Salem

Salem, Massachusetts, is the setting of The Crucible. Salem is the real-life setting of the historical Salem Witch Trials which took place during 1692-1693. Salem was founded in 1626, and "to the European world the whole province was a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of fanatics who, nevertheless, were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value" (Act I, p. 4).

Reverend Parris's Home

Act I takes place in the home of Reverend Paris, where he is found at the opening curtain kneeling beside the bed of his ten-year-old daughter, Betty. Reverend Parris's home is located near the town center, with the meeting hall nearby.

Kettle

When Reverend Parris discovers his niece, Abigail, and daughter, Betty, dancing in the woods with several other girls and the slave Tituba, Tituba is standing over a boiling kettle. This insinuates a traditional vision of witchcraft, and Abigail is later questioned...