Summary
Summary The Crucible by Arthur Miller study notes
- Course
- Institution
The crucible by Arthur Miller notes
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
aitanagutierrez
Content preview
Plot OverviewSummary Plot Overview
In the Puritan New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, a group of
girls goes dancing in the forest with a black slave named Tituba. While
dancing, they are caught by the local minister, Reverend Parris. One of
the girls, Parris’s daughter Betty, falls into a coma-like state. A crowd
gathers in the Parris home while rumors of witchcraft fill the town.
Having sent for Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, Parris
questions Abigail Williams, the girls’ ringleader, about the events that
took place in the forest. Abigail, who is Parris’s niece and ward, admits
to doing nothing beyond “dancing.
While Parris tries to calm the crowd that has gathered in his home,
Abigail talks to some of the other girls, telling them not to admit to
anything. John Proctor, a local farmer, then enters and talks to Abigail
,alone. Unbeknownst to anyone else in the town, while working in
Proctor’s home the previous year she engaged in an affair with him,
which led to her being fired by his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail still desires
Proctor, but he fends her off and tells her to end her foolishness with
the girls.
Betty wakes up and begins screaming. Much of the crowd rushes
upstairs and gathers in her bedroom, arguing over whether she is
bewitched. A separate argument between Proctor, Parris, the
argumentative Giles Corey, and the wealthy Thomas Putnam soon
ensues. This dispute centers on money and land deeds, and it suggests
that deep fault lines run through the Salem community. As the men
argue, Reverend Hale arrives and examines Betty, while Proctor
departs. Hale quizzes Abigail about the girls’ activities in the forest,
grows suspicious of her behavior, and demands to speak to Tituba.
After Parris and Hale interrogate her for a brief time, Tituba confesses
to communing with the devil, and she hysterically accuses various
townsfolk of consorting with the devil. Suddenly, Abigail joins her,
confessing to having seen the devil conspiring and cavorting with other
townspeople. Betty joins them in naming witches, and the crowd is
thrown into an uproar.
A week later, alone in their farmhouse outside of town, John and
Elizabeth Proctor discuss the ongoing trials and the escalating number
of townsfolk who have been accused of being witches. Elizabeth urges
her husband to denounce Abigail as a fraud; he refuses, and she
becomes jealous, accusing him of still harboring feelings for her. Mary
Warren, their servant and one of Abigail’s circle, returns from Salem
with news that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft but the court
did not pursue the accusation. Mary is sent up to bed, and John and
Elizabeth continue their argument, only to be interrupted by a visit
, from Reverend Hale. While they discuss matters, Giles Corey and
Francis Nurse come to the Proctor home with news that their wives
have been arrested. Officers of the court suddenly arrive and arrest
Elizabeth. After they have taken her, Proctor browbeats Mary, insisting
that she must go to Salem and expose Abigail and the other girls as
frauds.
The next day, Proctor brings Mary to court and tells Judge Danforth
that she will testify that the girls are lying. Danforth is suspicious of
Proctor’s motives and tells Proctor, truthfully, that Elizabeth is pregnant
and will be spared for a time. Proctor persists in his charge, convincing
Danforth to allow Mary to testify. Mary tells the court that the girls are
lying. When the girls are brought in, they turn the tables by accusing
Mary of bewitching them. Furious, Proctor confesses his affair with
Abigail and accuses her of being motivated by jealousy of his wife. To
test Proctor’s claim, Danforth summons Elizabeth and asks her if
Proctor has been unfaithful to her. Despite her natural honesty, she lies
to protect Proctor’s honor, and Danforth denounces Proctor as a liar.
Meanwhile, Abigail and the girls again pretend that Mary is bewitching
them, and Mary breaks down and accuses Proctor of being a witch.
Proctor rages against her and against the court. He is arrested, and
Hale quits the proceedings.
The summer passes and autumn arrives. The witch trials have caused
unrest in neighboring towns, and Danforth grows nervous. Abigail has
run away, taking all of Parris’s money with her. Hale, who has lost faith
in the court, begs the accused witches to confess falsely in order to
save their lives, but they refuse. Danforth, however, has an idea: he
asks Elizabeth to talk John into confessing, and she agrees. Conflicted,
but desiring to live, John agrees to confess, and the officers of the
court rejoice. But he refuses to incriminate anyone else, and when the
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller aitanagutierrez. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
82013 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now