Summary of

ACT ONE

Arthur Miller Setting: Salem, Bay Colony, 1692 Reverend Parris is the town minister. He is upset because his daughter Betty cannot wake up. The townspeople think Betty is bewitched. Parris’s niece, Abigail, admits that she and Betty danced in the forest with some other girls. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam arrive at the Parris home. They think that there is a witch in town because their baby is also sick. Reverend Parris and the Putnams leave Abigail and her friends with Betty. Betty says that Abigail and the other girls made a curse to kill John Proctor’s wife. When John Proctor arrives, Abigail says she loves him, but John says their relationship is over. Reverend Parris and the other adults enter Betty’s bedroom. They have brought Rebecca Nurse to find out what is wrong with Betty. Reverend Hale, who is an expert on witches, believes the devil is causing Betty’s strange behavior. Rebecca does not agree. Hale asks Abigail about the dancing in the forest. Abigail says that Tituba, their servant, made her do it. Hale persuades Tituba to name other witches. Abigail and Betty also give the names of many other Salem women.

ACT TWO

Arthur Miller Setting: Salem, , 1692; the Proctor House When John Proctor comes home, his wife, Elizabeth, tells him that fourteen women are in jail for witchcraft. Elizabeth tells John to tell the court what Abigail told him. Abigail had told him that the girls’ strange behavior had nothing to do with witchcraft. Proctor doesn’t want to go to court, but he agrees to. Then their servant, Mary Warren, returns from court with a doll that she made. Mary gives the doll to Elizabeth. Reverend Hale arrives at the Proctor home and asks John about his poor church attendance. Next, a court clerk, Ezekiel Cheever, comes to arrest Elizabeth. He finds a needle in the doll that Mary gave to Elizabeth. Cheever says that Abigail was stabbed with a needle earlier that night. Abigail said that it was Elizabeth’s spirit that pushed the needle into her stomach. But Mary admits that she made the doll and that the needle is hers. She also says that Abigail sat beside her as she sewed. To John, this shows that Abigail is lying about Elizabeth. However, Cheever still takes Elizabeth to jail. John demands that Mary tell the court the truth about both the doll and Abigail.

ACT THREE

Arthur Miller Setting: Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1692; the Salem Meeting House Court is in session. First Giles and then Francis Nurse say that their wives aren’t witches. Francis Nurse says that Abigail and the other girls are all lying. John Proctor has brought Mary Warren to court. He is trying to prove that his wife Elizabeth isn’t a witch. Mary tells the court that she and the other girls were pretending all the time. The judge asks Abigail if Mary is telling the truth. Abigail says no. Abigail also says she did not see Mary sewing the doll. Then Abigail and the other girls pretend to be taken by the devil. John Proctor calls Abigail a liar and a harlot, and also says that Abigail wants to get back at Elizabeth for firing her as their servant. The judge calls Elizabeth in. He asks her if Abigail is a harlot. To save her husband, Elizabeth says no. Then Abigail and the girls pretend to see a bird flying around. They act scared and call the bird Mary. Mary begs them to stop, but they continue until Mary breaks down. The judge then arrests John Proctor.

ACT FOUR

Arthur Miller Setting: Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1692; the Salem Jail John and Elizabeth Proctor have been in jail for three months. The judges and Reverend Parris are visiting the jail. Reverend Parris says that Abigail stole all his money and disappeared. He says that the town does not want good people like Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor to hang. Then Reverend Hale arrives at the jail. He asks Judge Danforth to pardon John Proctor. Danforth says no. Reverend Hale is upset because so many farms are abandoned as their owners are hanged for witchcraft. He has been trying to convince the prisoners to sign untrue confessions so that they can live. He says he feels guilty for telling the prisoners to lie. Reverend Hale asks Elizabeth to convince John to sign an untrue confession so that John can go free. Elizabeth talks to John, but she tells him to do what he wants. John signs the confession. But he does not want his name displayed in public, so he tears up the confession. In the end, he faces death.