The Salem Witch Trials were a bloody time in colonial America during the 1600’s, depicted in Arthur Miller 's play, The Crucible. The events of the trials in the play are dramatically depicted, although the plot gives an accurate prediction of what would happen during a time of mass hysteria. Many characters have contributed to the mass hysteria, but some are more to blame than others. The character Mary Warren is more to blame than the character Abigail Williams because Mary is easily manipulated, has switched sides during the trials, and was not forthright with evidence.
Mary Warren is more to blame for the prolonging of the witch trials than Abigail because she is easily manipulated. In Act Two, when Hale and Cheever are questioning Mary about the poppet, Mary Warren questions herself about making the poppet. This excerpt from the play illustrates how Mary Warren is being …show more content…
After the trials began, Mary Warren was clearly on the court’s side. This passage clearly illustrates this, “Mary Warren: I told you the proof. It’s hard proof, hard as rock, the judges said.” (Miller 58).This quote shows where Mary takes a stand on the trials. Abigail also had sided with the court, but she had an ulterior motive, unlike Mary Warren who was just siding with the court blindly causing more harm than good. When Mary Warren went with John Proctor to testify against the girls,she was bullied into saying that John was threatening her. From page 118 in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Abigail and the girls acted like they were being attacked by Mary’s spectre until Mary gives in and sides with the girls again. This change of sides made it so more and more people would think good people, like John Proctor, would be susceptible to witchcraft. If Mary Warren had stayed on the same side, like Abigail, the accusations would have seemed more and more ludicrous and would have eventually died
Mary Warren is more to blame for the prolonging of the witch trials than Abigail because she is easily manipulated. In Act Two, when Hale and Cheever are questioning Mary about the poppet, Mary Warren questions herself about making the poppet. This excerpt from the play illustrates how Mary Warren is being …show more content…
After the trials began, Mary Warren was clearly on the court’s side. This passage clearly illustrates this, “Mary Warren: I told you the proof. It’s hard proof, hard as rock, the judges said.” (Miller 58).This quote shows where Mary takes a stand on the trials. Abigail also had sided with the court, but she had an ulterior motive, unlike Mary Warren who was just siding with the court blindly causing more harm than good. When Mary Warren went with John Proctor to testify against the girls,she was bullied into saying that John was threatening her. From page 118 in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Abigail and the girls acted like they were being attacked by Mary’s spectre until Mary gives in and sides with the girls again. This change of sides made it so more and more people would think good people, like John Proctor, would be susceptible to witchcraft. If Mary Warren had stayed on the same side, like Abigail, the accusations would have seemed more and more ludicrous and would have eventually died