There is an overall tone of oppressive conformity and
unease in the play, which
pervades all the acts. However, each act also has
its own distinctive .
Act IRising
Panic
The act begins with
Betty lying
insensible on the bed with Parris, Tituba and Abigail all worrying about what
may
happen to her. The hysteria rises, particularly with the entrance of Mrs.
Putnam, who is
triumphantly certain that satanic forces are a work. The
advent of Reverend Hale is supposed to
calm things down but instead stirs up
Tituba and Abigail so that the scene ends with a torrent
of terrifying
accusations, creating a superstitious panic.
Act
IISuspicion and Doubt
The scene begins with John and
Elizabeth tiptoeing around each
other, trying not to mention Abigail. It is obvious that
Elizabeth no longer
trusts her husband and doubts his motives for staying away from Salem.
Reverend Hale tries and fails to allay his own doubts about both the Proctors and the
trial. The
arrests and the discovery of...
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