Strange Events In 'Oyer And Terminer'

Decent Essays
Chapter six, “Oyer and Terminer” thesis is Samuel Sewall experiencing strange events was taking place up the coast of Boston, Massachusetts. The chapter pens up discussing about the news of a woman named Elizabeth Cory. For example, Elizabeth Cory heard the new that she was a witch and went to Salem Village to see exactly what was going on. Cory realized that Abigail Williams who was around 11 or 12 and the girls did not recognize Elizabeth but the girls later started to act out and had a warrant made for her arrest. During her trial, Elizabeth was told to touch Tituba's husband John Indian, but when she had done so she was grabbed by her hand and pulled down to the ground. Another strange event that occurred in Salem was Sewall's friend John

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    In The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History, Peter C. Hoffer closely examines the many complexities of the bizarre Salem Witchcraft Trials and offers explanations as to what led up to and caused the terrible event. In the book, Hoffer uses analogies and insight to village life to support his explanations. This paper will review Hoffer’s re accounting of the trials, his theories on the trails, and the way in which he presents his arguments.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the novel Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Godbeer depicted a tale of fascinating events that took place. In the town of Stamford, Connecticut in the year of 1692 resided a young girl name Katherine Branch who served as a responsible house servant for Daniel and Abigail Wescot. Katherine Branch never gave the Wescot’s any trouble when it came to doing her daily duties such as cleaning, and doing errands. On one fine day Kate was sent out to a nearby field to pick some herbs for the Wescot’s. Kate had returned empty handed and her eyes were filled with tears running down her face.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Matthew Miller The Crucible In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, trends are an important role throughout the events of the novel due to it being set in times of extreme religion. While It can be said that historical and political trends are more influential than social trends in Salem as well as the McCarthy trials. Social trends as they relate to gender roles are the most influential in the subsequent events that were partaken in Salem, Massachusetts in addition to how the author allegorizes the McCarthy trials of 1953. One example the Crucible showing social trends influencing the salem witch trials during the 1690’s is when Reverend Parris's a puritan priest who strives for social love, talks about his Niece Abigail the main accuser, and the…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Salem Witch Trial In 1629, Salem was settled as a Massachusetts Bay Colony (Dunn 4). Little did anybody know that in about 50 years, this land would turn into one of the most remembered and haunted places in the world. In Salem, in the years between 1692 and 1693, over 150 people were accused of witchcraft, and 20 people were executed because of this accusation (“First Salem Witch Hanging”). This report will explain exactly how these executions happened and some of the dark conspiracies that tag along with it.…

    • 1680 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Abigail Williams Blame

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is most to blame in the Salem witch trials. She was an orphan that lived in Salem, Massachusetts with her uncle, reverend Pairrs, and her cousin, Betty Parris. She was seventeen years old and the leader of the group of girls in Salem. Miller demonstrated that it was Abigail William’s flaws - Dishonestly, Lust, and vengefulness – that led her to be most responsible for the tragedy of the witch-hunt in Salem.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Miller referred to her as the “human center of all this turmoil” (3) when she began accusing women in the town of witchcraft. Fear is what gave Abigail power over the town. The other townspeople were too afraid to accuse Abigail of false convictions for fear of being charged and hung as witches themselves. People betrayed neighbors either for their own safety or even for acquisition of land in some cases. The social morals of the town were muted with there a balancing act between right and wrong.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Each person embodies the characteristics, whether it be for personal reasons or for the fear of the witch hunt. Abigail Williams and John Proctor represent hysteria and paranoia having to deal with personal conflicts and issues with the witch hunt. In Puritan society in 1692, religion was a very big factor in how people behaved. They went to church, didn’t work on Sundays, and had respect for others.…

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Crucible portrays the events of the Salem witch trials and the havoc it has created upon a puritanical society. In Arthur Miller’s play, panic and hysteria of witchcraft fall upon the whole community. Within this particular assembly of characters, there are some unforgettable characters whose actions can, in a sense, change the town. These characters — Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor — stand out among the rest. Selfish traits and actions of revenge grow in Abigail’s heart while selflessness and forgiveness lie in Elizabeth’s heart.…

    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Proctor is a noble and well-respected man living in the small town of Salem in Massachusetts with his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children. The citizens of Salem view John Proctor as an honourable man and a voice of reason. The truth, however, is that John Proctor exhibits one fatal…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I Tituba Symbolism

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Maryse Condé’s revisionist novel I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, aims to expose the bigoted society of Salem and wrote this story based on a “witch’s” testimony by a woman with the name “Tituba”. The records of the actual Salem Witch Trials have little information about the historical Tituba, showing how unimportant the officials of Salem considered her. Conde’s character, however, was not highly regarded, essentially being a nonperson to the white settlers of Salem. Her skin color, religious beliefs and practices, all terrified the Puritans and they consequently blamed her for all their problems. Maryse Condé, in I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, utilizes religious imagery and the changing views of Tituba, in her descriptions of Salem and…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With a deadly mix of radicalism and hysteria, the once-peaceful village became a nightmare for those who didn't fit the perfect Puritanical mold. John Proctor is given a disproportionately punishment to his crime — yes, he commits lechery. Yes, he lies to his community about the affair with Abigail Williams. No individual, however, deserves the suffering these accused witches are forced to experience. Their society turned its back on them; they are beaten, tortured, humiliated, excommunicated.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft trials which arose after a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts, claimed to have been bewitched by some of the older women in the colony. Twenty individuals were put to death by the Governor of Massachusetts because of this. Our story begins after these events with a woman known as Abigail Williams. Williams was one of the main accusers involved in these trials and is responsible for the deaths and troubles of many. The year is 1694, Abigail is now living in the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados.…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The PROTAGONIST and TRAGIC HERO, John Proctor is CHARACTERIZED as dignified, prideful, strong, and guilty. In this play, Abigail’s uncle, Reverend Parris, caught Abigail and a few other girls dancing in the woods one night with his slave Tituba, and after that night Reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty, has not woken up. Everyone misinterpreted this for witchcraft. After all of the commotion and the thoughts of witchcraft coming from the crowd outside of Parris’ home, Betty woke up and screamed out that Abigail has to tell the truth about drinking the chicken’s blood which would make Proctor love her again or Betty will tell the truth herself. Abigail then threatened Betty and all of the other girls with violence if they do not keep their mouths shut about the blood.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    She created chaos in the town of Salem. Abigail Williams took joy from the witch trials, presenting an innocent character to others; despite being dishonest, selfish, and lustful while not caring about innocent human lives. Abigail Williams was attracted through lust towards John Proctor, which caused her to make bad decisions. Abigail wept, “John-I am waitin’ for you every night” (21). Abigail wants John Proctor to continue the affair with her.…

    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Women, who held a subordinate position to men, gained a unique power over them, and used it to their advantage. Women such as Abigail Williams and Mary Warren, who bowed their heads in the presence of men such as John Proctor or Reverend Hale, had also struck fear and paranoia in their hearts each day. These women, and the rumors about the supposed witchcraft they practiced, are the sole purpose behind the confusion and terror washing over this town. Most knew, and fully understood how to stay alive and, in Abigail Williams’ case, get her own way. Men believe women are beneath them,…

    • 1119 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays