Notes on Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" - Act One

Historical Context

• The play is not a historical account but dramatizes the events with some artistic changes.
• Characters and events have been combined or altered for dramatic purposes.

Setting

• Act One takes place in Reverend Samuel Parris's home in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692.
• The environment is austere and puritanical.

Key Characters

• Reverend Samuel Parris: Paranoid and self-pitying; believes he is persecuted.
• Betty Parris: Parris's inert daughter.
• Abigail Williams: Parris's niece, a beautiful orphan with a capacity for dissembling.
• Tituba: Parris's slave from Barbados, associated with conjuring and witchcraft.
• Thomas and Ann Putnam: Influential landowners; Ann is haunted by the loss of her children.
• John Proctor: A farmer with a strong presence, struggles with his own moral issues.
• Rebecca Nurse: A respected elder, rational and calming presence.
• Giles Corey: An 83-year-old farmer, known for his legal actions and eccentric personality.

Plot Summary

Introduction

• Reverend Parris is praying for his daughter Betty, who is sick and unresponsive.
• Parris is concerned about his reputation, fearing accusations of witchcraft.
• Abigail attempts to downplay the dancing in the forest; Parris suspects more.

Rising Tension

• Rumors of witchcraft begin circulating.
• Abigail and the other girls' activities in the forest are called into question.
• Thomas Putnam insists on witchcraft, driven by personal vendettas.
• Mrs. Putnam reveals she sent Ruth to Tituba to contact her deceased children.
• Abigail threatens the other girls to maintain their story.
• John Proctor enters, displaying complex emotions about Abigail.

Community and Conflict

• Salem is portrayed as a community fraught with suspicion and moral rigidity.
• Proctor argues with Parris over his materialistic demands and the state of the church.
• Rebecca Nurse cautions against jumping to conclusions and suggests patience.
• Reverend Hale is introduced as an expert on witchcraft, called to investigate.

Climactic Developments

• Abigail accuses Tituba of witchcraft, who in turn confesses under duress.
• Tituba names others in the village, escalating the witch hunt.
• The act ends with the girls, led by Abigail, hysterically accusing women in the community of witchcraft.

Themes

• Mass Hysteria: The spread of fear and irrational behavior in the community.
• Reputation and Integrity: Characters are deeply concerned with their social standing and moral purity.
• Power and Manipulation: Abigail's influence over the girls and the court begins to manifest.
• Theocracy and Authority: The merging of religious and state power leading to oppression.

Symbolism

• The Forest: Represents the unknown and feared; associated with the Devil.
• The Poppet: Used later in the play to symbolize deceit and manipulation.

Quotes

• "We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise." - Reverend Hale
• "There is a party in this church. I am not blind; there is a faction and a party." - Reverend Parris

Conclusion

• Act One sets the stage for the ensuing chaos and tragedy of the witch trials.
• It introduces us to the main characters and their motivations, highlighting the tension and fear within Salem.