Dramatic Irony In The Crucible

The first act of The Crucible sets the phase (literally, heh) for the disturbing sequence of events that will unfold in Acts ii, 3, and four. Most of the major characters are introduced, and at that place are critical insights into various political and personal conflicts that threaten to disrupt the social social club in the town of Salem. Nosotros likewise learn how the witchcraft craze got started and why it spiraled out of control. This article will become over the very important sequence of events and their thematic relevance and so you can answer all the questions your English language instructor throws at you.

I'll provide both a short summary and a long summary. The short summary is simply the blank bones of what happened without getting into also much detail about conversations that are less relevant to the central plot. It's more than of a review to read after y'all've already gone through the play yourself.

The long summary, which I'k choosing to call the "oops, I didn't read information technology" summary, is more in-depth. It goes through everything that occurs in Act i without getting too far into the weeds. Despite the title of the second summary, I urge you to actually read the play and so you have a stronger agreement of the voices of the characters and the thematic points Miller is trying to make. Also, if yous don't read information technology you'll miss out on some astonishing stage directions that can be easily misinterpreted as giggle-worthy euphemisms if you lot're as immature equally me and my fellow blog writers.

The CrucibleAct 1 Summary — Short Version

Ten-year-old Betty Parris has contracted a mysterious illness that renders her mute and bedridden. Her father, Reverend Samuel Parris, defenseless her dancing in the wood the dark before with a group of girls. The grouping included his teenage niece, Abigail Williams, and his slave, Tituba. Rumors have spread around town that witchcraft is the cause of Betty's illness, and people are at present gathered at the Parris household. Parris questions Abigail about the rumors, but she claims the girls were just dancing. Ann Putnam says that her daughter, Ruth, who was with the group in the woods, is also afflicted with a strange affliction. All of Ann's children except Ruth have died as infants. Ann sent Ruth to Tituba in hopes that she would exist able to communicate with her siblings and find out who or what was responsible for their deaths. To her uncle's dismay, Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods.

Abigail and two girls named Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren, who were also in the forest, are left solitary with Betty. They effort to wake her upwards as they get their story directly. Betty blurts out that Abigail drank chicken claret in an endeavor to cast a spell that would kill Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail warns her to keep placidity (or else). John Proctor enters the room, and Mercy and Mary exit Abigail alone with him. John and Abigail had an affair when Abigail worked every bit a servant in his house, and Abigail wants it to keep. John insists that he has recommitted himself to his wife, Elizabeth. Betty whimpers when she hears the Lord's name in a psalm that people are singing outside the room. Anybody who is singing outside the room rushes in to check on her. Betty's distress is taken as additional evidence of witchcraft by Ann Putnam, and some of the others first to come up effectually to this theory also.

An intellectual church leader named Reverend Hale arrives from the boondocks of Beverly to investigate the situation and see if he tin discover whatever signs of witchcraft. Abigail confesses that Tituba called the Devil afterward more details nearly the previous night are revealed. Tituba isn't immune to tell her side of the story (that Abigail was actually the instigator), and when she is threatened with hanging she confesses that she's been forced to work for the Devil. She also names Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn as fellow witches later prompting by Parris and Unhurt. Abigail and Betty then admit their unwilling involvement in witchcraft and shout out the names of several other women who they claim to have seen with the Devil.

I want YOU to join my plot to totally mess with a super lame town in Massachusetts.

The CrucibleAct 1 Summary — "Oops I Didn't Read It" Version

Human action 1 opens on a bedroom in Reverend Samuel Parris' house in the spring of 1692. Parris' daughter, x-year-erstwhile Betty, is in a deep sleep as a consequence of an unknown illness, and Parris is kneeling in prayer next to her bed. A woman named Tituba is introduced equally the Parris family's middle-aged slave from Barbados; she tries to check on Betty, but she is immediately ordered out of the room by Reverend Parris.

Abigail Williams, Parris' 17-year-onetime niece, enters the room. She tells him that Susanna Walcott is in that location with a message from the doctor. Susanna is a teenager a trivial younger than Abigail. She says that the md can't discover anything physically wrong with Betty, and they should commencement to consider supernatural forces as a potential culprit. Parris is very concerned about harm to his reputation if witchcraft is discovered in his house. He urges Susanna to tell the doc to continue looking for medical reasons for Betty's condition. Withal, he has also summoned Reverend Unhurt from the neighboring town of Beverly to quietly investigate whether there is whatsoever truth to this supernatural hypothesis.

Susanna leaves, and Abigail and Parris are solitary with Betty. Abigail reveals that the rumor of witchcraft has already spread around boondocks, and many people are gathered in the parlor of the house. Parris is reluctant to discredit these rumors because he fears they may exist true.The previous night, he saw Abigail and Betty dancing in the woods with Tituba. He also saw a dress on the ground and a girl running naked through the woods. Abigail says that they were simply dancing, just Parris knows that she'due south not telling the whole truth.Parris demands to know whether witchcraft was involved.

He thinks that his reputation is shaky in town and that there'southward a group of people who would like to oust him from his position of ability. He doesn't want one of his enemies to find out what really happened before he does and employ it against him. Abigail continues to insist that the girls were just dancing.

Parris still doesn't trust her, and he brings upward another suspicious scenario. Abigail was dismissed from the household service of a man named John Proctor without explanation, and Proctor's wife Elizabeth seems to strongly dislike her. Abigail says Elizabeth is just a large ol' meany and she didn't practice anything to deserve this.

At this indicate in the chat, a tormented center-aged woman named Ann Putnam enters the room along with her husband, Thomas Putnam. Ann'southward but girl, Ruth Putnam, is acting catatonic, and Ann thinks Betty is afflicted with the same apparently supernatural illness. Ann is a house believer in witchcraft considering seven of her babies have died in infancy, leaving her with only i living kid. She sees no possible explanation for this that is non supernatural in nature. The Putnams are glad that Parris has summoned Reverend Hale to investigate the situation considering Hale supposedly caught a witch in Beverley recently.

Parris is however trying to shut down the witchcraft conversation because of the damage it might exercise to his reputation. Ann reveals to Parris that she really sent Ruth to consult with Tituba the nighttime before because Tituba can communicate with the dead. Ann wanted Ruth to talk to her expressionless siblings and detect out who killed them. The Putnams say they are convinced that a baby-killing witch is running rampant. Abigail realizes that she tin can't hide the truth completely now that Ann has revealed that she sent Ruth to Tituba to try and communicate with the dead. Abigail admits that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits. Parris is convinced his livelihood is ruined at present that someone who lives nether his roof has been revealed to be a witch. Thomas Putnam tells Parris he should get alee of the situation and brand the witchcraft accusations himself and then no one can accuse him offset.

A daughter named Mercy Lewis, who is Putnam'south servant, arrives to cheque on how Betty is doing, and the Putnams and Parris leave so that Parris can pb anybody in a psalm. Abigail and Mercy are left alone, and they endeavor to rouse Betty to no avail. The 2 girls decide their official story volition be that they were only dancing, and there was no magic involved. Then, another teenage girl named Mary Warren enters the room. She was also with them in the forest the previous night, and she is convinced they must confess to what they've done because of the rumors swirling effectually.

Suddenly, Betty gets a burst of free energy. She reveals that Abby drank craven claret in the forest in an attempt to bandage a spell to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail slaps her and tells everyone that they had ameliorate stay serenity near the details of what actually happened. Abigail says that she'south seen some stuff (i.e. her parents were murdered by Native Americans right in front of her), and so she has no qualms about resorting to violence to force them to keep her hole-and-corner.

John Proctor, a farmer, and then enters the room.He yells at Mary Warren, who is his servant, for leaving his business firm when he prevent her from doing and then. Mary and Mercy both leave, and Abigail and John are left alone. Abigail and John had an affair that was discovered past his wife, which was the reason for her dismissal from their household. Abigail is withal in love with Proctor, but he wants to distance himself from her and recommit to Elizabeth. Abigail is angry and frustrated that he won't return her advances. She insults his wife and continues to insist that he notwithstanding loves her.

Their attention is diverted because Betty starts whimpering after the words "going upwardly to Jesus" are uttered in the psalm people are singing in the other room. Reverend Parris, the Putnams, and Mercy Lewis all blitz in to cheque on her. Ann Putnam is convinced that they upset Betty by saying the Lord's name and that her reaction clearly means that she is bewitched with black magic.

Rebecca Nurse, and quondam and highly respected adult female in Salem, enters the room along with an onetime man named Giles Corey. Rebecca stands calmly next to the bed, and Betty quiets down. Everyone is impressed with this, and the Putnams ask if Rebecca can also assist Ruth, only Rebecca doesn't retrieve in that location's anything supernatural going on. Betty is just acting upwards as kids are prone to practice. John Proctor questions Reverend Parris on his determination to summon Reverend Hale. This action seems to imply that Parris believes witchcraft could be the source of Betty's illness. Rebecca suggests that they should rely on the doctor and avoiding bringing Reverend Hale into the situation because it volition cause unnecessary conflict. Thomas Putnam takes issue with this, and he tells Parris that when Reverend Unhurt arrives they must expect for signs of witchcraft.

Proctor says Putnam tin can't tell Parris what to do but because Putnam owns a lot of country in the town. Putnam fires dorsum that he hasn't seen Proctor in church recently, so he clearly doesn't care that much about upholding the integrity of their society. Proctor claims he doesn't go to church building considering all Parris talks virtually is Hell. Parris says that a lot of people in Salem demand to hear more about Hell because he hasn't been properly compensated for his job based on his qualifications. He then implies that Proctor is the leader of a faction against him in the church. Proctor is unaware of the existence of this faction, but he says he would gladly join it because he's fed upward with Parris' superiority complex.

He expects Giles Corey to be on his side, simply Giles unexpectedly suports Parris because he thinks in that location may be something to the witchcraft hypothesis. Giles has been in court six times that yr for various lawsuits. He says that everyone has been suing each other left and right, so there must be some sort of dark magic going on behind the scenes. Proctor points out that Giles is the crusade of many of these suits considering he is e'er suing people for defamation for no reason. Proctor and Putnam contend briefly about who owns a sure tract of land near the forest where Proctor plans on gathering lumber. Information technology turns out that there is a lot of ambivalence in Salem over who owns which tracts of land considering in his will Putnam's grandpa claimed land that he didn't actually ain.

Reverend Hale enters the room with a stack of academic books.He speaks briefly with anybody, and it's clear that he'south well-respected. Unhurt views the investigation of witchcraft as serious scientific inquiry. He makes anybody hold not to push the issue if he doesn't find annihilation pointing to the Devil's piece of work. He brought the books because they explain all the unlike forms the Devil can take. With this information on hand, he's sure that he tin find out whether Betty's affliction is linked to the work of Satan. Rebecca Nurse is skeptical of the whole state of affairs, and she leaves the room before Unhurt begins his investigation. Giles tries to consult Unhurt almost his married woman, Martha, who he says has been reading strange books. He is worried that this might signify something sinister because he was unable to say his prayers while she was reading. Hale is somewhat intrigued and says they can discuss the issue later on.

Hale addresses Betty, asking her if someone is bewitching her. Betty does not respond to his questions at first. Abigail is pressed with more questions virtually what exactly was going on in the woods. Parris says that when he came upon the girls, he saw that they had a kettle with a frog in it. Faced with this damning evidence of blackness magic, Abigail admits that Tituba called the Devil. Tituba is dragged into the room to face up these charges. Immediately, Abigail places all the arraign on her, challenge that Tituba made her drink craven blood from the kettle. Tituba protests that Abigail was the ane who instigated the meeting in the woods, just she is drowned out by further accusations from Abigail. Parris and Unhurt too talk over her attempts to explain herself.

Parris says Tituba must confess to what she's done or he volition whip her to death, and Putnam says she must be hung. Tituba is terrified, so she breaks downwards and says the Devil forced her to work for him. She claims someone else is bewitching Betty because she's seen other people with the Devil. Putnam, Parris, and Hale encourage her to tell them who she has seen (and institute the names of Goody Good and Goody Osburn in her mind as potential witches). They claim that after renouncing her allegiance to the Devil, she is at present God'south instrument in the hamlet sent to help them uncover the full extent of his Satanic plot.

Tituba says the Devil told her to kill Reverend Parris, and he promised her a better life if she worked for him. She claims that she saw Goody Good (Sarah Expert) and Goody Osburn (Sarah Osburn) with the Devil. Goody Osburn was Ann Putnam's midwife three times, so this accusation confirms the Putnams' suspicions that witchcraft was involved in the deaths of their babies. Abigail presently chimes in with her ain hysterical fix of confessions, claiming that she saw the Devil and wrote in his book. Abigail adds more people to the list of the accused.Betty suddenly wakes up and joins her in shouting out boosted accusations. Unhurt and Parris rejoice at Betty'south apparent miraculous recovery.Putnam summons the marshal so that they can abort the witches and bring them to justice.

The Devil evidently has some kind of special friendship book that he makes people sign when they join his crew. Adorable.

The CrucibleAct i Quotes

In this department, I'll get over a few quotes that I retrieve are of import in establishing the themes and characterizations that sally in Human action i.

"I have fought here iii long years to curve these strong-necked people to me, and now, only at present when some good respect is rise for me in the parish, you compromise my very grapheme." (Reverend Parris pg. eleven)

This quote shows the gravity with which Parris views his position in the town and the caste of potency he thinks should accompany it. He's less focused on spreading the discussion of God than on exploiting his position every bit a religious authority so he can gain greater power in the customs. Now his reputation may be ruined, which means he'll be back to square one and have to rebuild the control he has worked so hard to learn.

"My name is practiced in the village! I will not have information technology said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (Abigail Williams pg. 12)

The value of a person's name is a recurring topic in The Crucible. Reputation is hugely important to these characters because it's inextricably linked to respect and power in a highly interdependent community. Here Abigail shifts the focus abroad from her own reputation by trashing the reputation of Goody Proctor. If she can convince people that Goody Proctor is not to be trusted, the rumors nearly her own sins volition lose credibility.

"Let either of y'all breathe a word, or the edge of a word, nearly the other things, and I will come up to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that volition shudder y'all. And yous know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow side by side to mine, and I have seen some ruby-red work washed at night, and I can brand you wish y'all had never seen the sun get down!" (Abigail Williams pg. nineteen)

Abigail threatens the other girls with violence if they dare tell anyone that she tried to kill Goody Proctor with black magic. This quote tells us that Abigail has experienced astringent emotional trauma in the past that almost certainly affects her electric current mental state. It also gives us a gustatory modality of how far she's willing to become to achieve her desired outcome and/or verbal revenge.

"I look for John Proctor who took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my centre! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew what lying lessons I was taught past all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And at present yous bid me tear the calorie-free out of my eyes?" (Abigail Williams pg. 22)

Abigail pleads with John Proctor to keep their affair, which she feels has aware her to the hypocrisy that permeates Salem'south culture. She tin can't go dorsum to her ignorant state after she's already seen the calorie-free, and the matter is the only outlet bachelor to her to feel special and different within a customs where she has little power or outlets for honest expression. Later John'south rejection, her angst will find some other, fifty-fifty more subversive path to follow.

"There are wheels inside wheels in the village, and fires within fires!" (Ann Putnam pg. 26)

Ann Putnam says this considering she's convinced that in that location are supernatural Satanic forces conspiring confronting her that have led to her family misfortunes. Even so, this quote has a much broader secular meaning that applies to the events in the play overall. At that place are all kinds of underlying motivations that trigger accusations of witchcraft in Salem. Petty vengeance, greed, and jealousy are festering below the surface of an outwardly respectable community, and they're near to find their release.

"We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you lot all that I shall not proceed unless you lot are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her." (Reverend Hale pg. 35)

From our mod viewpoint, this quote is a very strong case of irony. By searching for marks of the Devil'southward presence in the starting time place, Hale has already subscribed to superstition. People are also condemned throughout the rest of the play for involvement with the Devil when there'south absolutely no difficult bear witness likewise the word of ane other person. Hale's adherence to scientific principles will requite him just enough insight to see the injustices that have been committed in Salem after information technology'due south too belatedly for him to turn dorsum the tide of hysteria.

I'm not sure what Unhurt expected to find. A pentagram talocrural joint tattoo? A petty souvenir pitchfork? A button that says "Satan iv Prez"? Eh, I guess there are a lot of possibilities.

The CrucibleAct 1 Thematic Analysis

Let's go over some of the play's key themes and how they relate to the first human action.

Irony

Irony and hypocrisy are recurring concepts in The Crucible. There are several exchanges in Act ane that are rife with irony. Abigail claims that John Proctor opened her eyes to the pretenses of Salem (pg. 22). She realized all the lies she'd been told by people who supposedly adhered to the conventions of respectable society. However, in distress from Proctor's refusal to acknowledge their relationship, Abigail creates her own lies that give her increased control over the lodge she resents. By putting on a false front to accelerate her status and get what she wants, she becomes only like the hypocrites she claims to despise.

The almost prominent example of dramatic irony in this deed is the quote from Hale (pg. 35) that was explained in the concluding section. Hale claims that they must avoid superstition and hasty conclusions in their investigation of Betty'southward affliction. Nosotros, the mod audition, know that searching for "the Devil'south marks" as the potential crusade of an ailment is an inherently superstitious do. Hale, however, is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence.

Hysteria

In Act 1 it becomes clear how mass hysteria can evolve out of desires for self-preservation. When Abigail admits that Ruth and Tituba were conjuring spirits, Thomas Putnam urges Parris to go along the offensive immediately with this information. If he makes his own accusations of witchcraft, he will prevent others from accusing him first and putting his credibility at stake. Every bit rumors of witchcraft spread, this fear-driven philosophy will be universally adopted, leading to more than and more accusations and an surroundings of paranoia.

The speed at which rumors morph into accepted truths is also rapid for a few rational voices to contain them. Although Parris just calls Reverend Unhurt to examine Betty as a precaution, people assume that Hale'southward involvement ways there must be a supernatural element to her illness. Even as Parris tries to avoid supernatural explanations to protect his reputation, he is quickly caught up in the misplaced interpretations of others and forced to adopt them as his own then that he isn't gobbled up by the hysteria monster.

It becomes abundantly clear that people see only what they want to see (i.e. whatever keeps them in the good graces of society) in situations that don't appear to have piece of cake rational explanations. Ann Putnam, for instance, will seize at any opportunity to arraign supernatural forces for the deaths of her children. Extreme conclusions like Ann'south "a witch murdered my babies with black magic" are accepted because rational people are too afraid to claiming this consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves.

Reputation

Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation take center stage, so to speak, in Human activity 1. Parris initially insists that at that place are "no unnatural causes" for Betty's disease, not considering he'southward devoted to science and rationality, but because he fears that he will be disgraced if witchcraft is discovered under his roof. He interrogates Abigail considering he'due south worried his enemies will learn the full story first and use it to discredit him. Once he gets confirmation from Abigail that some witchy business happened in the woods, he is quick to position himself on the side of the accusers and threaten violence on Tituba if she doesn't confess (pg. 42). He has no fundamental conventionalities organisation beyond a desire to do what makes him expect best in the eyes of the majority.

Abigail is also concerned about her reputation. She is enraged when Parris insinuates that there was something untoward most her dismissal from the Proctors' service. She insists that she has done nothing wrong and tries to ignominy Elizabeth Proctor to divert attention away from her own actions. "My name is good in the village! I will not have information technology said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (pg. 12).

These actions and reactions in Act 1 plant the importance that characters identify on maintaining respect for their names. A poor reputation can severely affect a person's position in this small, interdependent order, whether the assumptions or rumors swirling around are truthful or not.

Power and Authority

The church has a great deal of power in Salem, and therefore much of the authority we encounter exercised in the play is associated with religion. Reverend Parris is currently in a position of power every bit the town'southward spiritual leader. However, he is convinced there is a faction in town that is determined to unseat him, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control. He demands unconditional respect for his authority as God'due south instrument in the community. From his point of view,"There is either obedience or the church volition fire like Hell is burning!" (pg. 28)

Abigail, on the other mitt, struggles to merits greater agency outside of traditional means. Her dominant personality doesn't fit with her low status in society equally a young adult female with no family. Initially, s he sees a path to college standing in guild through condign John Proctor'due south wife. When he rejects her, she takes another route to power through accusations that exploit the fears of others to a indicate where even the most respected people in boondocks are agape to challenge her.

The power construction in Salem is also responsible for the blame heaped on Tituba and the misinterpretations that follow. Tituba has the least authority out of anyone, so information technology'southward easy for Abigail to use her equally a scapegoat. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the tragic events of the rest of the play might have been prevented . However, she is only given a voice when she agrees to approve the version of events that the people in traditional positions of authority believe to be accurate. She becomes, according to Unhurt, "God's instrument put in our hands to find the Devil'south agents amongst us" (pg. 44) later on she renounces her presumed allegiance to the Devil and accepts her role equally a pawn to be used by those with greater power.

Every bit has been the case throughout history in both fiction and reality, the desire for power ends up costing mode besides many innocent people their lives.

The Crucible Deed 1 Summary: Conclusion

In Act 1 of The Crucible, the roots of the witch hysteria are established, and we larn critical background data about many of the characters. Allow's exercise a super short bullet betoken recap of the important plot points:

The play is set in the town of Salem, MA, and the twelvemonth is 1692.
Betty Parris, a immature girl, is sick, but no one tin effigy out why.
Rumors spread around boondocks that she'due south been bewitched.
Betty'south dad is Reverend Parris, the new-ish church leader in Salem, who is paranoid most his reputation amongst the townspeople.
Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris' teenage niece and Betty's cousin, is questioned by Parris about the cause of Betty's disease.
He knows that Abigail, Betty, and Parris' slave, Tituba, were dancing in the woods the night earlier and possibly conducting some kind of ritual.
Abigail claims at that place was no witchcraft involved.
Abigail had an affair with a farmer named John Proctor while serving in his house, and she's all the same into him, but he wants to forget it ever happened.
Betty says that Abigail tried to put a curse on John's married woman, Elizabeth Proctor, in club to kill her and take her place, but no one else knows about this, and Abigail warns her to keep quiet.
Reverend Hale, the church building leader from the town of Beverley, is summoned to examine Betty considering he's an expert on witchcraft.
Tituba is accused of calling the Devil in the woods based on Abigail's testimony, and she confesses nether pressure from Unhurt.
Tituba names Goody Good and Goody Osburn equally swain witches later on their names are suggested.
Abigail plays the victim and accuses more women of witchcraft.
Betty wakes up and makes accusations of her own, following Abigail'south pb.

In Act 2, you can wait forward to learning more about the land of the Proctors' matrimony and only how crazy things take gotten in Salem in the weeks afterwards the initial accusations. Besides, John Proctor throws a few more tantrums borne of emotional immaturity, so go PUMPED.

What's Next?

If you want a consummate summary of the whole play rather than only ane human action, we've got you covered. Check out our holistic summary article to review what happens from commencement to cease.

Looking for some in-depth analysis of characters in The Crucible? Read our complete assessments of John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey, and Mary Warren.

If you want some communication on understanding the ideas behind the play so y'all can write a killer essay or ace your next test, read our guide to the near of import themes in The Crucible.

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About the Author

Samantha is a blog content author for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is likewise passionate nearly art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high schoolhouse, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5'south on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.