Ann Putnam had been through many losses throughout her life in the small town of Salem. She is the reason that Salem village goes into a mass hysteria, as she was already disliked many of the members in the Salem community. The intolerance of the salem community adds to the problem, as they all refuse to listen to reason on account of the threat of the devil being in Salem. Ann Putnam had the biggest influence on The Salem Witch Trials through the vengeance she has for her lost children. Before the trials even begin, Ann’s attempt to have children haven’t been very successful. Out of eight little infant babies, who haven’t even lived for a full day, Ruth Putnam was the only one who survived. Nothing makes a mother depressed more than the inability …show more content…
All was well, the girls knew what they were doing as Tituba had told stories and had cast some of her own traditional spells from Barbadoes; it was all fun and games until they were caught doing these by Proctor Parris. As if frozen by guilt, Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris refused to move or show any signs of life. Ann, having lost children before, wanted answers as worry and vengeance surged through her, “MRS. PUTNAM: Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth. Believe me, sir, you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very night of their birth. I have spoke nothin', but my heart has clamored intimations. And now, this year, my Ruth, my only—I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin’ on her life too. (1242)” She began suggesting that it was a witches doing, blaming the supernatural, anything and anyone that could answer for bringing this upon her family. Ann Putnam wasn’t going to listen to reason, she began to blame the good wives who cared for those 7 children: Sarah Good and Goody Osborne. This marks the beginning of the mass hysteria that hits Salem, beginning with the constant misclaims of Ann Putnam. Her constant bashing of Sarah Good and Goody Osburn in the presents of her daughter and around other people puts the name in their
The Abigail Hobbs trial was one of many of the Salem Witch Trial. People often had to face the court for a crime they did not do commit. Fortunately enough Abigail Hobbs was one of the people accused who was somewhat educated. Her tone and behavior was calm and collected while facing the people who determined her faith. Some people who were charged with these crimes were uneducated and could not defend themselves. Abigail Hobbs went along with court when she was on trial she agreed with them to hopefully save her life.
Vengeance plays a key role in causing the mass hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams, who?s probably most to blame for the trials, acts out of revenge. She and John Proctor have had an affair and when Elizabeth Proctor finds out, she throws Abigail out of their house. During the trials, Abigail is still in love with John Proctor and goes after Elizabeth out of vengeance. Elizabeth tries to explain this to John, who is in disbelief: she ?thinks to kill me, then to take my place? (61). Abigail?s main motive for destroying Elizabeth is revenge for being thrown out of the house and for having John Proctor, the man that she loves. Another character who seeks revenge is Mrs. Putnam, who has had seven children die shortly after childbirth and blames her midwife, who has many children. Rebecca Nurse is charged ?for the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam?s babies? (71). The trials are an opportunity for Ann Putnam to seek vengeance against Rebecca for having healthy children and grandchild...
In the Salem community, corruption already existed with the rumors circulating around the community about witchcraft. Mrs. Putnam confirms the existence of these rumors when she sent her daughter to conjure the dead with Tituba—a slave known for her witchcraft. Her Husband, Thomas Putnam, decided to take advantage of these rumors and persuade Reverend Parris and the rest of the town of the existence of witchcraft in Salem. In act one, while Reverend Parris was denying the accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Thomas Putnam and his wife convince him otherwise. Miller describes that Thomas was “intent upon getting Parris, for whom he has only contempt, to move toward the abyss” (14). Miller shows that Thomas Putnam was going to persuade Parris
For example, Ann Putnam wants healthy children and envies Rebecca Nurse for all the healthy children she bore. She accuses Nurse of killing most of her offspring using witchcraft. In fact, the official warrant for Rebecca Nurse’s arrest is issued “[f]or the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam 's babies”(67). Ann Putnam does not care if one of Salem’s most devout families is torn apart so long as its members suffer for their happiness. In addition, Thomas Putnam’s desire for more land causes him to make his daughter accuse an innocent man of witchcraft since “[t]he day [she] cried out on Jacobs, [Putnam] said she’d given him a fair gift of land”(89). His greed for land surpasses his care for the other residents of the town. Both Ann and Thomas Putnam are willing to destroy other families for their own benefit, and they succeed because the townspeople’s fear of witchcraft clouds their common sense that the accusers may have ulterior
During the 1600's, our country was young and starting to grow. Man believed in the
The Salem Witch Trials took place in the summer and into the fall of the year 1692, and during this dark time of American history, over 200 people had been accused of witchcraft and put in jail. Twenty of these accused were executed; nineteen of them were found guilty and were put to death by hanging. One refused to plead guilty, so the villagers tortured him by pressing him with large stones until he died. The Salem Witch Trials was an infamous, scary time period in American history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil and the supernatural; the people of this time period accused, arrested, and executed many innocent people because of this fear, and there are several theories as to why the trials happened (Brooks).
The Salem Witch Trials of 1629 were complex, deep, and twisted in nature. However, they can be rooted down to the specific scientific cause that is ergot, and were driven by purely inequitable allegations. The trials highlight utterly corrupt decisions and a crooked time period in American History.
One of the most accepted theory for the cause of the European witch hunts that spanned between the 16th and 17th century is mass hysteria. These witch hunts were widespread throughout the content—Germany and England being the most concentrated territories. Although hysteria was a generating factor in the fear of witch craft and the Devil, there are other overlooked conditions at work that had a major role in igniting the witch craze. Adverse weather conditions stirred farmers to scapegoat their rapidly dying crops as well as propaganda perpetuating a misogynistic narrative to the masses which was created by an oppressing patriarchal system all fueled the execution of about 100,000 people.
In the puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. Several young girls claim to be afflicted by witchcraft, starting with Reverend Parris's daughter Betty. Parris was a minister in Salem. Betty had been unconscious and appeared sick after coming from the woods. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam daughter Ruth is also ill, she had also been in the woods. Rumors of witchcraft had spread through the town. The afflicted girls accuse people in the town of witchcraft, often choosing victims who they or their families disliked. The main antagonist Abigail Williams, who wasn't your typical puritan, falls in love with married farmer John Proctor, having an affair. When Proctor tells Abigail he no longer is in love with her, Abigail states that John's wife Elizabeth has bewitched Abigail. Proctor realizes that he has put his wife in danger and eventually confesses his affair with Abigail, to Deputy Governor Danforth attempting to clear his wife's name. Ruining his reputation. Rebecca Nurse is accused of killing the babies of the Putnam family. Another character accused of witchcraft is Martha Corey, third wife of well-liked Giles Corey. Giles Corey ends up getting pressed to death because he refuses to identify an informant who said Thomas Putnam is accusing people of witchcraft to gain their land. Proctor, changes his mind as he realizes he needs to keep his name
interesting so i decided on doing my research over it. The trials began in 1692. There
In the 1690's in Salem, MA a group of young girls accused a young indian slave by the name of Tituba of being a witch and using witchcraft to pinch the girls. Tituba was one of the first accused witches out of around two hundred accused, according to the Smithsonian. Out of all these people nineteen were hanged ,one was pressed to death, and five died in prison ,as well as that many more were locked away in prison. These accusations, and death were brought upon by Ann Putnam, Jr. who played a crucial role in the witchcraft trials. She was twelve years old at the time, and she was one of the first to join Betty Parris and Abigail Williams as an "afflicted child". Though she is easily criticized for her role as one of the most persistent accusers in the trials, i...
During the 1950s, the United States was afraid of the communist party. This caused the U.S. to quickly judge anybody who was assumed to be a communist. A similar story was the struggle John Proctor had. John Proctor lived within a super proper society, with many of the people in it being superstitious with the Witch Trials going on. The Salem Witch Trials were filled with the lies of people being witches that would eventually destroy their reputations.
When Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam fall sick, Mrs. Putnam comes to visit Mr. Parris. She speaks of Ruth’s ailment by saying, “She ails as she must- she never waked this morning, but her eyes open and she walks, and hears naught, sees naught, and cannot eat. Her soul is taken, surely” (Miller 13). Miller uses a hasty generalization to set the entire play in motion. Mrs. Putnam makes the first mention of witchcraft in the play. Mrs. Putnam is suggesting that the girls are not sick, but bewitched. With this hasty generalization, friends, family, and neighbors start being accused of witchcraft, starting with Tituba in this scene. The villagers are fully willing to accuse each other of making deals with the devil. In fact, they use this to their advantage. With a neighbor hanged, their land is available to buy. The villagers make hasty generalizations because of their fear of the devil, their fear of sin, and their advantageous nature. Their belief that God damns all sinners makes them draw hasty conclusions to try to fulfill God’s work, which is taken to an extreme.
Thomas Putnam has a very large part in initiating the Salem witch hunt. He is the first character who blames unnatural causes for the illness among the children. Furthermore, he firmly believes in the existence of 'vengeful spirits layin' hands on these children';(15). 'There is a murderous witch among us,'; he vehemently cries out(16). His action isn't surprising because he has lost seven newborns and his Ruth is sick. He wants to hunt down the witch, but he needs some aid. He lays his eyes on Parris because Parris is the minister and Betty is also ill. Thus, Putnam tries to coerce Parris to witchcraft. 'Declare it yourself,'; Putnam tells Parris, 'you have discovered witchcraft';(16). At this point, Putnam captures everyone's attention, and then he strikes.
...t Sarah Good. She was one the fist women who was charged with witchcraft. She always mumbled and talked under her breath. Due to the paranoia in town, people developed gossip about Sarah Good, which resulted in wild accusations and execution. These gossips also replace the blame from one person to the other, the Putnams claim that their children died of evil spirits as Mrs. Putnam claims that she has “laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth” (Act I, 14), however, this is an easy escape. Instead of taking the responsibility and blame for her children’s deaths, she accuses witchery to compensate for her loss.