YOUR LAST NAMEYOUR TEACHER NAMEEnglish IIIDATEIn Act II, Proctor's conflict with authority intensifies as the court has just arrested his wife. He already doesn't like the court and there's just no way they're coming to his house and taking his wife to jail! To help the reader understand Salem's state at the beginning of Act II, Kinsella explains that "Salem is in the grip of increasing hysteria" (1267). Kinsella is right, the town starts first with Betty not waking up, then Abigail Williams accuses pretty much everyone in Salem of being witches and from there it eventually leads to the Proctor's doing. When Reverend Hale came to inquire at the Proctor's house, John defended Rebecca Nurse by exclaiming: "It is difficult to think that such a pious woman could secretly be the Devil's female dog after seventy years of such a good prayer” (1276). This quote really stands out because the way the overseer describes his wife as being "pious", being pious is a desire and willingness to fulfill religious duties. When the proctor told Hale this, it woke him up and that's when he realized Abigail's accusations were false. At this point and time in the story, Hale begins to believe that Abigail Williams' accusations are not one hundred percent true. YOUR LAST NAME. When talking with Hale, Proctor uses common logic to point out the flaw in Hale's argument when he states, "Why do you never ask yourself if Parris is innocent, or Abigail?" Is the accuser still holy now? Were they born this morning as pure as God. fingers?" (1283). Proctor always uses more logical questions to transform Hale. For the most part, Proctor is right, just because Abigail's accusation doesn't make her holy or divine, it only makes her she the accuser Some townspeople begin to notice that they are referring to the court scene from Francise’s point of view: “Excellence, we have the proof for your eyes; God forbid you lock them up. Girls, sir, girls are impostors. Danforth says "What is that!?" Francis “Excellence, I never thought of saying this to such an important judge, but you are mistaken.” This clearly begins to diminish Abigail's role as an honest accuser after Abigail's accusations continue. the city is afraid