Act 3, Scene 1
Judge Hathorne questions Martha Corey inside the Salem meeting house as to whether or not she is a witch. Giles yells out, trying to convince the court that his wife is not a witch. Hale and Herrick enter with Francis Nurse and try to maintain control of Giles. Danforth, Cheever, and Parris enter. Danforth questions Giles' defense of Martha, and Danforth is angered at Giles for questioning the authority of the court. "'Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside? . . . .This is the highest court of the supreme government of this province, do you know it?'" Act 3, Scene 1, pg. 79
Topic Tracking: Authority 6
Francis then also tries to defend his wife, Rebecca Nurse. He says that the girls (Betty, Abby, Mercy, and Mary) are a bunch of frauds and that they cannot be believed. Danforth and Hathorne are both shocked that someone would again dare to question the court. Mary Warren and John Proctor enter. John tries to get Mary to confess that she and the other girls were lying about there being witches in Salem. Mary admits that she was pretending the whole time. Parris does not want to believe her because he thinks that Proctor is just trying to overthrow the court. Danforth questions John about this and John denies it. Cheever tells Danforth that when Cheever went to arrest Elizabeth Proctor earlier that morning, John ripped up the warrant. Parris also says that John never comes to Church and that he has plowed on Sundays before. John is forced to defend himself against these accusations.
Topic Tracking: Authority 7
Danforth tells John that Elizabeth is pregnant (so she says). Danforth says that the doctors examined her and said that she is showing no signs. However, Danforth is willing to let her stay in jail for another month, and if she begins to show signs of being pregnant, then she will be kept for a full year until the baby is delivered. He asks John if he agrees with this idea. If John agrees with it, then Danforth asks him to drop the charges that the girls are lying about all of the accusations. Parris yells that Proctor is trying to overthrow the court.
Topic Tracking: Authority 8
Topic Tracking: Chaos 8
John does not accept the deal because he knows that Elizabeth is not guilty of being a witch. Also, he feels badly for his friends, Giles and Francis, whose wives are in a similar predicament as his own.
Topic Tracking: Involvement 8
Proctor gives Danforth a piece of paper with a list of signatures on it. The names of the people who testified that Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca are not witches. Parris feels that because they signed this, they should all be brought in for questioning. Danforth agrees and tells Cheever to have warrants drawn for their arrest.
Topic Tracking: Chaos 9
Francis feels guilty for having brought trouble upon these people, but Danforth maintains that "'a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.'" Act 3, Scene 1, pg. 87
Topic Tracking: Involvement 9
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