Keyword Guide · book-summary
Act 3 of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible centers on the courtroom, where truth clashes with fear and power. This summary highlights the main events, conflicts, and ideas you need for class discussions, quizzes, and essays.
Act 3 takes place in the Salem courthouse. The goal of this act is to test the accusations through legal questioning. Instead, the court’s rigid authority reveals how difficult it is to challenge accepted beliefs once fear controls the system.
John Proctor brings Mary Warren to testify that the girls’ accusations are false. Mary explains that the earlier fits were pretended. Proctor hopes logic and honesty will end the trials, but the court demands absolute proof and loyalty.
Deputy Governor Danforth represents the law’s authority. He believes the court cannot be wrong without threatening its legitimacy. His questioning shows how the legal system prioritizes reputation and order over discovering the truth.
Under pressure, Mary Warren breaks and turns against Proctor. Proctor’s outburst exposes his frustration with the court, but it damages his credibility. Act 3 ends with innocent people facing punishment, showing how hysteria overwhelms reason.
Act 3 shifts the play from hope to tragedy. Attempts to reveal the truth fail, and the court’s authority becomes nearly impossible to challenge.
Key themes include the abuse of power, mass hysteria, and the conflict between individual conscience and public authority.
Focus on how the courtroom scene shows the collapse of justice. Use character decisions to explain how fear and pride drive the outcome.
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