Reverend Samuel Parris changes dramatically throughout the action in The Crucible. In Act One, he rejects any involvement of witchcraft to protect his reputation in Salem. He wishes that the townspeople should “leap not to witchcraft… [because the townspeople] will howl [him] out of Salem for such corruption in [his] house” (13). However, after Reverend Hale remarks that the reason that the Devil chose Parris’s house to strike is because “it is the best that the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister,” Parris realizes that his reputation will not be tarnished, and begins to support the idea that witchcraft is present (39). In Act Three, Parris wholeheartedly defends the court and its work, claiming that any objection or defense is
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After hearing that there was talk of witchcraft happening in his home after catching Abigail and the other girls dancing in the forest, he repeatedly rambles to Abigail about the possibility of the rumor ruining his reputation saying, “just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character… my enemies will bring it out… and they will ruin me with it” (10-11). Parris’s panic over his reputation causes him to blame Abigail and immediately reject any talk of witchcraft because he is afraid that the townspeople will “howl [him] out of Salem for such corruption in [his] house” (13). Only after Hale reassures him that the reason the Devil is in his home is because “it is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister,” does Parris relax and begin supporting the idea, since his reputation will not be besmirched, but rather enhanced due to the idea that the people will think that he is a pure and holy man because the Devil’s attempts to corrupt him. Abigail Williams also worries about her reputation. Abigail threatens the other girls who danced and cast spells with her that if they spoke a word of what truly happened that night, then she “will come to [them] in the black of night and… bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder [them]” (19). She threatens to kill the girls to save her reputation and avoid punishment. Abigail later confesses to witchcraft to bring attention to herself and accuses others to better her reputation by saying that she “go[es] back to Jesus” and wants to redeem herself for her wrongdoings (45). The townspeople start to see Abigail as a saint because of her good work in exposing the witches so that the court is able to justly punish them for their evil acts. Abigail continues to accuse others to keep the attention on herself and to have the townspeople look highly on her. Giles Corey also frets over his reputation in his last
After hearing that there was talk of witchcraft happening in his home after catching Abigail and the other girls dancing in the forest, he repeatedly rambles to Abigail about the possibility of the rumor ruining his reputation saying, “just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character… my enemies will bring it out… and they will ruin me with it” (10-11). Parris’s panic over his reputation causes him to blame Abigail and immediately reject any talk of witchcraft because he is afraid that the townspeople will “howl [him] out of Salem for such corruption in [his] house” (13). Only after Hale reassures him that the reason the Devil is in his home is because “it is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister,” does Parris relax and begin supporting the idea, since his reputation will not be besmirched, but rather enhanced due to the idea that the people will think that he is a pure and holy man because the Devil’s attempts to corrupt him. Abigail Williams also worries about her reputation. Abigail threatens the other girls who danced and cast spells with her that if they spoke a word of what truly happened that night, then she “will come to [them] in the black of night and… bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder [them]” (19). She threatens to kill the girls to save her reputation and avoid punishment. Abigail later confesses to witchcraft to bring attention to herself and accuses others to better her reputation by saying that she “go[es] back to Jesus” and wants to redeem herself for her wrongdoings (45). The townspeople start to see Abigail as a saint because of her good work in exposing the witches so that the court is able to justly punish them for their evil acts. Abigail continues to accuse others to keep the attention on herself and to have the townspeople look highly on her. Giles Corey also frets over his reputation in his last