Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Where and when is the opening scene of the play set?

The opening scene is set in the village of Salem, Massachusetts during the spring of 1692 and takes place in Reverend Parris's small upstairs bedroom. In the opening scene of the play, Reverend Parris prays and weeps by his daughter's bedside. The audience learns that Betty Parris has been caught by her father dancing in the woods alongside Abigail Williams and several other teenagers while Tituba was attempting to conjure spirits over a boiling cauldron. Betty Parris and the other girls risk being in serious trouble, and Betty seems to be experiencing a mysterious illness, which perplexes the local doctor. In the opening scene of the play, news regarding Betty's mysterious illness is quickly spreading throughout Salem, and rumors of witchcraft have begun to circulate. Much of this information is revealed to the audience during Abigail Williams and Reverend Parris's private conversation in the opening scene of the play.


The Crucible takes place in Salem, a village north of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1692. As the play unfolds, Arthur Miller lets us know both questions and information the characters have so that we gain a sense of the mysterious situation.
Act One opens in the Parris family home. Reverend Parris is the minister of the Salem church. Elizabeth (Betty) is his daughter, and another teenager, Abigail (Abby) also lives with them. Betty is lying quietly in her bed, and her dad looks worried. Apparently a doctor had come and examined her and, finding nothing wrong, left.
Other people start entering the room. Among them is Reverend Hale, whom Reverend Parris had asked to come. They hope to determine if Betty's affliction has been caused by witchcraft.

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