Act II Summary

John Proctor returns home from work. Elizabeth lays out some stew for him and they make a conscious effort to discuss topics that would not cause disharmony. John suspects Elizabeth might be depressed again and tries to allay her concerns about his affair with Abigail. Elizabeth steers past this discussion and starts talking about the witch trials instead. She mentions that fourteen women have been arrested and charged with practicing witchcraft. Those found guilty and those refused to confess are to be hanged, she adds. She mentions that Abigail herself is the star of the proceeding. All it took to convict someone was for Abigail to scream in fear while the other girls imitated her. The judge would then deem the teenagers bewitched and would sentence the accused to death.

Elizabeth begs John to inform Ezekiel Cheever, the clerk of the court, that Abigail and the girls’ dancing had nothing to do with witchcraft. Mary Warren enters; she had attended the trials and claims that thirty-nine women have now been arrested for witchcraft. She hands Elizabeth a ragdoll she had made while in court. Mary explains that Goody Osburn had attempted to choke her during the trial and that the old woman was unable to recite the Ten Commandments on command and thus had been sentenced to death by hanging. Mary also announces that Elizabeth herself had been accused of being a witch.

Elizabeth once again pleads to John to inform Cheever of Abigail’s lies.

Reverend Hale visits the accused to assess the extent of their Christian beliefs. He asks John why he only rarely attends church, to which John explains that he feels Reverend Parris is not a godly man and that he should be busy attending to his sick wife instead of attending church. He informs Hale that he instead prays and reads the Bible at home. Reverend Hale asks the couple to recite the Ten Commandments.

John is able to list all, except the commandment on adultery until his wife reminds him. Elizabeth begs John to inform Hale about Abigail. At first, Hale does not believe John’s story because several women have confessed to witchcraft. John tells the Reverend that the people had no choice but to accept the charges that were falsely brought against them. The Reverend is impressed by John’s statement as well as his belief in the Bible. Elizabeth demands that Abigail be questioned regarding her beliefs.

Giles Corey and Francis Nurse enter and inform Hale that their wives have been arrested. Hale is stunned, but assures them that they could rely on the court to uphold justice.

Soon, Cheever and Marshal Herrick arrive to arrest Elizabeth, their evidence being the ragdoll Mary had given her earlier, which had a needle embedded in its stomach. They also cite the fact that, during dinner with the Parris family, Abigail fell to the floor screaming with a needle protruding from her stomach. Mary attempts to explain that she had made the ragdoll solely out of boredom and had stuck the needle in it so that she would not lose it. Hale admits that it is Abigail who had charged Elizabeth with witchcraft. After his wife is taken away, John insists that Mary tell the court the truth regarding Abigail’s attempts to control the narrative surrounding the event.

Mary informs him that she is terrified of Abigail and that she would not be able to tell the truth.

Act II Analysis

Two issues dominate the opening segment of Act II: John’s affair with Abigail and the town’s ongoing witch trials. John attempts to earn forgiveness and build trust, but Elizabeth still nurtures some doubt, which subsequently creates tension between them.

When Mary Warren informs them that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft, John and Elizabeth endure another quarrel, causing more strain on their marriage. The witch trials assume that the defendant is guilty until proven innocent. The trials generate a vicious cycle by fueling people’s fears of witchcraft with suggestions and interpretations of actions based on preconceived judgments. The authorities combine their understanding of Biblical texts regarding witchcraft with subjective accounts of troublesome behavior they are either unable to explain or do not wish to because it differs from their preconceived notions. In one week alone, thirty-nine citizens who had been previously considered law-abiding and moral have been accused of practicing witchcraft. No one questions this because they have been brainwashed to assume that any person who disagrees is a Devil worshiper. The complainants’ names are deliberately kept anonymous, but those accused are challenged publicly and without restraint.

Over one week alone, dozens of people have been convicted of witchcraft based on conjecture, not facts. By the time Hale stops by the Proctors’ home, his words and demeanor begin to reflect his misgivings about the proceedings. Throughout John’s interactions with his wife, Hale, Cheever, and Mary, he remains honest in his responses; he does not deflect or blame another person.

Elizabeth also shines in this scene: she remains largely unperturbed by Hale’s interrogation and she also reminds her husband that he had forgotten the Commandment concerning adultery. She denounces Abigail in Hale’s presence, the court’s appointees, and other townsfolk. Her strong Christian beliefs seem to be her greatest strength. On the other hand, Mary Warren is deeply dejected to learn that many women she had known have been hanged.