Salem Witch Trials and Invisible World

“Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. Here are all your familiar spirits – your incubi and succubi; your witches that go by land, by air, and by sea; your wizards of the night and of the day. Have no fear now – we will crush him utterly if he has shown his face!” (Miller 39). This scene takes place when Reverend Hale is observing Betty in her bed. The people in the town think that witchcraft is among them and Parris invited Hale to come and investigate. This quote is significant because it shows us what puritans think about the Devil and witches and how they think they can help banish the Devil from their towns. This also gives hope to the town people that Hale has come to save the day. They believe that he can help them by ridding the town of all of the witches with his books and his knowledge. We see that he believes he can help them when he says “Have no fear now…” and tells them that the Devil will be crushed. This quote also tells us that the puritan people were very serious about the ridding of evil which we see later when the hangings begin. With all of the books and knowledge that the puritans have they know they can stop to Devil and his followers.
“Make your peace with it! Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped away – make your peace! Peace. It is providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God’s icy wind will blow!” (Miller 80-81) This scene takes place at the end of act two, after Elizabeth is taken away by Cheever for the court. Mary Warren and Proctor are arguing about Elizabeth’s need for Mary Warren to confess to the court about the fake witchcraft. Proctor realizes that Abby had hurt herself to get Elizabeth in trouble and summoned to court for witchcraft. Proctor sees that Abby is trying to make her revenge on Elizabeth and Proctor himself. This is