...characters impact the plot of the play significantly. In situations of mass hysteria such as the Salem witch trials every word on the topic is believed to be the truth. Giles Corey says that he is worried because his wife is reading books everyone immediately assumes it is witchcraft. When Mary Warren is being set up to look like a witch and confesses that she works with the devil out of fear of being hanged she provides the judges with false information that Lucifer is in Salem. Tituba confesses that she works with the devil making anyone that is accused of being a witch that doesn’t confess seem guilty. These minor characters’ actions are the reason the Salem witch trials found so many innocent people guilty....
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...Witch-Hunts, Then and Now Witch-Hunts, Then and Now, is the topic I have chosen for my research paper, which will define similarities and differences between the “Salem Witch Trials” and “The Second Red Scare”. The actions that took place during both events played on the fears of citizens to further the personal, political and social agendas of those individuals that conducted the trials. These two events are just two examples of how history repeated itself, where hysteria of the masses has been used as justification to trample on the basic rights that we, as humans, have come to believe as essential to our lives. I chose this research project because the effect of the McCarthy era tactics that infringed on the Constitutional rights of many Americans can be seen today in the policies and actions implemented since September 11, 2001. As an American, I am disturbed to see that we as a people and our government appear not to have learned from our past. During the eras of the Salem Witch Trials and that of McCarthyism, there existed a fear that the values of each society were being threatened from both internal and external entities. During the Court of Oyer and Terminer, influential members of the Salem community used the trials to punish ministers with in the colony who were seen as tolerant to other religions. There was a movement within the colony to relax the strict customs of the Puritans, but the community leaders wanted to maintain a tight control on their spiritual beliefs...
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...change in societal structure. John Proctor from Arthur Miller’s Crucible and Will Kane from Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon exemplify honor’s ability to incite change. Both Proctor and Kane are portrayed as both honorable and influential men in their respective towns. Their actions motivated by their individual codes of honor allow Proctor and Kane to spark change their communities. Proctor’s honor leads him to sacrifice himself, inciting change in his community, and ending the Salem witch trials. Proctor’s code of honor is built around...
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...The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play that is based on the Salem witch trials and shows how people react in mass hysteria. The mass hysteria was caused by the religious belief that witches were in the town of Salem. A story that was made up by the girls in the village to save themselves the punishment of dancing in the woods. Religion was used in the crucible to manipulate in many ways such as misinterpreting religion, manipulation through lies, and to enforce the strict rules that held the community together. The play of the Crucible is based on the real witch trials in Salem. Arthur Miller changed the real events to fit with the play better. Like the ages of the girls, making them older to fit in his time. The author also did a great...
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...Salem Witch Trials Salem Witch Trials has always been an intriguing topic to me in our part of American History. This story depicts the Puritan Community and their beliefs that lead them into thinking that several women of the community were witches. I. Accusations of the three young girls and the Indian Slave unravel and this is where the break out of the Salem Witch Trials begins. ← Suspicion started to brew when a young girl became ill with convulsions associated with what seemed to the Puritan Community as someone who was possessed by the devil. ← John Putnam started the Puritan Community he was the local preacher in community in addition, he invited the Parris Family to live in Salem at preach at their church. ← Parris Family brought with them their daughter, niece and there Indian Slave. ← These girls started to have frantic fits, complaints of pinching and other acts of super natural origin. ← Tituba the Indian Slave taught the young girls how to forecast fortunes by using magic that closely relates to voodoo today. II. Salem Witch Trials began in February 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, during a time when people were extremely closed- minded and uneducated and religion was the spoken gospel of truth! ← Tituba the Indian Slave tries to cure the young girl by baking a so-called witch cake. ← Several articles speculate that the rye that was used to make bread and other...
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...The Salem witch Trials can be compared to other historical events in history when social/political norms disintegrate for a period of time. Compare one of them to the Salem witch trials. CITE REFERENCES. The Salem witch trial started because of the seven girls that were up at the forest dancing. Unaware of what was happening reverend Parris burst into the scene at that time and caught the girls dancing, but the girls all ran away when they noticed reverend Parris’s presence. After the girls escaped they started to fall sick, then with the pressure and post on the line reverend Parris being to suspect the girls of conjuring spirit’s the last time he saw them at the forest because of the way they were dancing at the woods and also because of their reaction after they ran away from the forest. But when he confronted his niece Abigail Williams she denies that she and the other girls engaged in any witch craft. But later on when she was pressure and confronted again she falsely confessed and accused Tituba of conjuring the spirit while they were dancing, to be safe and not be persecuted she too falsely accused Goody Osburn and Sara Good of witch craft, because the consequences she will face. In the case of Abigail Williams false accusation on people she was trying to get rid of people that are in her way in order to achieve a goal, like Elizabeth Proctor and this was what caused people their lives because of jealously...
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...Salem Revisited In 1692, the town of Salem Massachusetts turned on each other. They accused their own neighbors of witchcraft. Between June and September of 1692, nineteen people were unjustly executed by hanging, one crushed to death by stones, and many more incarcerated after trials had found them guilty of acts of sorcery. The trials have been researched and looked at many different ways for years. Scholars and students alike continue to be intrigued by the trials and continue to seek answers for how a small town could do this to itself. Every scholarly discipline contributes to what could be the possible answer from ergot poisoning to the psycho-social factor among Africans and American Indians. The road that leads to Salem comes from Europe where witch-hunts rose and fell. The reasons behind the trials themselves are complex. While economics, socioeconomic class issues, tainted food supply, property disputes, and congregational feuds are all listed as causes, the clergy and its congregation are what fueled the accusations and thereby deaths of many town citizens. Witchcraft and sorcery have long attracted the attention of historians and other scholars with the spotlight aimed at 14th-17th century Europe. During the 14th-17th centuries, thousands were executed but to try to be a number to it would be futile. There have been those who have been able to calculate those executed for witchcraft in small towns but the sheer number of countries a part of the craze makes it...
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...certain person or group of people because of false accusations or beliefs. During the Salem witch trials in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, this type of mistreatment is seen throughout the whole play. Comparably, it is also seen today throughout the United States and all over the world. Although times have changed, issues that were happening 100s of years ago continue to occur now. Although these issues continue to happen, these people are afraid to speak up. Because of fear, suspicion and denial of due of process during the Salem witch trials Tituba, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor precipitated false confessions. Tituba confessed to something she hadn’t done during the witch trials in Salem because of fear. Throughout the play Tituba was considered less than anyone else because of the fact that she was a rescued slave from Barbados. When they suspected she was a witch in Act I, she was denying it because what they were accusing her of was not true. However, once they started cracking down on her and whipping her, she confessed to it because she feared for her life. (Miller, 2008) “ I tell him I don’t desire to work for him, sir” (157) Danforth didn’t give her a proper trial because she was a slave and he just went straight to violence....
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...in the puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, a theocratic society, where the laws of the land are laid down by the church. The main idea running throughout the play can be viewed as a direct comparison to McCarthyism which was happening in 1950’s America, in which members of the general public including public figures such as Arthur Miller were brought in and questioned over connections to communism. This can be seen as a direct comparison to people being brought into the Salem courts regarding connections with witchcraft. It was not until Miller saw this comparison that he then felt compelled to write The Crucible as he now felt he could get into the minds of those going through similar circumstances back in the Salem witch trials. Hysteria was the main cause of nineteen deaths in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and countless ruined reputations on account of Joe McCarthy. Hysteria does not just appear out of nowhere though. There are driving forces such as revenge and abuse of power that bring about the irrational fear that can take over society. These are the issues expressed in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. The Crucible is paralleled directly to the Salem Witch Trials and indirectly to the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s. The story of The Crucible takes place against the background of the Salem Witch, trials but the themes lie much deeper. The main themes expressed in The Crucible relate to the events that occurred at both the Salem Witch Trials and during the McCarthy...
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...The Salem Witch Trials were an example of the strict Puritan religion in the 17th century. Even though there was no actual evidence of witchcraft, the religious beliefs of the Puritans caused many men, women and children to be wrongfully accused. The Puritan’s life revolved around the church. They attended sermons twice a week, dancing was not allowed, listening of non-religious music was prohibited, holidays were not celebrated and children were not allowed to play with toys or dolls and their education revolved around the Bible. Some Puritan’s believed Satan needed permission to take over a living human body while others believed Satan could afflict anyone. The Puritan values and religious beliefs during this time led to a mass hysteria which started the accusations of witchcraft. In the Seventeenth Century it was believed that witches were a product of Satan. During this time it was unheard of to speak of a good witch in colonial Massachusetts. “A witch is a person believed to have received special powers.” (1) As life became more difficult for the Puritans they began to blame witches for the problems they faced within their community. Puritan’s believed that anyone crippled, aged, poor, deformed or sickly were possible offspring of Satan. Anyone that did not follow the Puritan religion faithfully would risk the possibility of being accused of witchcraft. People being accused of witchcraft were typically women in their middle age possibly living on their own. The woman...
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...Arthur Miller’s The Crucible exposes conflicts between the characters and the Christian society of Salem, Massachusetts 1692. The concept of social pressure and rules are used to establish the play. If the common man in Salem is to work proficiently in his surroundings, he must participate in all social activities or he faces the consequences of untrue allegations. Miller uses the character John Proctor as a prime example whose individuality ultimately isolates him from his community. Proctor tries to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for this attempt is motivated by his past fault of committing adultery with Abigail Williams, who is leading the accusations. As the pressure from his peers grow on him, Proctor must decide whether to save himself, or to die and save Salem. The theme individual v. society exists through the character John Proctor. Proctor is cautious to speak openly due to his affair. He attempts to isolate himself from the first proceedings of the trial by stating to Reverend Hale, “I’ve heard you to be a sensible man Mr. Hale. I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem.” (Miller 1231). Proctor is trying to cleanse himself entirely of his affair, rather than get involved with the community. Elizabeth, his wife, encourages Proctor to speak out about his knowledge against false accusations against her. He is hesitant and responds, “I know I cannot keep [confessing his crime]. I say I will think on it!” (Miller 1237). Before Proctor can...
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...Hemphill, C. Dallett. "Women in Court: Sex-Role Differentiation in Salem, Massachusetts, 1636 to 1683." The William and Mary Quarterly 39, no. 1 (1982): 164-75. This source pints out the fact that men held power and authority over women since the beginning of Salem and throughout its development. The law was enforced by patriarchal figures and women were subjects who were expected to follow it. While Salem was a patriarchal society, it surprisingly also allowed women to testify in court and were active in their duties outside of the household. Women were aware of the social issues that surrounded them. This source shows the shift that occurred in Salem and caused women to eventually feel “economically helpless”. The experience of abuse between...
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...Dylan Gates Mr. Woody 4 November 2012 Accelerated English 2 Crucible Essay Straying from Puritanism The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was produced in 1953. To this day, the play remains very popular. In this play, Miller talks about a witch-hunt that took place in 1962 which compares to the “Red Scare” that went on in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s. Miller writes about a Puritan village with a Christian religion that seems to be forgotten when under pressure. Puritans are taught to stick to their Christian beliefs, and in The Crucible, they simply stray away from the beliefs and violate them to save their own life. One instance where they go away from their puritan beliefs is that the people of Salem drift away from each other and turn on each other. One very strong belief of Puritanism is that unity among them strengthened their community. In a Puritan community, they take care of each other’s needs and look out for their neighbors. In The Crucible, they certainly do not take care of one another. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Almost everyone in the play becomes very egocentric. This is all the effect of the accusations of witchcraft in Salem. Another instance where they stray from their Puritan religion is that they break many of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the ten basic rules that shall not be broken by any means by a firm Christian believer. One of the ten commandments they break during the play is killing. The bible clearly states in...
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...Thematic Questions 1. What is a crucible and how is it used? Justify Miller’s choice of title for his play. A crucible is a ceramic container that can withstand very high temperature and is used for metal, glass and pigment production as well as a number of modern laboratory processes. Miller’s choice of the title “The Crucible” is due to the same reason as the courtroom being referred to as a crucible: using the heat of questioning and scrutiny, they burned away all the impurities, i.e. lies and half-truths, to get the purified product the “truth”. 2. How do Hale’s preconceptions influence his interpretation of events? How does his interpretation change? What are the implications of his conversion? Hale’s preconceptions has influenced his interpretation of events in that he initially thought that he had the authority over the town due to his extensive knowledge of witchcraft. He expected to find witches, however his interpretation changes throughout the play as he realises that innocent townspeople are being falsely accused, such as John Proctor. The implications of his conversion are when he encourages the accused to confess, i.e. the good people to lie, even though he believes that he is doing the “Devil’s work”. 3. Proctor calls Hale “Pontius Pilate.” Explain the allusion. Do you agree or disagree? The allusion is that Pontius Pilate was the ruler in Bethlehem who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the order of the Jewish leadership, despite the...
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...The Salem Witch Trials A true test of faith History 2111 The people who resided in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts never realized that they would be the center of controversy and paranoia that would go down in history in the year 1692. The witch trials left residents and historians with more questions than answers, the trials caused the death of 20 individuals, and left others to perish imprisoned well after. The Salem witch trials easily became one of the countries’ most fascinating and controversial stories. History of Salem, Massachusetts The town of Salem was founded in 1926 at the mouth of the Naumkeag River. The town was originally named “Naumkeag,” and it became settled in 1629. The name was later changed to Salem, named after Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace. It was originally governed by John Endecott, who was appointed by the Massachusetts Bay Company. In 1630, a large group of English puritans came and settled in the area. Over the next ten years, there was a major migration of puritans to the Massachusetts area. The Puritans were a group of people who became dissatisfied with the Church of England and worked towards religious, moral and social reforms. For the Puritans, there was a belief that the devil was roaming and active on the earth. Puritans had always thought that they were the new chosen people, abandoning a land of sin and oppression to establish the Promised Land of New England. The Puritans believed that the Bible was God's true...
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