drama

• Abigail Wiliams


  Rev. Parris' niece, ex servant of proctor

  leader of the girls who were involved in the trials

  
  

  - dominates girls as they cry for witchcraft in forest

  - tries to blame Elizabeth in witchcraft with poppet

  - tries to hide her pretence by acting possessed in court

  - eventually runs away with Parris' money
• Rev John Hale


  respected religious scholar who comes to salem to aid problems of witchcraft.

  means well but proves to be weak and turns against court

  
  

  - comes to salem to help trials and arrest tibuta

  - questions proctors religious beliefs, but stands with elizabeth in court

  - troubled by death warrents and tries to undo the harm he has done, which fails
• rev Parris


  unpopular minister, worried for his reputation when daughter and niece are found dancing in woods.

  
  

  - sent for hale because betty wont wake up

  - quarrels with parish about his income and ownership of church property

  - supports witchcraft trials but becomes frightened when talk of civil unrest and rebellion
• mary warren


  timid young servant of proctor. dances in wood with abigail and becomes involved in trails

  
  

  - attends trials and denotes people for witchcraft

  - brings a poppet to proctors house, a part of abigail's plot to frame elizabeth

  - pursuaded to tell thruths in court, but abigail is too strong and she turns against proctor.
• Elizabeth Proctor


  wife to john, religious woman but rather cold.

  extremely loyal to john despite the affair

  
  

  - accused of witchcraft by abigail, however not hung as she is found to be pregnant

  - denies proctors adultery in court, lies to keep his good name

  - wont admit to witchcraft but convinces her husband to, and confesses to her share in he blame for marital problems

  - knows proctor must do what he believes is right and watches him die
• john proctor


  honest, independant farmer, married to elizabeth

  some critisise his religious commitment, however he is generally respected

  committed adultery with abigail

  
  

  - speaks up to rev parris

  - pursuades mary warren to tell truth in court, however backfires and results in admitting lechery

  - confesses to witchcraft so he can live, but dies to save his good name.
• Giles Corey


  argumentative old farmer who has legal disputes with neighbours

  
  

  - accidentally blames his wife for witchcraft when saying she reads lots of strange books

  - wife was arrested for witchcraft with proctor, and he keeps silent to keep his land

  - refuses to confess and is pressed to death with stones
• Rebecca Nurse


  well known for her good works and christian charity.

  serves as a moral highground

  
  

  - accused of witchcraft by Ann Putnam, who believes Rebecca killed her infants while serving as a midwife

  - goes to witness putnam in court, and goes out to hang with him.
• Putnams


  mr is a wealthy farmer who is greedy for more land.

  mrs is looking for someone to blame for the death of her 7 children

  
  

  - take parris side in the parish

  - jealous of rebecca and accuses her for killing her children.

  - accused by giles corey of encouraging his daughter to denounce people.
• Danforth


  Deputy Governor who is taken in by the testimony

  attempts to get confessions of accused witches

  
  

  - turns salem into a theocracy. and takes full charge of the town
• Act 1 - Parris


  Salem 1692, girls have been dancing in the forest, and Abigail threatens them not to tell anyone. The girls are frightened and pretend to be ill. The town's minister Paris, is worried that the word will get out that daughter Betty and niece Abigail well amongst the girls, as it may tarnish his reputation
• Act 1 - Putnam

  The Putnams arrived at Paris's and are pleased that the minister's daughter is ill, and they jump to witchcraft as an explanation. This suits putnums as they are interested in revenge on Paris, as he was appointed a position that their relation of platinum wanted
• Act 1 - Proctor


  John Proctor is left alone in the room with Abigail, who attempt to rekindle the affair from when she was his servant. Proctor refuses and Abigail gets angry and blames his wife, Elizabeth
• Act 1 - the bed

  Betty wakes up under screams, and Rev Hale, famous witch finder, tries to look for signs in Betty. When Abby is asked about the dancing, she blames the slave tituba,, who she says bewitched her. Tituba is questioned by hale and confesses she has dealt with the devil. Abigail joins in on concession and both girls call out names of people whom they have seen with the devil
• Act 2 - mary warren


  Eight days later, Procters servant Mary Warren has become a court official and looks into rumours of witchcraft. Many more people now have been accused
• Act 2 - procters


  Elizabeth wants husband to go to court and denounce Abigail, and Procter and reluctantly agrees. Mary Warren returns and brings Elizabeth poppet. Shortly afterwards Hale arrives and questions the proctors as to the Christian nature of the home
• Act 2 - court


  Officials from the court bring a warrant for the arrest of Elizabeth, and are instructed to search the house for puppets. They find such doll with a needle stuck in the stomach. This resembles the way Abigail found herself to be stabbed by a needle that same evening. Elizabeth is arrested
• Act 3 - the arrests

  Giles Corey goes to court and tries to save his wife.

  Proctor arrives to present evidence that Abigail and the girls have been lying. He has to say this waited Mary Warren to tell the truth about the girls, she is very nervous at the prospect. When Danforth, deputy governor, accuses Abigail, Abigail pretends that Mary Warren has sent spirits to attack her
• Act 3 - the affair

  Proctor stop service by confessing to his affair and says Abigail is trying to kill his wife out of jealousy. Elizabeth is brought in and questioned, she defends her husbands name, even though she knows Hale believes Proctor, and Danforth listens to reason
• Act 3 - the spirits

  Abigail screams that she is being attacked by birds sent by Mary Warren, and girls join in. This frightens Mary so much that she sides with Abigail and says Proctor is a devil man. Proctor is arrested and hale denounces Court, realising justice has not been done
• Act 4 - Rebellion


  Tituba and Sarah Good are to be hanged. Rev Hale tries to persuade them to confess rather than be hung.

  Abigail runs away with Paris is money.

  There are rumours of rebellion against the trial, Paris is fighting for his life.
• Act 4 - the end


  John Proctor is given our last chance to confess to witchcraft and saved his life. He speaks to his wife and decides he will confess. Proctor refuses to allow his a signed confession to replace it on the church door, and chooses to die rather than give up his good name