![]() ![]() Mary however refuses to say who accused Elizabeth, and Elizabeth is convinced that it was Abigail. Mary reveals that the court ordered the hanging of Elizbeth, but Mary was able to defend her. John threatens to beat Elizabeth because he feels that she has been neglecting her duties. Goody Osborne is included in that number, but Sarah Osborne has escaped penalty by confessing that she made a pact with Satan to torment Christians. Mary Warren enters and says that the majority of people who have been accused will most likely hang. Hale frantically orders for the arrest of those who have been named. In a desperate attempt to keep the group’s attention focused on the issue of witchcraft, Abigail fakes being possessed, and identifies Osborne and Goode as being the ones who have been “dancing with the devil.” Betty rises from bed and states that George Jacobs has similarly been involved in witchcraft. Mrs Putnam, who has lost seven children, identifies Osborne as her midwife, and states that it must have been Osborne’s interference that caused her children’s deaths. She is prompted to accuse Sarah Osborne and Sarah Goode of witchcraft. This makes Tituba collapse and falsely confess that the devil has possessed her and others in the town. Parris threatens to whip Tituba to death if she does not confess to witchcraft. Abigail claims Tituba forced her to drink blood, while Tituba counters that Abigail forced her to conjure a deadly curse. Hale interrogates Parris, Abigail and Tituba over what they know of the incident in the woods. He is approached by Giles Corey, who asks the Hale to look into the unfamiliar books his wife has recently started reading. Hale arrives and begins his investigation. Miller also introduces us to the tensions that exist between the characters, which inform their perspectives. Some urge caution and rationality, while others hold fast to their belief that it is indeed witchcraft that has descended upon Salem. Various townspeople rush upstairs, and we are introduced to the diverse perspectives to the apparent presence of witchcraft. They argue as a psalm is sung downstairs, and Betty bolts upright in bed. Abigail still has feelings for John, and while she believes they are mutual, Proctor denies this. He confronts Abigail, and it is revealed the two had an affair while she worked as a servant for Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth. John Proctor arrives and orders the other girls to leave. The girls are clearly intimated by Abigail and are scared of the truth being revealed – that they were attempting to bring a curse upon Elizabeth Proctor. The other girls involved in the incident arrive and Betty briefly wakes up to be lectured by Abigail to not waiver from the story they have told. Thomas Putnam, a wealthy man, and his wife, Ann, arrive and urge Paris to invite the Reverend Hale to investigate the allegations of witchcraft and to address the crowd. Abigail of course denies that the girls were practicing witchcraft, and instead claims they were merely dancing. Parris’ immediate concern is the reputational damage he will suffer as a result of the commotion, and he aggressively questions his niece, Abigail, whom is presented as being the ringleader of the girls. Word has spread of this incident, and rumours of the presence of witchcraft have consumed the town overnight. ![]() The previous day, the Reverend had seen his daughter and other local girls dancing naked in the forest, in what appeared to be some sort of pagan ritual. His daughter, Betty, lies motionless in bed. The story proper begins in the attic of Reverend Parris. The narrator explains that this underlying instability will play a crucial role in driving the events of the plot. There is an immediate sense of tension as the narrator explains Salem’s geographic isolation, and the constant conflict it is engaged in with local Native American tribes. The play begins with a narration introducing the current political climate afflicting the town of Salem.
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