The Crucible Act 3 Summary

The first scene of act three of The Crucible by Arthur Miller begins with the courthouse questioning an accused Martha Corey of witchcraft. In attempts to save his wife from imprisonment, Giles Corey claims that accusing Martha of witchcraft was just one way Thomas Putnam was getting back at them for personal resentment concerning land disputes. With that, he is escorted out of the courtroom. Desperate to prove his wife’s innocence, Giles tries to convince Judge Hathorne, Deputy Governor Danforth, Ezekiel Cheever, and Parris by saying how they have six hundred acres of land to tend to, as well as the court is holding his wife by mistake. He goes as far as to say that Hale, who came to Salem to investigate further, never once accused her of …show more content…
Proctor argues back that the court is acting solely upon the words of children. An argument then breaks out as Proctor provides a testament signed by ninety-one people that all agree Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey are good women. Parris grows angry as he feels every single person who signed the testament are condemning the court. The argument between the men continue to heat up as they try to either undermine or reinforce the court. Danforth finally succumbs to reading Mary’s deposition and says she will be brought in for questioning the following day. Danforth threatens that if she does not tell the truth, she will go to jail for committing perjury. Abigail is brought in for questioning as well where she denies Mary’s charge that she is lying, and then falsely accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft. In the course of questioning Abigail, Danforth learns that the girls danced in the woods. Meanwhile, Mary Warren is also being questioned by Hathorne when he asks her to faint as she has claimed to have done before. When she cannot follow through with the task, Hathorne instantly suspects that Mary is