And the court, which should be an instrument of truth, is in the position of condemning those who tell the truth and believing liars. The only winner here is the chief liar, Abigail Williams, who continues to lie. And Mary Warren, who had lied and now is finally telling the truth, lies again to save her life.
And Elizabeth, who has lived by the truth, lies to keep her husband's secret and condemns them both by doing so. Proctor, who has spent seven months concealing his affair with Abigail, now tells the truth but is disbelieved. Irony is evident in this scene because Danforth is committed to preserving truth, yet he will not acknowledge truth when he hears it. However, just as Danforth willingly dismissed Corey's claim against Putnam because Corey would not reveal his witness, so Danforth dismisses Proctor's claim that Abigail is a harlot, simply because Elizabeth lies to conceal the affair. When Proctor tells the court of his affair and Abigail's plot to kill Elizabeth, he gives the court another opportunity to end the trials. Only when Proctor accuses Abigail of being a whore does she end her fit and lose credibility with Danforth. At this point, the court is likely to discard Mary Warren's testimony in view of the evidence Abigail provides. In the court's eyes, Mary's failure to feign an attack proves that the girls cannot fake such behavior, which lends merit to Abigail's subsequent claim that Mary Warren's spirit is attacking her. Mary Warren's inability to faint or stage a fit serves as a cue to Abigail. If she pretended to faint the first time, then she should be able to do it again. Hathorne makes a legitimate request when he asks Mary Warren to repeat her fainting performance. Now Danforth views Abigail differently, and is more inclined to believe Proctor.ĭanforth's sympathy shifts again to Abigail during Hathorne's cross-examination of Mary Warren. This information, coupled with the fact that Parris discovered them, profoundly affects Danforth. Just as Danforth appears to favor Abigail's claim that Mary Warren is lying, Proctor informs him that Parris caught Abigail and the others dancing in the woods. Proctor knows that Mary Warren is unsure about testifying directly against Abigail. Every conviction increases Abigail's authority and decreases the likelihood that the Court will acquit someone accused. In addition, time is critical at this point in the play because individuals are being convicted continuously. Proctor realizes that it is critical for Mary Warren to testify against Abigail before she loses her courage to do so. Scene 3 is the most intense scene in the play because everything is revealed, and timing proves to be one of the most important factors. Hale denounces the proceedings and quits the court.
Danforth asks Proctor if he is in league with the Devil, placing Proctor under arrest.
When Danforth asks Elizabeth why she dismissed Abigail, Elizabeth lies, concealing Proctor and Abigail's affair.Ībigail and the girls again begin accusing Mary Warren, who recants again and claims that Proctor forced her to say that Abigail is lying. When she enters the room, no one will speak and she notices that Proctor and Abigail both have their backs to her. He then defends his wife Elizabeth by saying that she is incapable of lying. Proctor calls Abigail a whore and tells the court about their affair. Suddenly Abigail and the other girls claim that Mary Warren is sending out her spirit against them. When she cannot, he insists that she is lying now because she cannot faint as she claims to have done before.ĭanforth asks Abigail if she could have imagined the spirits. Hathorne questions Mary Warren and asks her to pretend to faint. She denies Mary Warren's charge that she is lying and that she falsely accused Elizabeth Proctor.ĭanforth learns that the girls danced in the woods.
Danforth summons Abigail and three of the girls into the vestry room, where he questions Abigail.