Danforth is disturbed by this information and becomes less trusting of Abigail. Hathorne then questions Mary about her past behavior in court in light of her new testimony. Mary says she was faking when she fainted in court before. Mary is unable to pretend to faint outside of the courtroom environment. Abigail is insulted by these accusations, pointing out how much she has suffered at the hands of witches. She stops talking suddenly and claims to feel a spirit in the room. The other girls imitate her.
Mary tries to run away, fearing for her life if the other girls accuse her. Proctor stops Mary from leaving and grabs Abigail by the hair in fury, calling her a whore.
He admits to their affair and explains that Abigail accused his wife of witchcraft because she wants to be with him. Danforth is horrified, and Abigail refuses to respond to the accusations, which disturbs Danforth even further.
Danforth orders Elizabeth Proctor brought in for questioning on this issue after John insists that Elizabeth is incapable of lying. John and Abigail are both forced to turn their backs to her as she is questioned, so she doesn't know that John has already confessed to the affair. When questioned further, she lies and says that her suspicions were unfounded to protect John's reputation. Danforth takes this as proof that Proctor is lying about the affair and dismisses Elizabeth.
He believes Proctor is telling the truth. All the girls start repeating everything Mary says. Danforth once again is convinced by this charade. Danforth asks Proctor a couple of accusatory questions. Proctor condemns Danforth for contributing to fear and ignorance by failing to expose the girls as frauds. He also blames himself for hesitating to come forward with the truth.
He sees that the darker tendencies within himself and others have led to this calamity, and they will all go to Hell in the end. Danforth orders Proctor and Corey arrested and sent to jail.
Hale is disgusted with the way Danforth has conducted the investigation and refuses to be a part of the proceedings any longer. This is how I picture Mary Warren's fake bird-spirit. She's kind of a chicken. Here's a list of the key quotes that are most relevant to the thematic developments that unfold in Act 3.
I'll briefly explain the significance of each in context. For a more expansive take, check out our full list of key quotes from all four acts. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time - we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world.
To maintain control, they seek to create an illusion of precision in the sentencing process. One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it?
The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims - and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out? It gives us insight into the twisted logic that court officials have adopted in the face of hysteria.
This means every case is inevitably a he-said-she-said situation where the accused person is immediately mistrusted and coerced into confessing without any chance to defend herself. The terror surrounding witchcraft and the Devil is so great that officials ignore the fact that the accusers might have reasons to lie about their experiences. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not. Mary Warren attempts to explain her actions earlier in the play with limited success.
She is faced with skepticism from the judges after such a drastic change in her testimony. Mary tries to describe getting swept up in the experience of being in the courtroom. All of her friends were screaming about witches, Danforth believed them, and then the town believed them as well. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!
This has become a matter of pride for them. They have all actively chosen to encourage ignorance and paranoia out of self-interest rather than inject critical thinking and logic into the proceedings. There's no turning back now. In this section, I'll provide a brief analysis of each of the major themes that show up in act 3 of The Crucible. I'm working on a full thematic analysis that should be coming out soon, so stay tuned!
There is also an instance of tragic irony at the end of this act when Elizabeth is brought in for questioning after John confesses to his affair with Abigail. Not knowing that he has already confessed, she lies to protect him. She portrays herself as an irrationally jealous wife, "I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad" pg.
The one time when the perpetually honest Elizabeth chose to lie also happened to be the time when it was most critical for her to tell the truth. Giles Corey interrupts the court proceedings and declares that Thomas Putnam is "reaching out for land!
Corey says that he owns six hundred acres of land, and a large quantity of timber. Corey also states that the court is holding his wife Martha by mistake. Corey tells Danforth that he had asked Hale why Martha read books, but he never accused her of witchcraft. Corey and Francis Nurse state that they both have evidence for the court.
They have been waiting for three days to present the evidence, but to no avail. Danforth responds that they must file the appropriate paperwork for the court to hear them. Nurse tells Danforth the girls are pretending. Time plays a critical role in Act III. The fascination with witchcraft that appeared in Act I, Scene 5 has quickly changed to mass paranoia.
The townspeople now regard anyone who does not conform exactly to the laws of Salem society as a potential witch. 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.
Over the protests of Francis, Danforth states that the signers should have nothing to worry about if they are innocent. The desire for privacy becomes an automatic sign of guilt. During a bout of hysteria such as the witch trials, authority, and power fall to those who can avoid questioning while forcing others to speak.
By virtue of their rank, 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. Proctor makes one desperate bid for this authority by finally overcoming his desire to protect his good name, exposing his own secret sin.
Unfortunately, he mistakes the proceedings for an actual search for the guilty, when, in fact, the proceedings are better described as a power struggle. He exposes his private life to scrutiny, hoping to gain some authority, but he does not realize that too many influential people have invested energy into the proceedings for him to be able to stop them now. Jekyll and Mr. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Why is the play called The Crucible?
What is a crucible? Did the girls really see the Devil or witches? Why did Tituba confess to dancing with the Devil? Was John still in love with Abigail? What causes tension between John and Elizabeth Proctor? Why is Rebecca Nurse accused of witchcraft? Why is Elizabeth Proctor accused of witchcraft? What happens when Mary Warren tells the court the truth about the girls acting bewitched? Why does Reverend Hale change his mind about the witch trials?
Summary Act III. Summary [A] person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. Popular pages: The Crucible.
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