The film depicts Proctor as a man in his 30s having an affair with Abigail. The real John Proctor was around 60 in 1692, and there is no historical evidence of an affair with the real Abigail Williams. His core integrity in refusing to falsely confess is debated but central to Miller's interpretation.

The film portrays Abigail as 17 and motivated by sexual jealousy. The real Abigail Williams was 11 or 12 years old during the trials, and there's no evidence she knew Proctor beforehand or had an affair. Her role as a key accuser is historical, but her motivations in the film are fictionalized.

Based on the real Elizabeth Proctor. Her accusation and pregnancy (which delayed her execution) are historical. The film portrays her as colder than perhaps warranted, influenced by the fictional affair plotline.

Based on the real Rev. Parris. His role as the minister in whose house the afflictions began (with daughter Betty and niece Abigail) is accurate. His paranoia and concern for his reputation are amplified by Miller.

Based on the real Rev. Hale. He was initially involved in the examinations but later came to doubt the proceedings and denounced them, as shown in the film, though his trajectory is condensed.

Danforth was a real Deputy Governor involved in the trials, but he did not preside over the Salem witch trials specifically (that was mainly William Stoughton). The film elevates his role and makes him the central judicial authority figure.

While strange behaviors began in Parris's house, the specific scene of teenage girls dancing naked, drinking blood, and attempting love spells/curses in the woods led by Tituba is a dramatic invention by Miller.

The central motivation for Abigail's accusations in the play/film – her affair with Proctor and desire to eliminate Elizabeth – is entirely fictional, given their real ages and lack of evidence for any relationship.

The first people accused (Tituba, Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne) were indeed marginalized figures in Salem Village, consistent with historical patterns in witchcraft accusations.

The film effectively portrays the escalating hysteria, the power dynamic shifting to the accusers, and how fear gripped the community, reflecting the general atmosphere of the historical Salem witch trials.

The court's initial acceptance of "spectral evidence" (testimony by accusers that the accused person's spirit attacked them) was a real and controversial aspect of the Salem trials, accurately reflected.

Proctor did defend his wife and challenge the accusers. Mary Warren did recant and then recant again. However, Proctor's motivation being tied to exposing the fictional affair is inaccurate.

This scene is fictional, created by Miller to heighten the dramatic irony surrounding the fabricated affair plotline.

Danforth was involved in the wider events but did not preside over the Salem trials as the primary judge depicted. William Stoughton was the chief magistrate. The film consolidates judicial figures for dramatic focus.

Giles Corey was historically pressed to death (not for refusing to name names, but for refusing to enter a plea to the court), a unique and brutal event accurately depicted.

Some accused individuals did confess and retract. Proctor's dramatic refusal to sign and have his name publicly shamed ("Leave me my name!") is a powerful scene, but tied to Miller's themes of integrity rather than precise historical fact.

The film consolidates the executions for dramatic impact. Historically, Rebecca Nurse was hanged on July 19, John Proctor on August 19, and Martha Corey on September 22, 1692.

While taking liberties with history, the film accurately reflects Miller's original intent in the play: to use the Salem witch trials as a parallel to the anti-communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s.

The film effectively establishes the setting in the late 17th-century Puritan colony, conveying the isolation and social environment.

Captures the repressive religious atmosphere, fear of the Devil, strict social codes, and underlying social tensions characteristic of 17th-century Puritan New England.

The austere meeting house serving as the courtroom reflects the typical public buildings and judicial settings of the time.

Interiors appear somewhat larger and more detailed than typical 1692 Salem homes might have been, possibly for filming convenience, but capture a generally rustic aesthetic.

Costumes generally reflect the somber, practical clothing styles associated with 17th-century Puritans, avoiding inaccurate stereotypes like buckled hats.

Scenes in the woods and fields surrounding Salem Village evoke the sense of wilderness bordering the settlement, a source of fear and superstition for the colonists.

While incorporating some period phrasing, the dialogue is primarily Miller's stylized language designed for dramatic effect, not a precise replication of 17th-century speech.