It was the late 1600’s and people of strong religion in Salem‚ Massachusetts were becoming oddly stricken by recent events regarding the practice of witchcraft. Through this period of time twenty people were executed due to mere assumption to have been involved in witchcraft or Devil worship. Living through these events and making accounts of them were two men by the names‚ Cotton Mather and John Hale. Both Cotton Mather and John Hale‚ influential Puritan Ministers‚ were supporters of the Salem Witch
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John Proctor fears his name’s identity‚ which is evident near the end of the play when he resists Deputy Danforth and Reverend Hale’s posting his name on the church door‚ accusing him of witchcraft (IV.712-717). John Proctor is Elizabeth Proctor’s husband‚ who involved in an affair with Abigail Williams when she was still working as the Proctor’s maid. Elizabeth fires Abigail‚ once she realizes her maid and her husband’s covert relationship. Elizabeth’s dismissal causes Abigail to become very angry
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siding with the court and he starts siding with those who are innocently accused and executed. He feels personally responsible for their deaths and tries to save as many people as he possibly can. John in an attempt to save his skin‚ then admits to witchcraft‚ but will not give anyone else up for it. He also will not sign the confession as to preserve his good name. He is then hung because of his refusal‚ and his wife doesn’t stop him so that John can die with his
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world where people saw the Devil lurking behind every misfortune‚ it is little wonder they believed evil spirits were at work. But there may have been stronger factors behind the witch hunts—the Puritan lifestyle‚ a strong belief in the Devil and witchcraft‚ the divisions within Salem Village‚ and the expectations of
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Throughout history there have been endless occurrences that involved the suspicion of witches. Perhaps the most notorious occurrence happened back in 17th century colonial Massachusetts‚ where the village of Salem was torn apart by the accusations of witchcraft. Many innocent women and men were accused‚ tried‚ and executed during the Salem Witch Trials based on the false beliefs surrounding such tests as the touch test‚ pressing‚ devil’s marks and other absurd methods of examination. The year 1692 marked
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Examine who is to blame in The Crucible? Thesis The social influences‚ spiritual authority‚ and bitter vengeance that Judge Danforth‚ Abigail Williams‚ and the average citizen of Salem strongly portrayed exemplifies the failure of a non-secular society and a community built on God that was destined to fail. Judge Danforth Danforth refuses to postpone the hearings until they investigate further. Abigail may have got the ball rolling or so to speak‚ but Danforth could have stopped the hangings and
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it is too late‚ and nobody will believe him because his name is no longer good. This shows that having a good name was so important in this society that you would risk your friends being convicted of witchcraft to keep your name ‘white’. Toward the end‚ when Proctor is about to confess to witchcraft‚ he refuses to sign away his name “you have taken my soul‚ leave me my name!” He yells‚ and from this we see there is nothing more important to him. Similarly‚ Judge Danforth is fixated on having a good
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in the beginning to an uneasy and complex character at the end. In Act I Reverend‚ or John‚ Hale is presented to the reader in a straightforward manner. Reverend Hale is from Boston and has been called to Salem by Parris concerning the topic of witchcraft. He is highly regarded as a witch expert. In his own words he states he has "a good deal of his time pondering the invisible world‚ especially since he had himself encountered a witch in his (own)
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outbreak of encephalitis because the girls showed signs of sickness and questionable actions. In February 1692‚ the people of Salem were all caught up in a case of mass hysteria: (Saxon). Eight girls ruled the town by accusing their neighbors of witchcraft (Saxon). It all began with two young girls who had become so called victims of‚”fits or natural disease‚ including screams‚ strange contortions‚ and throwing objects” (Bellows‚ Rye and Witches). The girls questionable sicknesses were caused by
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Author Miller in his play The Crucible explores the lives of people who strictly live under the church’s authority in a theocratic society during the 1690s in Salem‚ Massachusetts. A community of Puritans with their strong beliefs will cause a paranoia in their entire village. The ministers of the church afraid of losing their power will do anything to keep it. Other individuals seek power for their own personal vendetta. With the use of direct characterization‚ allusion‚ and irony Miller shows his
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