One of the most powerful scenes in the play occurs in Act II, scene 1, when the Reverend Hale visit John and Elizabeth Proctor at home. Hale cautions them that Elizabeth's name has been mentioned in court. They are not terribly concerned because John Proctor thinks that everyone will soon become aware of the girls' play-acting and manipulation, as well as the superstitious beliefs that are motivating the proceedings. Hale goes to leave, but John decides to tell him that he knows the girls are not bewitched; that the Reverend Parris "caught them sporting in the woods" and they became startled and fell ill afterwards.
Soon after Giles Corey arrives, along with Mister Nurse, to tell the Proctors that his own wife has be arrested, as well as Rebecca Nurse (two very pious middle aged women). Corey tells the story of how a man in the village cursed his wife over a bad business transaction (he bought a pig from her and it died when he did not care for it properly, and she said if he did not feed his pigs properly the pigs would not live very long).
Suddenly Mister Cheever arrives, with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. The Proctors learn from him that Abigail seemed to fall sick suddenly, and screamed in pain during dinner at the Parris house, and accused Elizabeth of making a poppet and sticking a needle in it. Mary had earlier given Elizabeth a poppet that Abigail had seen her make during the court proceedings. Abigail manipulates the others into thinking she has been cursed and bewitched by Elizabeth, and this escalates the entire situation, enraging John Proctor and motivating him to expose her lies and the sham of the court's proceedings. Abigail knows that her emotional outbursts will excite the other girls and get them to play along in the theatrics; this behavior in turn excites the villagers and creates the atmosphere of hysteria that convinces all of them that witchcraft is afoot.
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