The Crucible Act 1 Analysis

Act 1 opens on in bedroom in Reverend Samuel Parris’ house in the spring of 1692. Parris’ daughter, 10-year-old Betty, is in a deep sleep resulting from an unknown illness, and Parris is kneeling next to her bed, praying. Tituba, the middle-aged slave from Barbados; tries to check on Betty, but Reverend Parris immediately kicks her out of the room. Soon after, Abigail Williams ,Parris’ 17-year-old niece, enters the room. She informs him that Susanna Walcott, another teenager, has come with a message from the doctor. She says that the doctor can't find anything physically wrong with Betty, and that they should start to consider supernatural forces as a possible factor. The Reverend is very worried about the damage this witchcraft stories could have on his reputation if it is

Susanna goes, leaving Abigail and Parris alone with Betty. Abigail says that the witchcraft rumors have already spread around town, and many people are already beginning to gather around his house worried. Parris fears the rumors may be true. The night before, he saw Abigail and Betty dancing in the forest around a fire with Tituba. He also saw a dress on the ground and a girl running naked through the woods. Abigail says that they were just dancing, but Parris knows that she’s not telling the truth. Parris demands to know if witchcraft was involved. He gets really paranoid because he thinks that people are out for his position in town and would do anything to ruin his reputation. He doesn’t want one of his enemies to use this witchcraft story against him. Abigail continues to insist that they were just innocently dancing. Parris still doesn’t trust her, and he brings up another suspicious scenario he noticed. A little while later, a middle-aged woman named Ann Putnam enters the room along with her husband, Thomas