The Crucible Act III Synopsis

The Crucible Act III Synopsis

Act III beginswith Martha Corey being questioned for reading books. Judge Hawthorne accused Martha of using the books to bewitch the children, while Giles Corey interrupted and screamed thatThomas Putnam accused others of witchcraft to take their land! Giles announced that he had evidence to prove it, and said he told the court about his wife’s books, but that was not sufficient evidence showing witchcraft. Francis Nurse also said he had evidence that the girls were liars, but Judge Hawthorne and Deputy Governor Danforth accused Francis and Giles of disrupting the court and threatened them with contempt.

John Proctor stepped forward with Mary Warren to testify that the girls were lying and revealed that Mary never saw any spirits. Parris toldJudge Hawthorne that John hadsimply come to overthrow the court. Danforth asked John if it was true, and when he answered“no,” Cheever pointed out that John ripped up the warrant for his wife’s arrest, and Reverend Parris announced that John only goes to church once a month. John saidthat his purpose of coming to the court was to save his wife, and he tried to reason with Danforth by telling him that the older women who were blamed for witchcraft hada good reputation in Salem. At this point, Judge Hawthorne leaned toward Danforth and whispered something to him.

Danforth then revealedto John that his wife (Elizabeth) was pregnant, and if John dropped the charges,they promised to keep his wife alive through her pregnancy. They told John that if he came to save his wife then she is saved, so he could drop the charges about the girls lying in court. But John refused, saying his friends’ wives were still in jail. FrancisNurse handedDanforth a deposition with 91 signatures stating that Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and Elizabeth Proctor were good Christian women who would never practice witchcraft. Reverend Parris and Danforth immediately demanded that all 91 people be arrested and examined for questioning. Francis lost his temper and saidthat he promised everyone who signed it that no harm would come to them, but Danforth saidthat if they were all good Christians they should have nothing to fear. Francis Nurse was furious that the deposition to save his Rebecca only led to more arrests. Danforth announced that “a person is either with the court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.”

Then, Danforth read the deposition from Giles Corey, which stated that Thomas Putnam was a liar and told his daughter to cry witchcraft on George Jacobs because if he was hanged as a witch, he forfeited his land and Putnam was the only one rich enough to buy it. When Giles is asked for the proof, he said an honest man heard Thomas Putnam say it. Both Danforth and Hawthorne demanded to know who the man was, but Giles said he gave his wife’s name already and she was thrown in jail, so he would never reveal the man’s name that said it. They immediately arrested Giles for contempt of court. At this point, Reverend Hale seemed to believe Giles and argued to that not everyone who is accused can actually be guilty. John then promised Giles he would set everything right and told Mary Warren that it was her time to tell the truth. John handedhis deposition to Danforth, but before he finished reading it, Reverend Hale demanded that John go home and come back with a lawyer to defend him. Hale said he was a minister of God and felt horrible about signing 72 death warrants that morning including Rebecca Nurse, and he demandedhard proof and wanted lawyers for the defendants. Danforth dismissed Hale’s request and had Cheever bring all the girls in and asked Mary whether she has been threatened by John to lie.

Just before the girls are brought in, Mary finally told Danforth that she lied in court and is with God now. Danforth said,“you are either lying now, or you lied before” and either way she would be put in jail. Danforth told Abigail that Mary Warren said the girls are lying. Abigail respondedby saying that Mary was lying. Abigail was asked about the poppet and she said she never made it and Mary Warren always had poppets. A number of questions were aimed at Abigail about how Hale heard Parris say they were dancing in the forest, and it seemed like Abigail began to lose her credibility. All of a sudden, Abigail threatened Danforth that hell could come for him, and then she pretended that an evil spirit was flying in the courtroom. All the other girls including Mercy Lewis, and Susana Walcott followed Abigail’s lead and pretended to see it too and scream. Danforth asked Mary Warren if she was sending her spirit out to bewitch the girls and at this point, Mary realized that Danforth believedAbigail and the girls instead of her. Mary Warren told John she just couldn’t do it, and it looked like Mary would change her story again and join the girls whenall of a sudden, John cried, “whore!”

At this point, John revealed to the court that God sees everything and explained that he had an affair with Abigail, and that was the reason she accused his wife of witchcraft. Danforth asked Abigail if she denied John’s claims and she simply said, “if I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again.” John said it makes no sense that he would destroy his name and reputation if it weren’t true. At this point, Danforth called Elizabeth into the courtroom for questioning, but demanded that John not say a single word to her. Danforth questioned Elizabeth why she fired Abigail and if her husband ever committed the crime of lechery. Out of love and to save her husband from the charge of lechery, she lied and says “no.” John shoutedto Elizabeth that he already confessed it to the court, and he explained to Danforth that his wife only meant to save his good name. Reverend Hale demandedthe court to reconsider because it was a natural lie to tell, and he completely believes John Proctor. Seeing that she was losing the court’s faith, Abigail and all of the girls began screaming again and pretending that Mary Warren was sending her spirit out to attack them in the form of a bird. Danforth threatened Mary to confess witchcraft or he would hang her, so of course…she confesses. Parris, Hawthorne, and Danforth are triumphant in the confession, while John declared that “God is dead” and the devil is controlling Salem. John and Giles are arrested and Reverend Hale announced that he quits the court.