Arthur Miller: Shmoop Biography
Hale is conflicted, but suggests that perhaps this misfortune has befallen Salem because of a great, secret crime that must be brought to light. Taking this to heart, John orders Mary to go to court with him and expose the other girls' lies, and she protests vehemently. Aware of John's affair, she warns him that Abigail is willing to expose it if necessary. John is shocked but determines the truth must prevail, whatever the personal cost.
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The third act takes place thirty-seven days later in the General Court of Salem, during the trial of Martha Corey. Francis and Giles desperately interrupt the proceedings, demanding to be heard. The court is recessed and the men thrown out of the main room, reconvening in an adjacent room. Danforth then informs an unaware John that Elizabeth is pregnant, and promises to spare her from execution until the child is born, hoping to persuade John to withdraw his case.
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John refuses to back down and submits a deposition signed by ninety-one locals attesting to the good character of Elizabeth, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Herrick also attests to John's truthfulness as well. The deposition is dismissed by Parris and Hathorne as illegal. Hale criticizes the decision and demands to know why the accused are forbidden to defend themselves. Danforth replies that given the "invisible nature" of witchcraft, the word of the accused and their advocates cannot be trusted. He then orders that all ninety-one persons named in the deposition be arrested for questioning.
Giles Corey submits his own deposition, accusing Thomas Putnam of forcing his daughter to accuse George Jacobs in order to buy up his land as convicted witches have to forfeit all of their property. When asked to reveal the source of his information, Giles refuses, fearing that he or she will also be arrested.
Who begat whom, again?
When Danforth threatens him with arrest for contempt , Giles argues that he cannot be arrested for "contempt of a hearing. John submits Mary's deposition, which declares that she was coerced to accuse people by Abigail. Abigail denies Mary's assertions that they are pretending, and stands by her story about the poppet. When challenged by Parris and Hathorne to 'pretend to be possessed', Mary is too afraid to comply. John attacks Abigail's character, revealing that she and the other girls were caught dancing naked in the woods by Rev.
Parris on the night of Betty Parris' alleged 'bewitchment'. When Danforth begins to question Abigail, she claims that Mary has begun to bewitch her with a cold wind and John loses his temper, calling Abigail a whore. He confesses their affair, says Abigail was fired from his household over it and that Abigail is trying to murder Elizabeth so that she may "dance with me on my wife's grave. Danforth brings Elizabeth in to confirm this story, beforehand forbidding anyone to tell her about John's testimony. Unaware of John's public confession, Elizabeth fears that Abigail has revealed the affair in order to discredit John and lies, saying that there was no affair, and that she fired Abigail out of wild suspicion.
Hale begs Danforth to reconsider his judgement, now agreeing Abigail is "false", but to no avail; Danforth throws out this testimony based solely upon John's earlier assertion that Elizabeth would never tell a lie. Confusion and hysteria begin to overtake the room. Abigail and the girls run about screaming, claiming Mary's spirit is attacking them in the form of a yellow bird, which nobody else is able to see. When Danforth tells the increasingly distraught Mary that he will sentence her to hang, she joins with the other girls and recants all her allegations against them, claiming John Proctor forced her to turn her against the others and that he harbors the devil.
John, in despair and having given up all hope, declares that " God is dead ", and is arrested. Furious, Reverend Hale denounces the proceedings and quits the court. Act Four takes place three months later in the town jail, early in the morning. Tituba, sharing a cell with Sarah Good, appears to have gone insane from all of the hysteria, hearing voices and now actually claiming to talk to Satan. Marshal Herrick, depressed at having arrested so many of his neighbors, has turned to alcoholism.
Many villagers have been charged with witchcraft; most have confessed and been given lengthy prison terms and their property seized by the government; twelve have been hanged; seven more are to be hanged at sunrise for refusing to confess, including John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Giles Corey was tortured to death by pressing as the court tried in vain to extract a plea; by holding out, Giles ensured that his sons would receive his land and possessions.
The village has become dysfunctional with so many people in prison or dead, and with the arrival of news of rebellion against the courts in nearby Andover , whispers abound of an uprising in Salem. Abigail, fearful of the consequences, steals Parris's life savings and disappears on a ship to England with Mercy Lewis.
Danforth and Hathorne have returned to Salem to meet with Parris, and are surprised to learn that Hale has returned and is meeting with the condemned. Parris, who has lost everything to Abigail, reports that he has received death threats. He begs Danforth to postpone the executions in order to secure confessions, hoping to avoid executing some of Salem's most well-regarded citizens. Hale, deeply remorseful and blaming himself for the hysteria, has returned to counsel the condemned to falsely confess and avoid execution. He presses Danforth to pardon the remaining seven and put the entire affair behind them.
Danforth refuses, stating that pardons or postponement would cast doubt on the veracity of previous confessions and hangings. Danforth and Hale summon Elizabeth and ask her to persuade John to confess.
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She is bitter towards Hale, both for doubting her earlier and for wanting John to give in and ruin his good name, but agrees to speak with her husband, if only to say goodbye. She and John have a lengthy discussion, during which she commends him for holding out and not confessing. John says he is refusing to confess not out of religious conviction but through contempt for his accusers and the court.
The two finally reconcile, with Elizabeth forgiving John and saddened by the thought that he cannot forgive himself and see his own goodness. Knowing in his heart that it is the wrong thing for him to do, John agrees to falsely confess to engaging in witchcraft, deciding that he has no desire or right to be a martyr. Danforth, Hathorne, and a relieved Parris ask John to testify to the guilt of the other hold-outs and the executed. John refuses, saying he can only report on his own sins.
Arthur Miller
Danforth is disappointed by this reluctance, but at the urging of Hale and Parris, allows John to sign a written confession, to be displayed on the church door as an example. John is wary, thinking his verbal confession is sufficient. As they press him further John eventually signs, but refuses to hand the paper over, stating he does not want his family and especially his three sons to be stigmatized by the public confession.
The men argue until Proctor renounces his confession entirely, ripping up the signed document. Danforth calls for the sheriff and John is led away, to be hanged. Facing an imminent rebellion, Putnam and Parris frantically run out to beg Proctor to confess. Hale, guilty over John's death, pleads with Elizabeth to talk John around but she refuses, stating John has "found his goodness".
During the McCarthy era, German-Jewish novelist and playwright Lion Feuchtwanger became the target of suspicion as a left-wing intellectual during his exile in the US. In Feuchtwanger wrote a play about the Salem witch trials , Wahn oder der Teufel in Boston Delusion, or The Devil in Boston , as an allegory for the persecution of communists, thus anticipating the theme of The Crucible by Arthur Miller; Wahn premiered in Germany in Original Broadway cast: In June Miller recast the production, simplified the "pitiless sets of rude buildings" and added a scene.
In , the year the play debuted, Miller wrote, " The Crucible is taken from history.
No character is in the play who did not take a similar role in Salem, Abigail Williams' age was increased from 11 or 12 [15] to 17, probably to add credence to the backstory of Proctor's affair with Abigail. Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers. Shmoop's award-winning Biographies are now available on your eReader.
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Arthur Miller: Biography
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Teaching Guides
Share your thoughts with other customers. Arrows are included to show you where you can click to the next slide. Useful guide to the play from Nanjing School with some good links, and pdfs of materials to download and use in class, such as a comprehensive series of questions for students to address as they read the play a section at a time.
A fun, brief, introduction to the play… or for more detailed analysis try Shmoop. Here is a write-in study guide for the play aimed at 12th grade students written for us by High School teacher Karen Morrisette. Print it out and use it in class—have your students fill in their responses. If you want to ask Karen questions about the guide send e-mail. A good way to get things running is to do a quick survey with the class on how they reacted to the play—sample survey. This brief essay may help students approach the play from a new angle to interesting results.
This works best done in smaller groups, where each could produce their version of the whole play, or the text could be divided into sections. Other good student activities are to have them create a prequel or a sequel to the play, or write a journal from the point of view of any one of the main characters. Kind of like a pared down Coles Notes, with the added possibility of feedback, these pages from the Homework Online group are definitely geared to new students of the play. They give a summary and explanation of the play, brief analyses of the main characters, discussions of themes, motifs, and structure, with a few key quotes and a very short page on Miller.
They also provide a forum for readers to post questions and answers on the play though this is none too user friendly. There is also a store to buy copies of the play, videos, notes etc.