The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis

For those of you who have read my other articles on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, you know how Act 4 is going to end. (Spoiler alert: John Proctor hangs.) Looking back, John’s fate seems unavoidable – he’s a good man whose uncompromising nature is inapt to a world that would trade honor for safety. At the same time, John’s heroism in the face of judicial tyranny is an object lesson in principled resistance. With this in mind, this article will provide a detailed summary and analysis of Act 4 of The Crucible. Scroll down for the Crucible Act 4 Summary and Analysis. 

All page numbers reference the 2015 edition of the text from Penguin Classics. 

First, the road so far…

Recap of Act One 

In act one, we find out that Reverend Parris’ niece, Abigail Williams, was dancing in the forest with Betty Parris and some other girls from the village. When Betty and Ruth fall sick, villagers think witchcraft. When questioned, Abigail’s story changes until she finally accuses Tituba of witchcraft. (Remember, Abigail’s been in love with John Proctor since they had sex in his barn eight months previous.) 

Parris and Reverend Hale (an expert on demonology) question Tituba, who understands that the only way out is to start accusing other women in the village. Abigail opts for this strategy as well. By the start of act two, three dozen women have been arrested. You can read my full summary of act one here. 

Recap of Act Two 

Elizabeth Proctor knows what Abigail is up to. While John trusts the court to be reasonable, Elizabeth knows that Abigail wants her hanged as a witch. Elizabeth convinces John to go to Salem, but it’s too late. When Cheever, clerk of the court, searches the Proctor house for a “poppet” – a doll – he finds the one Mary brought home from court. Cheever pulls a long needle from the doll and Elizabeth’s “witchcraft” is confirmed. 

While Mary says the doll is hers, Elizabeth is still arrested. When everyone has left, Mary tells John that Abigail won’t hesitate to disclose his lechery. John is past caring and decides to confront Abigail in court. You can read my full summary of act two here. 

Recap of Act Three

Proctor shows up to court with a reluctant Mary in tow. He’s also brought a list of ninety-one people who will vouch for his wife, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey (Giles’ wife). In Proctor’s mind, he has irrefutable evidence of Abigail’s lies. Proctor will soon learn that logic is no match for spectral evidence. 

Mary confesses that she was lying in court. Danforth brings Abigail in, who denies everything. On cue, Abigail starts with the old “I feel a cold, witchy wind” act and Proctor loses it. He grabs Abigail, calls her a whore, and admits his lechery. They call Elizabeth Proctor in, who, trying to protect her husband’s honor, claims that she was mistaken about Abigail’s harlotry. With Elizabeth out of the way, Abigail doubles down on her “here be witches” act. Mary caves to the pressure, rejoins Abigail and the other girls, and accuses John Proctor. You can read my full summary of act three here. Read my summary of Act 4 of the Crucible here. 

Summary and Analysis of Act Four of The Crucible

Act four shows the inexorable progression toward Proctor’s execution. We open in the Salem jail, where Tituba and Sarah Good have been held for months. Both have gone mad while in jail, talking about going to Barbados to meet the devil. As Marshal Herrick pushes them out of their cell (toward the scaffold), they mistake a bellowing cow for the call of Satan.

As Tituba and Sarah Good are led out, Deputy Governor Danforth, Judge Hawthorne, and Cheever (clerk of the court) enter the cell. While they wait for Parris, Danforth and Hawthorne mention that Reverend Hale has been visiting prisoners. Hawthorne mentions to Danforth that Hale was “preaching in Andover lately” (109). This reference needs clarification. Salem was not the only town to suffer from witch-hysteria. In fact, more people were accused of witchcraft in Andover than any other community. What makes Andover different is that eventually the townspeople rebelled and threw the court out of town. Hawthorne’s claim that Hale has been “preaching in Andover,” explicitly links Hale to popular rebellion.

The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis (Continued)

Hawthorne also mentions that Reverend Parris doesn’t seem well. In a momentous understatement, Danforth wonders if Parris does not “have some sorrow” (109). Cheever then weighs in, saying “I think it be the cows” (109). Apparently, with so many people in jail, random ownerless cows have been wandering the roads – no one knows who they belong to. Of course, it’s not “the cows” that bother Parris, it’s the fact that he started a crisis in the community that has killed and imprisoned innocent people. At the same time, “the cows” illustrate the toll that the trials have taken on the community. We can see that the social fabric has begun to fray.  

Parris enters bearing “good” news. Though Rebecca Nurse has resisted confessing for three months, Hale is now with her and she might be softening. On the heels of this good news, Parris seems to want to ask Danforth to postpone the execution, but he can’t quite get it out. When Danforth questions him, Parris tells him that Abigail has stolen all his money and disappeared with Mercy Lewis. The fact that the main accuser has fled the town makes Parris think that if the executions proceed, Salem might go the way of Andover – rebellion. 

The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis (Continued)

Parris suggests postponing the hangings. While his suggestion may seem noble, Parris’s argument is pragmatic. His argument for postponing the executions is to give Hale a chance to convince one or two of the prisoners to confess. He thinks that if one or two confess, “that confession surely damns the others in the public eye” (112). In other words, if Hale can get one of the holdouts to confess, then the others look guilty and Salemites are less likely to rebel. When Danforth refuses any postponement, Parris adds that he now fears for his life in Salem.

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Reverend Hale. To everyone’s disappointment, Hale says that Rebecca Nurse will not confess. Hale, reasonable man that he is (TLTL), tells Danforth that he must pardon the prisoners. Danforth’s response boggles the mind – he says, “I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime” (113). He adds, unironically, “It is not just.” Just so we’re all clear, Danforth is saying that it wouldn’t be just to pardon innocent people because they’ve already killed twelve (innocent) people. We can see now what this process is really about – performing state power. Danforth is clear about this, saying, “Postponement now speaks to a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now” (113). He continues, “While I speak God’s law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering.”

The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis (Continued)

With an eye toward getting Proctor to confess, Danforth and Parris decide to use Elizabeth to soften him up. They hope the sight of his pregnant wife will convince him to change his mind. Hale attempts once more to convince Danforth to postpone the executions, saying that Danforth is risking open rebellion, as “no man knows when the harlots’ cry will end his life” (114). He continues, declaring, “There is blood on my head!” (114). Hale’s guilty conscience is interrupted by the arrival of Elizabeth. 

Hale tries to convince (a very skeptical) Elizabeth that she should get her husband to lie to save his life. (I think it’s safe to say that at this point, everyone knows that the confessions are lies.) Hale’s argument is a puzzling one. He argues to Elizabeth that “life is God’s most precious gift” and that “no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it” (115). One can see where such an argument might lead. If we follow Hale’s argument, a person would be justified sacrificing any principle (even one’s faith?) to save one’s life. Elizabeth is of the same opinion, telling Hale, “I think that be the Devil’s argument” (115). 

The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis (Continued)

Seeing that Hale has failed to convince her, Danforth tries to guilt-trip her. He doubts her “wifely tenderness” and wonders if her lack of tears is not “sufficient evidence that [she] delivered up [her] soul to Hell” (116). Finally, Elizabeth agrees to talk to her husband. Parris is hopeful, but Elizabeth promises nothing. Proctor is led into the cell and everyone leaves – Elizabeth and John are alone. 

Elizabeth tells John what news she has. Hundreds have confessed, but Rebecca Nurse will not. Giles Corey is dead, pressed under great heavy stones. (Apparently, in what can only be described as the greatest flex of all time, Giles’ last words were “more weight” (118).) These niceties addressed, John and Elizabeth begin to discuss the possibility of John confessing. John first argues that he cannot “mount the gibbet like a saint” (118). That is, given his sinfulness (lechery) lying now would seems a small pretense. Elizabeth counters that John is a good man and, in a quote whose misogyny has not aged well, declares that “It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (119). Hawthorne enters and their private moment ends. Elizabeth frees Proctor to do what he feels is right, saying, “let none be your judge…I never knew such goodness in the world” (119). 

To everyone’s surprise, John declares, “I want my life” (120). The judicial machine scurries into action as John works to convince himself that it is no great thing for him to lie when he is already a sinner. However, his resolve weakens when he realizes that Elizabeth would never lie in this way, even “if tongs of fire were singeing [her, she] would not” (120). John doesn’t have long to think – Danforth and Cheever come with paper, ink, and pen to record his confession. 

The Crucible Act 4 Summary & Analysis (Continued)

The confession itself is a laughable affair. Danforth has to prompt Proctor for every admission. Rebecca Nurse is brought to watch Proctor confess, as if to show her it is no great thing to lie to save one’s life. (She’s unconvinced and remains steadfast.) Then Danforth makes his fatal error – he tries to get Proctor to snitch on the other accused. At this, Proctor balks, saying, “I speak for my own sins; I cannot judge another” (123). They let Proctor sign, but he grabs the confession before they can take it. He asks them why they need the physical paper. If they care about his soul and they’ve seen him sign a confession, what good is a piece of paper to them? 

This is the crux of the scene – John is willing to confess before God, but he will not be used by the state. He wonders how he can live having signed his name away to a judicial system that would use a man’s good name to keep itself in power. Danforth has had enough and demands of Proctor, “Which way do you go, Mister?” (124). In a moment of profound badassery, Proctor tears up his confession. This gives John some measure of peace – he declares that he now “see[s] some shred of goodness in John Proctor” (125).

Proctor is taken to the scaffold. Hale begs Elizabeth to convince him, but Elizabeth knows that John has found something good in this life. The play ends on these words – “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him” (126).  

Wrapping Up

John Proctor is in an impossible position. While his dignity and honor won’t let him save his own life, his sacrifice allows him to find some shred of goodness in his own soul. Overall, The Crucible illustrates the way that ideology shapes (and is shaped by) institutions. If you’ve found this article useful or interesting, I’ve also written on 1984, The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, and Brave New World.