Act 3 The Crucible

Intro Direct Characterization Indirect Characterization Irony Author simply tells the reader what a character is like Indirect Characterization Characters traits are released through their words/actions/appearance, their comments, or other characters reactions Irony Contrast between expectation and reality Dramatic Irony There is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows Verbal Irony Contrast between what a character says and what is really meant

Vocab Contentious: arguments Deposition: a testimony of a witness made under the oath but not in open court Imperceptible: barely noticeable Anonymity: the condition of being unknown Effrontery: shameless boldness Incredulously: skeptically

Scene 1 Opens at the Meeting House that is set up as a court room Judge Hawthorne and Martha Corey Judge Hawthorne is the head judge In his sixties, bitter, remorseless judge Martha claims she is innocent Giles says he has evidence of Putman is trying to get land Hawthorne is accusing Martha Corey of telling fortunes and harming children Giles is removed from the court Giles is removed from the court by Herrick Hale tells him to remain quiet Will not because his wife could be hanged

Scene 2 Danforth enters the court (grave man, in 60s) Wants to know who Giles is Parris answers for him Giles becomes angry at this saying he is old enough to answer for himself When he introduces himself he mentions he owns six hundred acres and a timber Danforth claims Giles is disrespecting the court system Giles is dismissed and not jailed because of his age He says that Martha is his 3rd wife and meant no harm by saying she was reading books Hale says they should allow Giles to speak, says it is hard evidence Francis comes in after they clear the room Says they have been trying to be heard for 3 days Hawthorne wants to have Francis Nurse and Giles Corey arrested for contempt Francis mentions the girls are lying and that they have evidence

Scene 3 Mary Warren, Giles, Proctor, and Parris enter Mary warren tried to avoid court by playing sick John Proctor brought her to court Parris tells Danforth to be warned of John because he is “mischief” Hale defends Warren and says she needs to speak Mary Warren will not speak John begins to speak for her If court begins to believe Mary Warren, Parris would be accused as part of the fraud from the beginning Says that Mary Warren has signed a deposition Danforth will not accept the deposition Parris says he is there to overthrow the court Parris still worried about his image

Scene 3 Cont Cheever tells how John has plowed on Sunday Parris says that Mary and John are lying and it shouldn’t spread through the court Danforth questions Parris because most people would not come to the court with such a lie Danforth talks to John about being truthful before he is willing to let him speak Asks him if he has intentions to undermine the court John just wants his wife freed Parris tells of John ripping the warrant Danforth asks John if he has seen the devil Says no he is a gospel Christian Tells him he doesn’t go to church Does not respect Parris Cheever tells how John has plowed on Sunday Giles backs him up and tells that other Christians do so Hale says this is not relevant evidence

Scene 3 Cont. Danforth has seen so much in court that he is having trouble believing the girls are lying John defends saying they are Christian women Parris says look at the story of Cain and Able How could someone with such an upright Christian life be accused of murder and witchery like Rebecca Nurse John has been informed that Elizabeth is pregnant Court says there is no evidence John reassures them that she has never lied Says that if she remains in jail another month and begins to show she will be released until the child is born Roughly a year to live Danforth says now he has his wish-his wife is saved John is not satisfied Parris says he is there to overthrow the court

Scene 3 Cont. Danforth dismisses court so he can speak freely   Danforth dismisses court so he can speak freely Herrick speaks up saying John is a good man John gives Danforth a petition saying that their wives are good women 91 people have signed it Danforth says they should be summoned Francis Nurse says he promised them no harm Danforth says if they are Christians they should have nothing to fear Francis nurse feels he has brought trouble to these people

Scene 4 John reminds Mary Warren that those that do good shall not have harm on them Ironic because harm has come to the innocent so far Giles gives his deposition- Danforth wants to know what lawyer wrote it Giles informs him he has no legal experience but he has been in court 33 times Always a plaintiff Danforth’s father actually tried Giles Corey is going against Putman

Scene 4 Cont. Says that Putman told his daughter to call witchery on George Jacobs Says he did it because if he dies Jacobs land goes to the court to sell Putman wants the land Proof is the letter he has But he cannot give the name because he knows the man will go to jail They arrest him for contempt of court It’s a hearing-not supposed to arrest Puts court in session so they can arrest him Danforth says those uncorrupt should not worry of the court

Scene 5 Mary Warren speaks of it being pretense again Hale wants Danforth to listen to the court because he does not feel good about the signatures he has given Danforth acknowledges that in regular court you bring up witnesses to help testify But in witchery is an invisible crime Who can be a witness? Have to rely on those who testify (victims) the children Danforth is tired of hearing Parris speak Orders Cheever to bring the girls in Wants to know why Mary Warren changed Did Proctor force you She denies Danforth tells Mary that it is unlawful to lie in court Either lied before or lying now which she will go to jail for Abigail and Mary are the only ones in the court

Scene 5 Cont. Asks them if there is any truth in Mary’s confession He asks if either will change their position They refuse Danforth questions Abigail about her knowledge of the puppet She denies seeing it Says that when she worked for the Proctor’s, Elizabeth always had puppets Cheever jumps in and says that there were no puppets in the house and Elizabeth had stated she hadn’t had any since she was a girl That was 15 years ago Parris suggest there may have been other puppets that we could not see Danforth makes sure Proctor understands he is charging Abigail with murder

Scene 5 Cont. Danforth is very harsh in his tone towards Mary Believes she is lying Proctors is trying to get Danforth to see that Abigail is a manipulative and immoral person, not an innocent young girl. Proctor and Giles accuse Abigail of bearing false witness as part of a murder plot Proctor instructs Mary to tell of the dancing in the woods Parris claims that Proctor is trying to blacken his name Danforth is curious about this dancing Tells of them dancing naked Proctor reveals that Parris is the one who found them Parris denies they were naked Hale backs Proctor up saying Parris told him this when he arrived

Scene 5 Cont. Hawthorne begins to question Mary Warren Mary Confesses to pretense They ask her to pretend to faint now She cannot do it Prove she was pretending John asks if she can fake it Confirms she never saw spirits Since she cannot faint they demand she confess Mary says she could faint because she was following the other girls and only THOUGHT she saw the spirits

Scene 5 Cont Danforth questions Abigail if she really does see these spirits Claims she is mistrusted for helping point out the devil in Salem’s people Claims that even Mr. Danforth is not safe from the devil Abby claims she feels a wind, brought on by Mary All the girls follow her lead They begin to do this because they sense that Danforth is beginning to question them

Scene 6 When Abigail is crying out against Mary, John threatens her and calls her a whore Proctor confesses to being with Abigail Francis begs him not to confess this Tells the court that a man will not cast away his good name in order to lie to the court Says that when his wife realized, Elizabeth put Abigail out Says Abigail wants to dance on Elizabeth’s grave Says that he must see Abigail’s motives now Abigail refuses to answer Danforth when he asks her to deny it Abigail tries to walk out Danforth stops her Danforth instructs Parris to go get Elizabeth Proctor swears her to be innocent Elizabeth never lies Danforth instructs both Abigail and John to turn their backs to Elizabeth Promises God’s mercy will be needed on Abigail if Elizabeth confesses

Scene 6 Cont Proctor reveals to Elizabeth that he has confessed Danforth questions Elizabeth about why she dismissed Abigail Elizabeth hesitates to answers because she wants to protect John but she does not lie Elizabeth says that Abigail’s work dissatisfied him She says that she felt john was turning from her Danforth pushes harder Elizabeth says he never actually turned from her Proctor reveals to Elizabeth that he has confessed Proctor says she was trying to save his name Hale jumps in: hale believes him and thinks that private vengeance is going through the court Says that Abigail has always struck him as false

Scene 6 Cont Girls swear they see a yellow bird in the rafters Claims it is Mary Girls begin to mimic everything Abigail says Mary says they are sporting, john threatens to whip them John reminds Mary that God has vengeance for liars Everyone is on Abigail/Parris side Telling Mary to speak or she will hang Girls are repeating Mary to make it seem like they are bewitched Abigail claims that Mary is coming down off the beams Proctor tries to comfort Mary and she runs from him saying he is the Devils man Says that john is trying to get her to sign the devils book Says he is trying to overthrow the court

Scene 6 Cont. Hale stands up for proctor Mary promises to hurt Abigail no more Danforth will not hear out Rev. Hale Danforth calls John an anti Christ and that he is using his power John confesses that God is dead Proctor says they are all going to burn together Danforth orders the marshal to take John and Giles to the jail John says that Danforth is pulling down heaven and raising up a whore Hale quits the court Danforth is furious with Hale

Act 3 Take Away’s The desperate attempt by Giles, Proctor, and Francis to save their wives exposes the extent to which the trials have become about specific individuals and institutions struggling to maintain power and authority. Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne do not want to admit publicly that they were deceived by a bunch of young women and girls Parris does not want the trials to end as a fraud because the scandal of having a lying daughter and niece would end his career in Salem In the witch trials, guilt need not be proven by hard evidence, and signing a deposition attesting to the good character of the accused is enough to put oneself under the same suspicion of guilt Danforth and Hathorne have the authority to cast any questions put to them as an attack on the court. Much of Act III has to do with determining who will define innocence and guilt Too many reputations are at stake, and Proctor’s revelation comes too late to stop the avalanche.