The Crucible (2)

I was able to read 2 hours this week in The Crucible and things are getting crazy in the story. Rev. Hale got angered with Abigail while coming to see what was wrong with her cousin Betty (sick in bed). Rev. Parris exclaimed that the girls were dancing, which made Rev. Hale snap at Abigail and tell her that her cousin's life is at stake if she doesn't admit to her wrong-doing of conjuring the Devil. Abigail obviously didn't want the blame for all this, so she accused Tituba of conjuring the Devil. She then accuses Tituba of trying to force both Betty and her to drink the concoction that night; she goes on to put all the blame on Tituba. Abigail then accuses numerous people in the village of being seen with the Devil. Betty suddenly wakes up and joins in with several accusations of her own. This part was both funny and literally dumb because the people believed every word that these two immature GIRLS were professing. Everyone took their accusations to heart and believed that whoever the girls chose to be of witchcraft must obviously be part of the Devil. The story goes on to accuse about 14 people of witchcraft the first night and then some 39 more the very next day!! People were accusing their very own neighbors of witchcraft, such as one man who accused his neighbor woman of cursing him and killing a pig of his 4 weeks after he bought it from her. Goody Putnam accused someone of cursing her babies that died, and Abigail accused Goody Proctor of witchcraft even. She did this obviously because she felt she could have John Proctor all to herself if Goody Putnam were hanged. It was ridiculous how Goody Putnam got accused; they claimed that a needle in a poppet was all the evidence they needed to put her away. Abigail had been found with a needle in her stomach, which I believe she stabbed into her own stomach to set-up the malicious scheme. It's just all crazy and ridiculous everything being done in the town and nobody having the power to stop this nonsense. Everybody feels that Abigail "KNOWS" something they do not since she claims she can feel the dark powers around her and knows who is bringing them forth. I get a little bewildered sometimes by some of the actions and accusations, but it is very interesting to see how each person is accused and how simple it is to put them away for it. I can't wait to see what John Proctor is going to do next in the court...