The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is an allegory for the 1950’s Red Scare that tells the story of the 1962 Salem Witch Trials. Miller shows how people 's jealousy, built up anger, and greed are responsible for the events of The Crucible.
Abigail Williams was a servant to the Proctor household but also, the mistress to John Proctor who was married to Elizabeth Proctor. When Elizabeth discovered the affair she fired Abigail and kicked her out of the house. By that time though, Abigail had already become infatuated with the idea that she and Proctor were more than just lovers, but instead soulmates. Abigail hated Elizabeth for keeping her from being with the main that she claimed to love. She would look and wait for John, hoping that …show more content…
Early in the book the character Ann Putnam is introduced as the mother of one of two girls in a coma like state that Putnam claimed to be a spell on her child. Mrs. Putnam had already lost 7 of her 8 children and claimed at first that it was the fault of her midwife, Goody Osborne but then changed the accusations to Osborne and Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca and her husband Francis Nurse have long had a feud with the Putnams, the feud goes generations back to a “land war [that the Nurses] fought with...neighbors, one of whom was a Putnam”(26). Since then there has always been a sort of hate between the Putnams and the Nurses because to the Putnams, the Nurses took land that was rightfully theirs. The Putnams also blame the Nurses for keeping the brother in law of Thomas Putnam from his rightful spot in the Salem ministry, because “The Nurse clan had been in the faction that prevented Bayleys taking office”(26) Along with many other disagreements over the years, the strong hate between these two families grew until Ann saw the way to take revenge. Since Rebecca Nurse had also been a midwife to Ann when her babies died, she decided to accuse Rebecca of the “marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam 's babies”(71) Originally the Ann had blamed Goody Osborne fore the death of the babies, but after realising that she could get back at …show more content…
They wrongfully accuse and hold back truths all so that they can keep or gain a high and respectable social status in the town. Reverend Parris is a much hated man in the town of Salem, many do not trust him and as John Proctor had put it, “[There is] no light of God in that man”(65). Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris, and also one of the 14 girls who he saw conjuring spirits in the woods. Parris has the highest social status in the town since he is considered to be the closest to God, and if the People of Salem were to find that out, they would overthrow him. He was terrified of being humiliated by the “faction that is sworn to drive [him] from [his] pulpit” (10). Despite Parris being an ordained minister, he lies to the courts about what is niece had done in order to save himself from damnation. Judge Danforth as well does not want to lose his credibility in the town and will sacrifice other people 's lives to save his good name. When asked to postpone the execution of Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor he says that, “postponement now speaks a floundering on [his] part”(129). Had Danforth postponed the execution and reevaluated the information he had been given, maybe John Proctor and Rebecca would have lived and been given justice. Danforth was afraid that the people would
Abigail Williams was a servant to the Proctor household but also, the mistress to John Proctor who was married to Elizabeth Proctor. When Elizabeth discovered the affair she fired Abigail and kicked her out of the house. By that time though, Abigail had already become infatuated with the idea that she and Proctor were more than just lovers, but instead soulmates. Abigail hated Elizabeth for keeping her from being with the main that she claimed to love. She would look and wait for John, hoping that …show more content…
Early in the book the character Ann Putnam is introduced as the mother of one of two girls in a coma like state that Putnam claimed to be a spell on her child. Mrs. Putnam had already lost 7 of her 8 children and claimed at first that it was the fault of her midwife, Goody Osborne but then changed the accusations to Osborne and Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca and her husband Francis Nurse have long had a feud with the Putnams, the feud goes generations back to a “land war [that the Nurses] fought with...neighbors, one of whom was a Putnam”(26). Since then there has always been a sort of hate between the Putnams and the Nurses because to the Putnams, the Nurses took land that was rightfully theirs. The Putnams also blame the Nurses for keeping the brother in law of Thomas Putnam from his rightful spot in the Salem ministry, because “The Nurse clan had been in the faction that prevented Bayleys taking office”(26) Along with many other disagreements over the years, the strong hate between these two families grew until Ann saw the way to take revenge. Since Rebecca Nurse had also been a midwife to Ann when her babies died, she decided to accuse Rebecca of the “marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam 's babies”(71) Originally the Ann had blamed Goody Osborne fore the death of the babies, but after realising that she could get back at …show more content…
They wrongfully accuse and hold back truths all so that they can keep or gain a high and respectable social status in the town. Reverend Parris is a much hated man in the town of Salem, many do not trust him and as John Proctor had put it, “[There is] no light of God in that man”(65). Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris, and also one of the 14 girls who he saw conjuring spirits in the woods. Parris has the highest social status in the town since he is considered to be the closest to God, and if the People of Salem were to find that out, they would overthrow him. He was terrified of being humiliated by the “faction that is sworn to drive [him] from [his] pulpit” (10). Despite Parris being an ordained minister, he lies to the courts about what is niece had done in order to save himself from damnation. Judge Danforth as well does not want to lose his credibility in the town and will sacrifice other people 's lives to save his good name. When asked to postpone the execution of Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor he says that, “postponement now speaks a floundering on [his] part”(129). Had Danforth postponed the execution and reevaluated the information he had been given, maybe John Proctor and Rebecca would have lived and been given justice. Danforth was afraid that the people would