1. Act III – The Crucible
Much of Act III: to do with determining who will define innocence and guilt.
Major themes in Act III:
Hysteria
Reputation
Danger of Ideology

2. Main Developments in Act III:
Court Authorities (Hathorne and Danforth) refuse to listen to evidence for fear of having their mistakes exposed
Proctor refuses to back down, and gives evidence that includes his affair with Abigail
Danforth and Hathorne prefer to believe Abigail to Proctor (who is declared a witch)
Hale turns against court and denounces it

3. Beginning
Attempt by Giles, Proctor, and Francis to save respective wives exposes fact that trials have become about maintaining power and authority:
Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne do not want to admit to being deceived by girls
Parris does not want fraud exposed: the scandal of having a lying daughter and niece would end his career in Salem.
Thematic link: Reputation
Danforth and Hathorne do not want to be proved wrong
Parris does not want to lose standing in Salem

4. Danforth / Hathorne react to Proctor’s claims by accusing him of:
Trying to undermine “the court”in theocratic Salem = undermining God himself
Danforth / Hathorne (like Hale earlier):
question Proctor about Christian morals as though on trial
hope to label him an enemy of religion so that none will defend him
Thematic Link:
Danger of ideology

5. Reaction of Danforth / Hathorne to deposition signed by ninety-one land-owning citizens:
demonstrates power of the court over citizens
indicates extent to which court believes in guilt by association
guilt need not be proven with evidence
Danforth states signers have nothing to worry about if they are innocent - but innocence cannot be proved
Parris states: goal of trials = to find precisely what is not seen—in supernatural realm / realm of people’s private lives.
Thematic Link:
Danger of ideology
Reputation

6. Danforth sees the world in black and white
”You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. 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. Now, by God’s grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it.” (Danforth, Act III)
Danforth sees the world in black and white
Everything and everyone belongs to either God or the Devil.
The court does God’s work, and so an enemy of the court must, necessarily, be a servant of the Devil
Thematic Link:
Danger of ideology

7. During hysteria, authority and power fall to those who can avoid questioning while forcing others to speak:
Danforth and Hathorne’s rank gives them the authority to interpret any questions as an attack on the court.
Abigail responds to Proctor’s charges of ‘harlotry’ with a refusal to answer questions.
Refusal means she possesses unusual level of authority for her age and gender.
Thematic Link:
Hysteria

8. Proctor overcomes desire to protect his good name -- confesses to secret sin. Hopes to:
replace his wife’s alleged guilt with his own guilt
bring down Abigail
he mistakes the proceedings for an actual search for the guilty
proceedings are better described as a power struggle
exposes his private life to scrutiny, hoping to gain some authority
revelation comes too late to stop witch trials
Danforth and Hathorne refuse to accept his confession, preferring their test of Elizabeth (who contradicts his story)
Thematic Link:
Reputation

9. Proctor’s concern for justice outstrips his concern for his reputation
“A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance ” (Act III, Proctor confesses affair with Abigail)
Proctor knows witch trials = “whore’s vengeance”—Abigail’s revenge on him for ending their affair
Climax of play
Proctor’s concern for justice outstrips his concern for his reputation
Actions come too late: attempt at honesty backfires and destroys him.
Thematic Link:
Reputation

10. How has the situation of each character changed in Act III?
Hale – denounces court – sides with Proctor
Proctor – Tells truth about affair, but – Abigail wins
Danforth – keeps reputation (defends Abigail)
Hathorne - keeps reputation (defends Abigail)
Abigail – accuses still more victims – still credible
Mary Warren – tries to tell truth, but is forced to side with Abigail
Elizabeth – still in prison – accidentally compromises Proctor’s reputation