Today after wrestling with John's conscience for a long time, he agrees to confess. Hathorne and Danforth are overjoyed and Cheever gets a paper, pen to write the confession. John asks why it has to be written. Danforth informs him that it will be hung on the church door. The men bring Rebecca to witness his confession, hoping that she will follow his example. The sight of Rebecca shames John. He offers his confession, and Danforth asks him if he ever saw Rebecca Nurse in the devil’s company. John states that he did not. Danforth reads the names of the condemned out loud and asks if he ever saw any of them with the devil. John again replies in the negative. Danforth pressures him to name other guilty parties, but he declares that he will speak only about his own sins.
John then hesitates to sign the confession, saying that it is enough that the men have witnessed him admitting his alleged crimes. John signs his name, but snatches the sheet from Danforth. He demands the confession as proof to the village of John’s witchcraft. Although he refuses to allow him to nail the paper with his name on the church door and tears the confession in two and renounces it. Herrick leads the seven condemned prisoners, including John, to the gallows. Hale and Parris plead with Elizabeth to remonstrate with Proctor, but she refuses to sway him from doing what he believes is right. John is then hanged just he went for good reason, but I am hurt that he chose them instead of me.
Until next time,
Abigail Williams
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