The Salem settlement needed a theocracy because they wanted to maintain integration. They begun to turn towards individualism because the rules were strict and people were fed up with these rules so people began to seek for freedom. Miller characterized Parris by saying that he was a man whose all he cares about is his how people views him.. Parris felt that the parishioners should be frighten so he shows an obsession in hell. Thomas Putnam is willing to speak of witchcraft because the witchcraft trials gave Thomas an opportunity to have revenge against others. Mrs.Putnam knew what Ruth was doing in the woods because she sent Ruth to Tituba to help bring her children back from the dead. Abigail “admitted” that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits …show more content…
because she wanted to stop Betty from being accused of witchcraft. She was scared that the other girls that were also in the woods would confessed what actually happened, so she thought that as long as she “told” them first, they wouldn't get into much trouble. Abigail treats the other girls with no respect while she treats her uncle with respect and manners. Abigail's feelings towards John Proctor is love. She is obsessed with John and would do anything for him to love her again. She is antagonistic towards Elizabeth Proctor because Elizabeth spreaded horrible rumors about Abigail. Abigail has been asked to leave the house because Elizabeth noticed the suspicious behavior John and Abigail had when they were around each other. She also is jealous of Elizabeth because she is with the man that Abigail loves. She tells John about Betty so that he can have sympathy for her. Proctor and Rebecca spoke out against Hale’s coming because they did not think that the situation was serious enough to get someone outside of the community to settle the affairs. Proctor sets himself against Parris because he doesn't like how Parris only focused on Satan and Hell. He thinks he should talk more about Heaven and how God is good. Rebecca’s departure affected those waiting at bedside because those who were at bedside became more against everything when she left. Abigail accuses Tituba because she thinks that since Tituba isn't actually part of the community, they may think that she was involved in Voodoo. Hale believes Abigail more and tituba because since tituba is a slave, she is an outsider to those in the community so they will most likely believe her. Abigail and Betty name names because they wanted to take the attention off of them. Act II Proctor goes to Salem to report what Abigail told him because he has no confirmation that the affair happened and no one actually seen what happened. Elizabeth wanted him to go because she wanted Proctor to tell the truth about everything. Elizabeth mistrusts him because Elizabeth knows about the affair he had with Abigail and she sees that Proctor isn't doing anything to save their marriage or to end the relationship between him and Abigail. Proctor feels that the court has no right to judge him about his actions at all and he told Mary that she needs to stay away from Salem. She changed because she doesn't listen to John anymore, she is more independent. Hale changed because he was accepted as a leader,and the decision maker. But he started to be suspicious and believe that everything that is being said isn't true. He tests Proctor and Elizabeth because it was his job to make that they were good and that they were telling the truth. Proctor hasn't been to church because he does not like Reverend Parris, he thinks that Parris is greedy. Cheever is looking for a popper because it is a sign of Voodoo. The significance of the one they found is evidence of witchcraft. Mary gave it to Elizabeth at the peace offering. He means that he is accusing Abigail for stabbing herself and that everything that she said she was not telling the truth. Abigail was faking everything. Proctor insists that Mary testified in Elizabeth’s defense because it was all John's fault for why they are in this current situation. Mary refuses because Mary is scared of Abigail and what she could possibly do. Act III Giles is expelled from court because he refused to reveal the name of the person giving him the information to the court.Danforth refuses to hear the evidence because Giles doesn't want to give the name of the person.
Mary is in court because Proctor wants her to tell the truth so that they will left his wife go. She tells Danforth that she as well as the girls were all lying about everything. Danforth is suspicious of Mary and Proctor because he thinks Proctor is threatening Mary into telling everything that she is saying. Proctor reminds her about Angel Raphael because he wants her to believe that she is doing the right thing. Parris nullifies Proctors testament by calling Proctor a bad Christian and tells the court how he never attends church anymore. Giles deposition turned against him because he was did not want to go against anyone else. The professed purpose of the court was justice and to get rid of all the sins that were committed in Salem. The court does not need witnessed because the government is a theocracy so the only true witness was God. This suggests that anyone will accuse people of witchcraft. This wouldn't be fair because whether they witness it or not, the court will believe it
regardless. John Proctor confessed lechery because he wants to save his wife from being accused of witchcraft. He thinks that Danforth and Hathorne will believe his confession because his wife was a good woman to everyone and they wouldn't believe a nice lady would do something like that. They don’t believe him because when Elizabeth was testifying she lied to save John's reputation. Elizabeth’s testimony is used against Proctor because her testimony proves to the court that John Proctor was lying. It was unfair because while Proctor is actually telling the truth, the court thinks he is lying based on what Elizabeth has said. Abigail turned the court against Mary by claiming that she sees spirits in the courtroom and drew all the attention towards Mary. Hale denounced the proceeding because the evidence is showing the witchcraft has completely nothing to do with anything and that girls are lying about everything. The fact that people were not telling the truth should be effected because all their lying got people going crazy. It wasn't affected because no one really cared about witnesses so they killed a lot of people anyways. Act IV The effect of the talk between Sarah and Tituba was that both Sarah and Tituba confessed to witchcraft and so they had to keep their “act” up because they know Herrick is going to jail. Miller included it because it was his way of knowing who was lying and who wasn't lying. Parris changes because he is usually the one to protect his reputation, but this time he didn't try to protect it. The news does not affect the court's decision because they don't want to actually admit that this whole time they were wrong for what they been doing. Danforth is a victim of his own logic because Danforth prioritizes something that seems off , over the real thing. Hale returned because he wanted to see if he can fix what he was part of which was the big problem. He changed because he seems more full of himself since he got back. He handles things completely different. He changed because he is trying to get people to confess. Danforth allows Elizabeth to speak to John Proctor because he wants John to admit that he is guilty. She changed towards John because now she is more distant from him. She doesn't take Hale's advice because she knows John is strong and will not give up his reputation. Giles dies because he was pressed to death. He died because he refused to answer the court when they asked him questions. He wasn't hanged because they was trying to make him confess by pressing him. If he confessed, he would have been hanged. Proctor confessed because he wanted to protect his wife Elizabeth. He does not say any names because he doesn't want people going after him so he says no names to take all the pressure off of him. Proctor does not give him the paper because he wanted to protect his name and his reputation. John Proctor chooses to hang because he did not want to live any longer because he was trying to get his name and dignity back. He accomplishes self-respect and dignity.
“Danforth:... You will sign your name or it is no confession, Mister! His breast heaving with agonized breathing, Proctor now lays down the paper and signs his name… Proctor has just finished signing when Danforth reaches for the paper. But Proctor snatches it up...His breast heaving, his eyes staring, Proctor tears the paper and crumbles it, and he is weeping in fury, but erect.” Not once in his time from that moment in the court, or jail, or at Gallows Hill did he confess to witchcraft, despite Reverend Hale’s attempts to persuade him otherwise. Proctor stood against the court, the girls, and some of the townsfolk, and although he was in the right, and his claims were accurate,...
During the trial the girls and Abigail pressure Mary into conforming to them by pretending that Mary was bewitching the girls. When she plays along with the girls; Proctor screams at Mary with much rage, “Mary god damns all liars!”(224).Which is ironic because John Proctor has been lying to everyone about his deadly secret. Which he knows will eventually come out and ruin everything for him. Proctor finally comes out and tells the court when there seems to be no way out for Elizabeth he points out, “I have known her sir, I have known her” (220). Proctor finally confesses about his affair in front of Judge
His daughter Ann Putnam was a primary accuser in the Witch Trials, creating a great deal of bias on Putnam’s part (Linder). Children were not legally permitted to testify in court, therefore Putnam represented them by presenting their depositions to the court. Because of his involvement, he was able to send many people to jail for practicing witchcraft. Putnam and his wife were represented in The Crucible as a couple striving to have a child, but blamed their inability on witchcraft. Although this was not entirely true, his personal attachment to the trials swayed his judgement and impacted his ability to send innocent people to jail, based on his beliefs. Thomas Putnam played a crucial role in the Witch Trials, influencing many deaths and
In the Crucible there are two quotes Parris says “You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!” So what this means is that anybody accused of witch gets hanged. People really do not have a choice. Putnam says “This woman must be hanged! She must be taken and
Giles Corey is an outspoken member of Salem Village, which can sometimes get himself and others into trouble. Giles, one could say, is infamous in the town for causing disputes and attempting to settle those disputes in court. In one instance, Giles is embedded in an argument with Thomas Putnam about land that he believes rightfully belongs to John Proctor. Putnam is informed that his grandfather had a history of willing away land that he did not own. While the argument does not involve him, Giles feels the need to interject when he supports Proctor’s claim by saying, “That’s God’s truth; he nearly willed away my north pasture” (32). The argument becomes so heated that Putnam threatens to clap a writ on Giles. This, of course, seems of little threat to Giles as he has been in court thir...
Religion was a huge part of law, the court, and the state in Puritan New England. The Puritan church was mixed with the state and often they seemed to almost combine. Laws were a combination of the state and religion (Yale 9). Referring to church and state, David Yale wrote, “The distinction is far from clear” (Yale 9). This was in contrast to the Puritan founders who origionally wanted church and state to be separate, but able to work together (Yale 9). The Church had so much power in the state, it ultimately organized the civil government (Yale 9). If a person would rebel against the government and criticize or defy the Puritan rule, it would be considered a sin against God. Religion also had a association with questioning in the courts and religion was part of the prosecution. An example of this is during the examination of Sarah Good by John Hathorne. The examination starts off with this text. “(Hathorne) Sarah Good what evil spirit have you fimiliarity with. (Sarah Good) None. (H) Have you made no contact with the devil. (S G) Good answered no. (H) WHy doe you hurt these children. (S G) I doe not hurt them. I scorn it. (H) Who doe you imploy then to doe it. (S G) No creature but I am falsely accused” (Linder umck.edu). This shows a trait in Hawthorne's prosecution style where he...
The destructive force that the play showcases the most is greed because the town of Salem is destroyed, and many people are hanged. Greed is a major part of the story and is shown throughout the play by many different characters. The people of Salem are affected and the town is eventually destroyed because of the selfish acts resulting from greed.
Author Miller took the story of the Salem witchcraft trials and wrote the play “The Crucible.” There were a lot of differences between the two. The differences between the characters were altered to make the play have a greater meaning. Betty Parris’ mom was not dead when the trials were happening she had died in 1696, four years after the trials. The crucible refers to Abigail Williams as Rev. Paris’ niece. However there is no there is no documentation to prove there familial relationship. In the play Abigail Williams is 17 but in real life she was only 11. “The Putnam’s daughter was not named Ruth her name was Ann. Ann was not the only Putnam child out of eight to survive childhood. In 1692, the Putnam’s had six living children, Ann being the oldest, to 1...
“PUTNAM: Don’t you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the
Theme - Justice: As Proctor is being led out of the court, he shouts that he can “hear the boot of Lucifer” and see his “filthy face.” He says that it is his “face, and yours, Danforth.” He tells the court that “we will burn, we will burn together.” His religious references are used to prove his point that the court is corrupt. He accuses the court that they are not enforcing justice but instead are doing the work of the devil. Proctor accuses the him and the whole court of being guilty of doing the wrong thing.
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.
For instance, Parris, Abigail’s uncle and the main reverend of Salem, feels great at first when people started to get accused of being witches. He knows that witchery is unlikely in Salem because the girls admitted to just playing. However, when Parris claims that Abigail can see spirits, he saves his position in the church. It is only when he sees that he may lose his life due to this lie, that he wants to stop. Parris expresses this to the judges, “Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house—a dagger clattered down” (200). Parris starts to care when his life is at stake, but he was stress-free for a while. He foresaw positive effects of this lie, but he understands his mistake of letting the executions continue. Lastly, Proctor admits to the judge that he had an affair with Abigail because he wants this injustice to end. The judge takes Abigail’s side, but they still ask Elizabeth to confirm or deny Proctor’s confession because she is known for only telling the truth. The judge demands an
John Proctor is very rarely involved in village affairs, preferring to spend time on his farm than getting involved in politics. He does however still have conflicts with others in the village, especially Parris, whom he mistrusts greatly. Proctor genuinely dislikes Parris and disagrees with all that he does. Proctor’s hatred of Parris causes him to rarely attend church services on Sabbath Day and instead spends the day on his farm. The reason Proctor does not attend is that he disagrees with Paris’ morals and motivations and cannot bare to listen to the "hellfire and damnation" that he preaches during his services. Proctor also refuses to have his youngest child baptised because he dreads the thought of Parris touching his baby, believing that there is no "light of god in that man", even though he is a minister. Parris has glorious hopes for his church and his own future. Proctor believes that Parris is obsessed with material goods and "dreams cathedrals not clapboard meatin’ houses", as shown by his replacement of the pewter candlesticks with gold ones. The pewter candlesticks were hand made by Francis Nurse, and therefore had great sentimental value, but Parris preached "nothing but golden candlesticks" until he had them replaced. Proctor is outraged that his hard work goes to waste on materialistic items such as new candlesticks that serve no other purpose but to look good. Parris has a great influence on the witch-hunt and is often expressing his opinion about Proctor in an attempt to have him arrested. He contradicts many of Proctor’s words in the courtroom when Proctor testifies that the women arrested have an "upright reputation", and therefore the accusations cannot be truthful. Parris refers to the bible to prove Proctor wrong, using the son of Adam and Eve, Cain, who killed his brother Able, as an example of an upright person who can perform horrible acts. This hatred and suspicion between Proctor and Parris contributes greatly to the tense and hostile environment that occurs during the play.
Corruption in the courtroom is exemplified by Proctor and Giles Corey when they receive a letter signed by 92 townsmen stating their wives were innocent of the charges. Deputy Danforth dismissed this quickly, showing corruption, and he has no grace in the matter. Corruption of religion is demonstrated through Reverend Parris, a corrupt pastor in Salem who only cares for material objects, such as golden candlesticks. This is one of the reasons why Proctor avoids attending church. Corruption of people occurs in various areas of the town.
Our American government made terrible mistakes back in the 1690's. All of the events that took place in Salem are examples of how our legal system reacted from fear and panic rather than from solid evidence. As the fear escalated, innocent individuals