The Crucible Play Act 1 Review

Act 1 Summary
The play opens in the "morning-room" of the Windermere house, where Lady Margaret
Windermere is arranging roses in preparation for a "small but select" ball she and her husband are hosting that evening in honor of her birthday. Parker, the butler, announces that Lord Darlington has come to call, and shows him in. Darlington begins to flirt with
Lady Windermere, who very kindly but firmly tries to discourage his attentions. She says she does not like compliments but tells him she thinks he is really a good man who is only pretending to be worse than most men. He answers that, "so many conceited people go about Society pretending to be good, that I think it shows rather a sweet and modest disposition to pretend to be bad."
Life with him, or the approval of society.
Lady Windermere is not ready to make the choice - she still hopes her husband's affection will be returned to her. When she cannot choose, Darlington takes his leave bitterly, saying he will be leaving England the next day forever.
In the meantime, Mrs. Erlynne is making the best of her return to society, and has procured several social invitations for future engagements from some of the ladies present. The Duchess is also seeing good fruits of her efforts to make a match for her daughter. As the guests begin to leave, Mrs. Erlynne and Lord Windermere are conversing, and Lady Windermere is watching in pain and scorn from a distance. If Lady Windermere could hear their conversation, she might feel some relief, but only the audience knows
Mrs. Erlynne is telling Lord Windermere of her intention to marry Lord Augustus, and asks him to make a financial settlement upon her for their upcoming marriage. She seems to be able to demand money freely from Lord Windermere, as though she has some kind of hold over him. She also comments that Lady Windermere has changed greatly since she had
Lady Windermere is receiving her arriving guests, and the Duchess of Berwick is sitting nearby managing her daughter's dance card.
As the guests arrive, Lord Windermere tries to speak to his wife again, but she is busy greeting people, and he falls into a conversation with Lord Augustus Lorton. Lord Augustus begins asking Windermere about Mrs. Erlynne, and it becomes evident to the audience that Lord Augustus is romantically interested in her, and is looking for assurances from
Windermere that she is both respectable and available. He seems pleased and relieved when Windermere tells him Mrs. Erlynne has been invited to the ball that very night, because he is sure Lady Windermere would not have allowed this if Mrs. Erlynne were not respectable. Windermere finally gets a chance to speak to his wife, and tries once more to convince her to be civil to Mrs. Erlynne so that society will accept the woman. Lady Windermere is hurt that he is insisting on an action that seems unreasonable, and begins to turn to Darlington for friendship, despite her previous belief that she would never encourage