However Giles inadvertently accuses his wife by telling the court how she is taken by books.
This is the first time in the act that the play can be cleared satisfactorily however it is tragically delayed.
At this point Francis Nurse interrupts the court and Giles bringing his evidence. However he and the court are distracted by Proctor and Mary Warren. Mary confesses that “It were pretence.” Then Paris interrupts her confession “Beware this man, your Excellency this man is mischief.” He says this as he doesn’t get along with Proctor well also that they found out that Paris found the girls dancing.
When Mary accuses the girls or pretence it show Mary’s status as it is the best evidence yet as it has come from within.
This is delayed with the news of Elizabeth Proctor being pregnant this could be his one chance to save her yet he doesn’t drop the charges against the girls as he is trying to save everyone not just his wife.
Francis is brought back to show his testimony “Ninety-one your Excellency.” This is a list with these people showing “their good opinion,” for Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. However Francis doesn’t want these people to testify in court as he “gave them all his word no harm come for signing this.”
This frustrates the truth yet again as the people are not going to testify and another opportunity is frustrated.
Giles takes the lead and gets Proctor to give his deposition to the court. He repeats his original argument that Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land. “If Jacobs hangs for which he forfeit up his property – that’s lay! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy such a great piece.”
“The day his daughter cried out on Jacobs, he said she’d given him a fair gift of land.”
This shows a specific motive that Putnam and his daughter are crying witch!
Nevertheless this is again frustrated and the problem continues.
After several failed attempts to get to the truth the court bring Mary Warren back in. “Mary bursts into sobs.” This shows the weakness of her and how frightened and nervous she is. She states that she is with God and how she cannot lie no more. However at this moment the four other girls are asked to come in. (Susanna Walcott, Mercy Lewis, Betty Paris and Abigail Williams.) This interrupts Mary’s confessions. These girls will divert Mary’s concentration and is possibly going to frustrate and prolong to the truth.
Hathorne declares that Mary should be able to faint if she were pretending in court, but as she is nervous and frightened she cannot. She claims that she didn’t see any sprits but then she states, “I thought I saw spirits... But I did not.” She carries on to say that she just copied the other girls when they screamed she screamed as well.
Abigail realises that Mary has delayed the truth yet again and uses it to her advantage. She starts to play mind games with Mary. “Looking into the air above – it is truly frightening”
Abigail now turns to God and starts to prayer “Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow.”
At this point Proctor knows this has gone far enough and roars out “How do you call out Heaven! Whore! Whore!” This is a where the truth can be put out and the witch hunt can be put to rest. He tells the court he has an affair with Abigail Williams and commits to lechery. “I have known her.” Proctor has just given away his good name, saying that no man would ever give his name away for no reason. This also shows that Abigail has a motive in that she wants to get rid of Elizabeth Proctor so that she can get with Proctor.
There is one last opportunity that this play can be cleared satisfactorily and that is when Elizabeth is asked to come and say that Abigail was a harlot however she wants to save her husbands good name instead of saying the truth and lies at the point she find out that Proctor confesses “I have confessed it!” she only realises what she has done but cant do anything to save his life.
Abigail then realising her own status she turns on Mary for saying its lie. “Mary, please don’t hurt me!”
Mary “Stop it!”
Girls “Stop it!”
This leads to the end of the act when Mary joins with the girls and turns on Proctor. “You’re the devils man!”
He retaliates but then realises if the court is going to let the girls carry on he need not care or live! “I say – God is dead!”
