Salem, 1692. Industrious farmer, John Proctor, has actually two times made love to 17-year-old Abigail, a young people he and also his wife have absorbed. (His better half Elisabeth has actually rejected him for seven months; she is puritanical as well as chilly.) When she locates John as well as Abigail accepting, she sends the lass from her residence and John, feeling damned, agrees. Abigail pledges retribution. Her chance comes when she accuses Elisabeth of witchcraft and controls more youthful women to support her claims of seeing spirits. The town's priest as well as political leaders desire a cause: ridding the community of witchcraft is the perfect repression.