The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and fictionalized retelling of the Salem witch trials.
These events occur during Act One. Reverend Parris has discovered that his daughter Betty engaged in a pagan ritual with other girls the previous night. Now, there are rumours of witchcraft and a crowd has gathered outside his house.
Parris questions Abigail, who appears to have been the ringleader, and Abigail admits that she and the other girls were dancing in the forest. But she denies the accusation of witchcraft. She is, however, willing to accept the punishment.
Parris is interested in Abigail's name because he is worried that her bad reputation could affect his position as a reverend. Unsure of what to believe, Parris invites Reverend John Hale, an expert in witchcraft, to investigate.
