ACT 1
The Puritans chose a theocracy to maintain unity in their settlements. As the witch hunt began there was a total shift in some puritans values and truly only the farmers attempted to hold onto traditions throughout the witch hunt.
He is a man who symbolizes the particular quality of moral repression and paranoia that drive the trials. Miller immediately establishes Parris as a man whose main concern is his reputation and status in the community, rather than the well-being of his daughter. Parris showed an obsession with damnation and hell in order to strike fear into his parishioners.
Why is Thomas Putnam demonstrates that his motivation involves his long-standing grudges against others; the witchcraft trials give Putnam an opportunity to exact revenge against others, and, as will later be shown to profit economically from others' executions.Mrs. Putnam knows what Ruth was doing because she asked Ruth to go to Tituba to raise her children from the dead.
Abigail is afraid the other girls will confess what was truly going on in the woods and she doesn't want to get into trouble. She admits that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits only to save Betty from being accused of witchcraft. Abigail treats the other girls badly, but treats her uncle good and with respect.
Abigail is in love with John Proctor. When she worked for the Proctors, she and John had a brief affair. John regretted it almost immediately and Elizabeth, suspicious of the looks passing between John and Abigail, let Abigail go. Abigail still loves John and she not only is antagonistic toward Elizabeth because Elizabeth asked Abigail to leave the Proctor house, she is jealous of Elizabeth. Abigail sees Elizabeth as an impediment to her own happiness and she thinks if Elizabeth is out of the way, she can have John. Abigail also accuses Elizabeth of spreading rumors about her in the town.
Proctor and Rebecca speak out against Hale's coming because they do not think the incidence is serious enough to warrant an outsider coming to help with their community's affairs. Proctor has set himself against Parris because he dislikes Reverend Parris' focus on Satan and Hell instead of God and Heaven. Those waiting at the bedside become much more antagonistic and volatile when Rebecca leaves.
Abigail accuses Tituba because she feels others will think witchcraft is something Tituba would likely be involved in. Also, Tituba is a slave who is outside of their community and is considered different and is also in a powerless position because she is a slave, so it is likely Abigail will be believed. Hale believe Abigail rather than Tituba because Tituba is a slave and does not have the full trust of those in the community. She is from a heathen society, and is therefore likely to have heathen practices Abigail and Betty name names because they want to take the attention off themselves, and they think blaming others will be easier than convincing the adults that the story isn't actually true
ACT 2
He did not go because proctor doesn't have any proof of the affair and no witnesses were around. Elizabeth wants him to go because she wants him to be honest and tell the truth. Elizabeth still mistrusts him because he had an affair with Abigail and got caught/ their marriage is going downhill because he hasn't made an attempt to end it
Proctor feels that the court is unfit to judge him that he told Mary to stay away from Salem. Mary won't take orders from John Proctor. She's more confident and not a frightened timid servant.
Hale has realized it isn't all true. At the time he was still a part of the court and Elizabeth had been convicted. Proctor hasn’t been in church mainly because dislike for Parris and doesn't like his sermons, he also believes Parris isn't holy enough.
It's a sign of voodoo. Evidence of witchcraft that Mary went to give to Elizabeth at a peace offering.
He means that she has accused Abigail of stabbing herself and faking everything.
Proctor encourages Mary because it's his fault that she's in this mess in general. She refuses because she's scared of Abigail.
Act 3
Giles Corey made a statement about Putnam putting his daughter Ruth up to accused George Jacobs of witchcraft just so Putnam can have his land. Danforth asks Corey about how he heard this, and Corey said that he heard it from someone and isn’t going to name the name. Corey is expelled from the court and arrested because he wouldn’t name his source of information concerning Putnam's accusation against George Jacobs. Danforth wouldn’t hear his evidence because to testify, you have to be called up by the court.
Proctor needed to tell her the truth and free his wife. Danforth didn’t know about this before and he doesn’t believe everybody lied. Danforth is suspicious of Mary and Proctor because he thinks Proctor is threatening Mary and he tells her “God damns all liars.” (1071). Proctor reminds Mary of the angel Raphael by saying “Do that which is good, and not harm will come to thee.”, but he is interrupted in the middle of the statement. This means that Proctor wants Mary to believe that by telling the truth, she is doing that right thing, which is ironic, since the signers of the deposition have already come to harm.
Parris started to accuse Proctor of mischief and having plans of overthrowing the court. Parris felt vindicated after Cheever stated that Proctor ripped the warrant as evidence to his disobedience to the court. Mary became overwhelmed by the girls and turned against John. Danforth then asked Proctor if he had an relationship with the devil, and his response was “God is dead.” (1148-1149). Parris then relied on the statement to damn Proctor as a warlock. Corey makes his claims and files his deposition against Putnam because Putnam accuses people of witchcraft so he can gain their land. Danforth then demands Corey to name names. He understands that a small mention of his wife caused her to be imprisoned. There was a shift from Corey demands justice to him being silent.
Danforth states that the purpose of the court is uphold the law, as stated in the Bible. Since the Puritans live in a theocracy, where religious laws are enforced by the court. If you break a moral or religious law, you will be punished in court, jail, and any societal means. Danforth clearly states that, in case of witchery, “the witch and the victim”. Since the witch herself isn’t gonna testify herself, they testify what happened to the victim. Danforth states, “they do testify, the children certainly do testify.” (539-540). The only person that would really see witchcraft is the victim. This isn’t a trustworthy system. The court has its own agenda and is seperate from the truth.
Proctor wanted to get rid of the court’s faith in Abigail by mentioning to one, get the court’s attention, and two since it is such a terrible sin, anybody would be punished for including Abigail and Proctor. Proctor’s confession of lechery came after Abigail said to Danforth, “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it.” (796-798). She told Danforth to be very careful to not distrust her word. Proctor was very cautious about what he was going to say about her, since she intimidated him. Proctor believed that the court will believe him since he is a respected citizen and thought that the court would be interested in how the witchcraft situation started. The court doesn’t believe him however. The court brings in Elizabeth and asked about the lechery that Proctor mentioned, but she lied so she can protect his good name.
Elizabeth doesn’t tell the truth about Proctor and Abigail’s affair and proves that John is lying. Proctor admits that he has committed adultery with Abigail to discredit her. Also Proctor says that Abigail has a motive to condemn people as witches to get what she wants. He says, “She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance and you must see it.” (863-868). Elizabeth’s testimony is unfair because Proctor was telling the truth the whole time, but the court never believed him.
Proctor asked Mary to testify the court if the girls are lying, but Abigail, fearing Danforth, proclaims that there are evil spirits in the courtroom. Hale finally sees that the girls are lying. He notices that “it is a natural lie to tell” (965) after Elizabeth lies to save John and neither Elizabeth nor John were witches. What should’ve happened was that the accused would be released and the girls should have been taken into custody and stand of trial for the deaths of many. Unfortunately, when Hale pleads that all jailed should be released, Danforth says "I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.” This is very ironic because Danforth can’t release the ones that the minister finds innocent since he hung twelve others.
Act 4
Tituba and Sarah Good believe that the devil will come and fly them to Barbados. Sarah Good’s description of the event was said to Marshal Hettrick, "Oh, it be a grand transformation, Marshal!" (20-22). Marshal thinks Sarah is deranged after she says this. The “credible” people say that devils and witches are very similar to Tituba and Sarah Good. However the people believe because the people are not outcasts nor liminal figures as Tituba and Sarah Good are. Miller foreshadows the tone of paranoia in act four.
Parris relies on Proctor to confess to witchcraft, and he is no longer a confident man hiding behind the court’s authority. Parris doubts the court and feels that the court is no longer a safe authority over Salem. He fears the most that he will die if the citizens will rebel against the court like Andover. Abigail and Mercy skipping town didn’t do anything to affect the decision of the court because Danforth believes if he postpones the executions, it will show “floundering” on his part. He says that since he hung twelve other people that were accused of witchcraft, and it is impossible to pardon Proctor and others. Danforth in his stubborn nature says, “I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes.” (262-264). Danforth constantly relies on the witnesses and becomes a victim of his own logic.
Hale came back to fix what he caused. He tries to get Rebecca Nurse (because Hale worries about her the most) so she can receive salvation. Hale tells Danforth that he needs more time, but Danforth refused and he says that all the executions go as planned by saying, “Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more. I will not receive a single plea for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang. Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast a doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. If retaliation is your fear, know this-I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statues. Now draw yourselves up like men and help me, as you are bound by Heaven to do. Have you spoken with them all, Mr. Hale?” (252-267). Hale has boasted his ability to fix the situation by trying to get the accused to lie so they can live. He also tries to postpone the executions, but Hale was unlucky.
Danforth allows Elizabeth to speak to Proctor because Danforth hopes she can get Proctor to confess to witchcraft. Danforth tells her, "Be there no wifely tenderness within you? He will die with the sunrise. Your husband. Do you understand it? What say you? Will you contend with him?" (369-372). If they can get one person to confess, it would seem to validate that all the others convicted would die. Elizabeth is now willing to accept some of the responsibility of the affair. She says, "I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery." (507-508). She no longer blames Proctor alone for the problems, she blames herself too. She doesn’t take Hale’s advice because she feels that she can’t instruct or judge Hale. She says, "Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is!" (523-525). She still thinks Proctor is a good man even through his self-doubt. Also she wants him to make the right decision about what to himself. In the end, she was right.
Giles’s wrongdoing put his innocent wife on trial by claiming that his wife was reading strange books. According to Elizabeth Proctor (446-553), Danforth and the court tortured Giles and put him on a stone table and stacked stones on him everytime he wouldn’t confess or name names. Everytime he was asked, he only said his two and final words, “More weight.” He knows that by him kept silent, the court can not confiscate his land, and therefore his sons will inherit the land. Giles outsmarted Putnam. Giles wasn’t hanged because he was convicted of anything.
Proctor confesses because he wanted to save his own life and provide for his family, and he doesn’t feel righteous to die as a martyr. Proctor tells Elizabeth, "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man." (481-484). Danforth then questions about naming names about who was involved, but Proctor doesn’t name names because he knows they are innocent. He doesn’t want Rebecca Nurse’s and Martha Corey’s blood on his hands and is overwhelmed. He tells Danforth, "I have three children – how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?" (703-705). He doesn’t want to falsely accuse his friends.
Proctor was struggling with self doubt throughout the play. When Elizabeth discovered the affair in act two, Proctor was very defensive of her and she says to him, "The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you." (177-178). She means that Proctor is the one to forgive himself. In act four Proctor thought about confessing to witchcraft to save his own life by saying, "I am no saint. Let Rebecca go like a saint; for me it is fraud!" (548-549). However after John confesses and tears up the confession, he says, “You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.” (746-749). Proctor finally finds the goodness in himself again. Proctor discovers that he can die with his integrity still intaked. Elizabeth understood this and she told Hale, "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him." (782-783). Proctor regained his goodness with his loyalty to his friends and his death.