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Event 1 - The Local Girls are Caught Dancing
Reverend Samuel Parris sees the girls from the town and a slave, Tituba, dancing in the forest around a cauldron. "You call this sport? Abigail, if you know something that may help the doctor, for God's sake tell it to me. I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you. Why was she doing that? And I heard a screeching and gibberish coming from her mouth. She were swaying like a dumb beast over that fire!" -Reverend Samuel Parris, Act I -
Event 2 - Betty Parris Falls "Sick"
Betty Parris, Reverend Parris' daughter, pretends to fall ill and pretends to be in a coma. Reverend Parris requests that John Hale, a reverend from the nearby town of Beverly and an "expert" on witches, to come over and help his daughter. "Out of my sight! Out of my-- Oh, my God! God help me! Betty. Child. Dear child. Will you wake, will you open up your eyes! Betty, little one . . ." -Reverend Samuel Parris Act I -
Event 3 - Abigail Williams Threatens the Girls
Once all the girls had gone to Betty's room and started leaving, Abigail threatens them with her experiences to never tell of the dancing in the woods. "Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you." -Abigail Williams Act I -
Event 4 - Several People are Accused of Witchcraft
The girls said some names of people that they saw with the devil. Those people in turn said names of people they saw with the devil to avoid being killed for being a witch. "Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem—vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!" -John Proctor Act II -
Event 5 - Mary Warren Gives Elizabeth Proctor the Poppet
Mary gives Elizabeth a poppet, which has a needle in it, as a gift. Abigail stabbed herself with a needle so it looked like Elizabeth had put the needle in the poppet and Abigail was stabbed by Elizabeth's familiar. "Why... It is a needle! Herrick, it is a needle!" -Ezekiel Cheever Act II -
Event 6 - John Proctor Brings Mary Warren to Court
John Proctor convinces Mary Warren to tell the court that she was lying about seeing spirits. Abigail Williams and all the other girls start yelling and saying that Mary is using witchcraft. "Make your peace with it! Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped away—make your peace! Peace. It is a providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow!" -John Proctor Act II -
Event 7 - John Proctor Tells the Court of His Affair and Elizabeth Proctor Lies
John Proctor confesses that he had an affair with Abigail Williams and accuses her of being a whore. The court then has Elizabeth Proctor come in to tell them if this is true. She lies, trying to protect her husbands reputation, and tells them it is not. John is arrested. "She'll kill me for sayin' that! Abby'll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor!" -Mary Warren Act II -
Event 8 - Giles Corey Dies
Giles Corey was crushed to death by stone slabs for not giving the names of who told him that Thomas Putnam was withholding information about the accusations. "More weight!" -Giles Corey Act III -
Event 9 - John Proctor is Given the Opportunity to Save Himself From Being Hanged
John Proctor is given the choice to save himself from hanging as long as he confesses to being a witch. He signed a paper saying he was, but it would be put on the church door and his kids would be humiliated so he ripped it instead. "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" -John Proctor Act IV -
Event 10 - John Proctor Dies
After refusing to give the court the paper with his name on it and ripping it up, John Proctor is hanged with Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" -Elizabeth Proctor Act IV
