crucible+3

=Act Three=

Court is in session in Salem. Giles accuses Putnam of trying to make a land grab. Proctor and Mary Warren testify that she and the other girls were only pretending to be afflicted by witchcraft. Danforth asks Proctor if he is attempting to undermine the court and proceeds to question Proctor about his religious beliefs.Danforth is intrigued when he learns that Proctor only goes to church once a month, and plows on Sunday (a huge offense in Salem). Because Elizabeth is pregnant, she will not be hanged until after she delivers her baby. A deposition signed by ninety-one land-owning farmers attesting to the good characters of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca is submitted to the court.

Giles refuses to name the man who gave him the information about the witchcraft. Danforth then arrests Giles for contempt of court.Danforth sends for Abigail and her troop of girls. Abigail denies Mary’s testimony, as well as her explanation for the doll in the Proctor home. Mary maintains her assertion that the girls are only pretending. Danforth pressures Abigail to be truthful. Abigail shivers and the other girls follow suit. They accuse Mary of bewitching them with a cold wind.

After further testimony, Abigail and the girls begin screaming that Mary is sending her spirit at them. Mary pleads with them to stop, but the girls repeat her words verbatim. The room erupts into a hectic frenzy of fear, excitement, and confusion. Mary seems to become infected with the hysteria of the other girls and starts screaming too. Proctor tries to touch her, but she dashes away from him, calling him the devil’s man. She accuses him of consorting with the devil and pressuring her to join him in his evil ways. Hale denounces the proceedings and declares that he is quitting the court.

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