Crucible
The Crucible is a play about witchcraft. It all begins with a group of young
women playing with witchcraft taught by Tituba and Abigail William’s. Reverend
Parris found them and most of the girls scattered but the smallest girls stayed,
frozen with fear. The people of Salem, where the setting is, hold a church
meeting and call Reverend Hale to decide if it is witchcraft. Hale comes to
Salem and gets the girls to confess and blame Tituba, the slave that taught them
witchcraft. Tituba confesses and blames the devil. The city of Salem called in
deputies to try people for witchcraft and the girls start their acts of
vengeance on the entire town. Abigail William’s who lusts for John Proctor
tries to bring Elizabeth Proctor, Johns wife, to trial. Abigail went to the
council and pulled a needle out of her stomach and claimed Elizabeth was
responsible. Hale visited Elizabeth again and found a needle stuck in the
abdomen of a doll. Abigail had planted it. The chaos continued and the girls
continue to pretend to see the devil during the trials, but to find out what
happens you’ll have to read the play. There are many themes that you can
explore in this play; marital relationships, the effects of mass hysteria, but
the most important is, understanding the concept of dignity and honor.
