Final answer:
After Act 3, the witchcraft scare in Salem ended as social elite were accused and skepticism about spectral evidence grew. Key figures like Increase Mather influenced a shift away from the trials, coinciding with the decline of Puritan society.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the three months since the end of Act 3 of the Salem witch trials, several significant events occurred. The witchcraft scare in Salem concluded in the fall of 1693. This shift happened when accusations reached members of the higher social strata, including the wife of Governor Phipps, leading to pressure from the educated elite in Boston to dismiss spectral evidence.
Furthermore, Increase Mather, a prominent Puritan figure, declared that the devil could impersonate innocent people, implying that it was unjust to condemn a person based merely on spectral evidence. As a result, the mentality shifted towards a more cautious approach to the witch trials. This marked not only the end of the mass hysteria but also the decline of the Puritan vision for a 'city on a hill' and the Holy Commonwealth.