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What is the most important piece of information revealed in act 1 of The Crucible? Why?

The most important piece of information revealed in Act 1 is Abigail Williams's confession to John Proctor that Betty Parris, her cousin, is not suffering as a result of some witchcraft they performed.  She says, "We were dancin' in the woods last night, and my uncle leaped in on us.  She took fright, is all."  This is terribly important information because it helps the audience to understand that later, when Abigail begins to accuse people in the town of witchcraft, it is all a lie; there is simply no truth to it.  She's admitted it herself.  Therefore, when Abigail later claims to see strange specters of witches who have sent out their spirits to hurt her, we know that she is concealing the truth and telling these fictions instead.


Further, it is this piece of information that compels Elizabeth Proctor to try to convince her husband to speak with the magistrates about Abigail's motives and dishonesty in Act 2.  This discussion between the two of them reignites her suspicions of him and his anger at her continued distrust of him.

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