Reverend Parris discovers his daughter Betty and niece Abigail dancing in the woods at midnight. Betty has since fallen ill and remains unconscious. The town doctor suspects witchcraft as the cause. Parris questions Abigail about their activities, but she denies practicing witchcraft. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam arrive and say Betty and their daughter Ruth's illnesses are due to witchcraft, as seven of Mrs. Putnam's children previously died mysteriously. Parris is worried as the townspeople want to remove him, and a witchcraft scandal could give them power to do so.

1. The Crucible Act I, Scene I