Salem, 1692. Industrious farmer, John Proctor, has two times made love to 17-year-old Abigail, a youth he and his wife have taken in. (His better half Elisabeth has rejected him for 7 months; she is puritanical and also cold.) When she discovers John and Abigail accepting, she sends the lass from her home and also John, really feeling damned, concurs. Abigail pledges vengeance. Her chance comes when she implicates Elisabeth of witchcraft and controls more youthful women to sustain her insurance claims of seeing spirits. The town's preacher and also politicians desire a reason: clearing the community of witchcraft is the suitable repression.