The Crucible

Set in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible begins when a small group of girls ‘cry out’ against other people in the town, accusing them of witchcraft, in an attempt to cover up their own dabblings in the occult. Led by Abigail Williams, the girls’ accusations cause a court to be formed to investigate the alleged crimes. Caught up in the trials are John and Elizabeth Proctor, a farming couple whose marriage is hanging by a thread. Desperate to clear his wife’s name, John attempts to convince the court of her innocence, but instead finds himself in deep water when Abigail turns on him. The end of this tale, based on true events, is both tragic, profound, and deeply moving as John is arrested for witchcraft himself and faced with an impossible choice.