Act Two of The Crucible

Act Two opens in John Proctor's house eight days after the girls' first accusations. Deputy Governor Danforth has arrived in Salem to supervise the court proceedings against the townspeople accused as witches. Fourteen people are imprisoned, and there is talk of hanging.

John Proctor's wife Elizabeth encourages him to go into town to testify against Abby and the girls. There is tension between the Proctors because Elizabeth has not forgiven John for his affair with Abigail.

The Proctor's servant Mary Warren arrives, and although forbidden to go to town, she has been attending the trial and is "crying out" with the other girls against the accused witches. Just as John is about to whip her, she shocks the Proctors by saying that she defended Elizabeth when Abigail accused her. She gives Elizabeth a doll she has made while at the trial. As John and Elizabeth are arguing about what to do, the Reverend Hale arrives to ask questions and to test the "Christian character" of the house. He finds that John can recite all of the commandments except the one forbidding adultery.

Next, two townsmen, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse, arrive to seek John Proctor's help because their wives have just been arrested for witchcraft. As the men discuss the events, the marshal arrives with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. She has been accused by Abigail of sending her spirit through the doll to stab Abigail in the stomach with a needle. Over John Proctor's violent protest, Elizabeth is hauled off in chains.

After the visitors leave, an enraged John Proctor demands that Mary Warren tell the court about the girl's fraudulent behavior. As the curtain falls, Proctor is determined to fight the proceedings even revealing his own sexual misconduct.

Scene 2

In this extra scene appearing at the rear of the reader's edition, Proctor meets Abigail in a woods to warn he will charge her with adultery if she does not recant her charge against Elizabeth. Abigail, unmoved by his pleas, appears to be deluded and says he is pretending to reject her.




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