answered straight in short articles. Have a look at our answers as to why Elizabeth asks John to go to Salem in Act two and why Reverend Hale returns to Salem in Human activity four. Need some quotes for that killer essay you lot're writing? This article goes through the most important quotes in the play accompanied with explanations of their significance. I gave a short listing of characters in this article, just if you want a total rundown of everyone who shows up in the play, check out our complete graphic symbol listing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your Deed score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the summit v strategies y'all must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download information technology for free at present:
The Crucible Summary
Act 1
Act 1 ends in a cacophony of unjustified finger-pointing. Human action ii
"I feel, like, actually bad about myself. Why can't you just allow this get??" Oh, John, you're and so charming. Act 3
IDK this guy seems like a pretty cool boss. Human action iv
A depressing ending to a play that reminds us of the worst aspects of humanity. Gotta love it. Other Ways to Study the Plot of The Crucible
List of Major Characters inThe Crucible
John Proctor
Abigail Williams
Elizabeth Proctor
Reverend John Hale
Reverend Samuel Parris
Tituba
Deputy Governor Danforth
Mary Warren
Giles Corey
Rebecca Nurse
Here are my visual interpretations of some of the main characters. Left to right: Giles Corey, Mary Warren, Rebecca Nurse, Abigail Williams, John Proctor. Other Ways to StudyCrucible Characters
The Crucible: List of Major Themes
Irony
Hysteria
Reputation
Power/Dominance
Deception
Guilt
In that location are wheels within wheels in Salem, just as Ann Putnam says in the play. However, those wheels merely represent the selfish tendencies at the root of human being nature. Other Ways to Study Crucible Themes
The Bottom Line
What's Next?
Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students prefer a less stressful view of standardized testing and other bookish challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5'southward on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.
The Crucible Act One Summary,
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