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Abigail’s parents are killed by Native Americans. 1959
Abigail’s parent's deaths play a key role in her character. Abigail’s parents were taken from her at a very young age. Since she was orphaned at such a young age her parents probably didn't teach her much in the way of morals. Which led her to grow up to be cruel and vindictive. -
Abigail and John’s affair. 1691
Abigail and John’s affair is a very integral part of the story. It sets up the reason for Abigail's hatred of Elizabeth. The affair also sets up why there is so much tension between John and Elizabeth. Lastly, the affair has haunted John who cannot forgive himself for his own weakness in giving in to sin. -
Mary Warren gives Elizabeth the Poppet. 06/--/1692
Elizabeth getting the poppet is a crucial moment in the play. Abigail knows that she cannot directly accuse Elizabeth of Witchcraft. Since Elizabeth is a well respected and reputed member of Salem. So she gets Mary Warren to give Elizabeth an item that can “prove” that she is a Witch. -
Elizabeth is arrested for being a Witch. 06/--/1692
Elizabeth getting arrested is a turning point in the play. After she is taken away John Proctor finally decides that he needs to take action against Abigail and the other girls. John immediately plans to take action by saying “You’re coming to the court with me, Mary. You will tell it in court. You will tell the court how that poppet came and who stuck the needle in.” Her arrest also shows how even highly reputed people are not safe from the accusations of Witchcraft. -
John goes to court to try and get Elizabeth freed as well as trying to get Abigail and the other girls exposed for all their lies. 06/--/1692
John Proctor going to court is the climax of the play. John directly dukes it out with Judge Danforth and Abigail to try and expose the girls as being frauds. We also get to see how Abigail and the girls get “bewitched”
firsthand. -
Elizabeth lies for John. 06/--/1692
John had revealed his affair to the court in order to dirty Abigail’s character directly. But when Elizabeth was called in to confirm this, she said that there had never been an affair. That showed that despite all the misgivings between John and Elizabeth, she still tried to protect his good name. -
John himself ends up getting accused and arrested for being a witch 06/--/1692
John Proctor’s arrest during Act 3 shows that he failed. He failed to expose all girls for faking Witchcraft. He also failed to convince the court that his affair was real. If most protagonists accomplish their goals then John for sure is not one of them. -
Reverend Parris finds his daughter Betty and other girls notably Abigail dancing in the woods. 06/--/1692
Parris catching the Girls in the woods is an offscreen catalyst for the story. Abigail and the other girls claim that they were bewitched into dancing. They do this so they can shift the blame onto a scapegoat and avoid getting punished themselves. Their cries of Witchcraft are one of the main reasons that directly started the witch trials. -
Betty and Ruth both “fall ill”. 06/--/1692
Betty and Ruth pretending to be in a coma is another main reason for the suspicion of witchcraft being present in Salem. In a highly religious and superstitious town like Salem having two girls fall ill with the same thing as well as the same time was a “clear cause” of Witchcraft. We can see this in Act 1 when Suusanah tells Parris “Aye, sir, he have been searchin’ his books since he left you, sir. But he bid me tell you, that you might look to unnatural things for the cause of it. “ -
Hale comes back to Salem to try and save the accused. 01/--/1693
Reverend Hale returning to Salem in Act 4 illuminates his change in character. Throughout the play, Hale has been struggling with the realization that the Witch Trials were really fake. And that culminated with him quitting the court in the last sentences of Act 3. When he returns in the last act he is a changed man. Hale feels that he has the blood of all the condemned on his hands now. And is now trying to save all the accused. -
John ends up getting hanged and becomes a martyr for the town. 01/--/1693
John Proctor's death is his most important moment in the play. John tore up his confession when he realized that he could not lose his own honor and integrity. He chose to die as a proud martyr rather than to live on as a man who had compromised all his ideals. He voices this by saying “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?” -
Parris sends for Reverend Hale. A renowned witchcraft “expert”. 06/--/1692
The arrival of Reverend Hale helped to increase the hysteria that was brewing in Salem. Hale was known to be a reputed expert in Witchcraft and had even written a book about it. His arrival in Salem only exasperated the townspeople's fear that there was Witchcraft abroad. -
The girls accuse Tituba of Witchcraft. 06/--/1692
Tituba is the first person in the story to be accused of Witchcraft. This is important because it shows the real power that Abigail and the other girls now wield. As well as Tituba falsely confessing to save her life also helps to illuminate how inherently flawed the trials are.