Callous attitudes in the Crucible
The Crucible Essay
In the Crucible, Arthur Miller writes of the hysteria during Salem Witch Trials, hoping that the world will never do anything stupid again because of hysteria. During the Salem Witch Trials there were many people that chose to act as individuals, rather than a community. Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris , and Abigail Williams had the power to stop, and even prevent the trials, but chose not to because they did not care for anyone except themselves. Judge Danforth could have stopped the trials when he found out that he was wrong about the whole thing. Also, Parris is the reason the trails took place, and Abigail Williams fed the flame of hysteria throughout the trails. These three individual contribute to callous attitudes that exist in Salem, and cause the ultimate deaths of the innocent.
Reverend Parris is the reason the trials occurred in the first place. One night he saw that his niece, Abigail Williams and all of the other girls were dancing, and singing in the forest he became very angry at them. When he asked them the next day what happened none of the children wanted to be whipped, so they made up stories that they were bewitched. As, the problem escalated he wanted to protect his own name so he went along with the hysteria of the town.
“Thomas, Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft, I know that you- you least of all, Thomas, would never wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house.”
This quote depicts Parris’ desperate try to protect his name. Also, this quote shows the reader that Parris had good reason to lie throughout the play. Parris did not want to be kicked out of Salem like all the other priests that have been to Salem. For example, for much of Act 3 Proctor and Mary fight to bring out the truth of the witch trials, but the entire time Parris was trying to undermine their efforts with false accusations and irrelevant questions.
In the Crucible, Arthur Miller writes of the hysteria during Salem Witch Trials, hoping that the world will never do anything stupid again because of hysteria. During the Salem Witch Trials there were many people that chose to act as individuals, rather than a community. Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris , and Abigail Williams had the power to stop, and even prevent the trials, but chose not to because they did not care for anyone except themselves. Judge Danforth could have stopped the trials when he found out that he was wrong about the whole thing. Also, Parris is the reason the trails took place, and Abigail Williams fed the flame of hysteria throughout the trails. These three individual contribute to callous attitudes that exist in Salem, and cause the ultimate deaths of the innocent.
Reverend Parris is the reason the trials occurred in the first place. One night he saw that his niece, Abigail Williams and all of the other girls were dancing, and singing in the forest he became very angry at them. When he asked them the next day what happened none of the children wanted to be whipped, so they made up stories that they were bewitched. As, the problem escalated he wanted to protect his own name so he went along with the hysteria of the town.
“Thomas, Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft, I know that you- you least of all, Thomas, would never wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house.”
This quote depicts Parris’ desperate try to protect his name. Also, this quote shows the reader that Parris had good reason to lie throughout the play. Parris did not want to be kicked out of Salem like all the other priests that have been to Salem. For example, for much of Act 3 Proctor and Mary fight to bring out the truth of the witch trials, but the entire time Parris was trying to undermine their efforts with false accusations and irrelevant questions.