Salem Witchcraft Trials vs. the Crucible Essay

The purpose of my paper is to compare and contrast Arthur Miller’s The Crucible with the actual witch trials that took place in Salem in the 17th Century. Although many of the characters and events in the play were non-fictional, many details were changed by the playwright to add intrigue to the story. While there isn’t one specific cause or event that led to the Salem witch trials, it was a combination of events and factors that contributed to the birth and growth of the trials. Some of these events included: a small pox outbreak that was happening at the time, the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter by Charles II, and the constant fear of Native attacks. These helped in creating anxiety among the early Puritans that

“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it,” said George Santayana. If this is true, then why have we continued to repeat something like the Salem Witch Trials on more than one occasion, including the recent uproar of sexual assault accusations? Although The Crucible and modern day accusations of sexual assault differ in the ways that these assault accusations are in modern times and they are also on something that is not related to religious beliefs, they ultimately have more in common, like how evidence was and is shaky for some cases, all accusations were started by a domino effect, and reputations were ultimately ruined even if the accused were proven innocent eventually.

Although Hale’s overall goal was to bring justice and protect those who were innocent, Giles Corey’s only priority was to protect his wife from being falsely convicted of being involved in witchery. Corey’s guilt is intensified when, because of his comment about his wife’s reading habits, she is accused of being a witch. Believing that his comment might lead to her ultimate demise, Giles Corey heads to the court with Nurse, Hale, and Proctor to plead his wife’s case. Once in the court, Corey attempts to bring to light the fact that greed and selfishness are the motivation for the accusations of many of those convicted of being witches. He even believes that this is the cause for his wife as well stating that “Thomas Putnam is reaching out for

Giles Corey tried to speak out and stop the trials, but was evidently “pressed” to death after not giving up names of other people wanting it to stop (1226). Giles was primarily focused on the stopping of witchcraft in the beginning of the play, he even hinted at the fact his wife may be using witchcraft. “It discomfits me! Last night - mark this - I tried and tried and could not

Nineteen men and women were hanged from June to September of 1692, as a consequence of being accused of witchcraft. It all started in February, 1692, when Betty Parris, Reverend Samuel Parris’s daughter, became oddly ill. No one knows the exact cause of her illness, whether it was from boredom or an actual disease called “Convulsive Ergotism.” (Unknown, What Happened, Unknown). This disease begins when a person eats ergot infected rye (ergot is a fungus that invades developing kernels of rye grain, especially in warm and damp conditions, which was Salem’s summer before). This disease causes violent fits, a crawling feeling on the skin, vomiting, choking, and hallucinations. (Unknown, What Happened, Unknown). This is only a theory and does not fully explain the reason of her fits. Her fits consisted of her claiming that witches were biting and clawing at her. Since a Boston Irish washerwoman had earlier been accused of witchcraft, people in the Salem began believing that the Devil was at hand, and so they believed her and her fits. (Unknown, What Happened, Unknown) Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott joined the fun with Betty. They

Elizabeth Proctor was his wife and had to sacrifice her own life and her baby's life because she was pregnant, all because of a lie. Giles Corey was loyal to a man who was wanted in court. Instead of telling the court who the man was Giles sacrificed his life and was crushed with a stone to death. Reverend Hale sacrificed his beliefs and points of view and was hung. All of

Although many people have their assumptions as to what specifically caused the Salem Witch Trials, no one has a definite account. One must use logic and prior knowledge to come to the conclusion and realize that multiple factors play a key role in causing the trials. The Salem Witch Trials were caused by religion, politics, teenage boredom, family feuds, economic conditions, and fears of the people. The overall effect of the trials was a major part in American history, not only was it a learning experience for but also present day America. The country can learn how to prevent future outbreaks due to fear and how to cope with loss.

The Salem Witch Trials is one of many events in America that will always be remembered, but not in a good way. People look back and think of all the rather terrible things that occurred in the town of Salem. The Salem witch trials happened in 1692 through 1693 and was a series of people being accused of witchcraft. More than two hundred innocent people were accused with practicing witchcraft and 20 were wrongfully executed. Eventually the town of Salem said that the trials were a terrible mistake and regretted what they have done to all the people they wronged. The worst part is that everyone that was accused and pleaded innocent turned up to be guilty and wasn 't able to prove themselves otherwise. The problem they had back then was that

Throughout these trials, many of the citizens of the town are convicted to death by hanging. The cause of these being because many of them wouldn’t confess to the practice of witchcraft. Many of the people who had plead not guilty, or wouldn’t confess to being witches, were being honest to themselves and to their fellow citizens. For example, Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor, both either didn’t confess, or didn’t fully confess. Rebecca Nurse was kind-hearted and described as “the woman of self-dignity”.

As the trials go on, many more accusations are made. Giles Corey accuses Putnam of trying to get other landowners hanged for witchcraft so that he can have their land for himself. Marshall Danforth asks for a source and the person’s name. Giles says that he cannot give out the person’s name. Giles is in the court because his wife, Martha Corey had been arrested and accused of witchcraft. She gave away a pig to a man, and the pig became ill and died shortly after the pig was acquired. Francis Nurse is in the court because his wife, Rebecca Nurse was arrested too. He along with Giles continue to confront Danforth about Putnam’s doing, but Danforth responds with that they will have to put their thoughts into writing

Puritans had a strong belief about the witchcraft. Since 1692 when the Salem Witchcraft first started. In the Crucible Abigail Williams was accused of witchcraft, as well as Betty when it started. In the book they called it the Salem witchcraft which in comparison to the actually witchcraft trials. On september 22 the were 14 people hanged just like in the actually book. At the beginning the suspect tituba, elizabeth, parris and abigail

The year 1692 marked a major event in history in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witchcraft Trials still leaves this country with so many questions as to what happened in that small town. With all the documentation and accounts of the story, people are still wondering why 19 people died as a result of these trials. This paper will discuss the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials and the events that took place during and after the trials, and the men and women who were killed or spent the remainder of their lives in jail. The Salem Witch Trials has become one of the countries most fascinating stories.

Witchcraft was as a capital crime in seventeenth-century New England. A hysteria over it was caused by a group of girls. (Kent 95). Witchcraft was considered a terrible crime throughout Europe; its punishment was death by hanging or burning. (Dolan 8). Everyone in the village of Salem believed in witchcraft, and only a few have tried to use it. (Kent 18). In 1692, Salem Village hysteria was a major event in United States history, which will never be forgotten. The people of Salem were caught up in a hysteria of accusing many innocent woman of witchcraft, even though it started as just a couple young girls who had acted strangely.

In the play itself, Giles Corey dies by being crushed by the overbearing weight of stones piled upon him, eventually crushing his chest. All of the torture Corey was put through was an attempt to convince him to change his statement, which was supported by anonymous witnesses that he would not name, that Thomas Putnam was using the witch trials to his advantage and buying off the land of the jailed or death-sentenced accused. Though his statement was true, the people of Salem did not appreciate the thought that the accusations made against the “witches” could be false and solely for self benefit, especially for a townsperson as well known as Thomas Putnam. Corey’s loyalty to both the truth and second hand witnesses resulted in the loss of his life, but not without bringing attention to the situation. As mentioned by Elizabeth Proctor, “...Rebecca and Corey protect their integrity and their souls

The Judge in charge of sentencing everyone to be hanged was Judge Danforth. He was in charge of deciding whether or not they should be sentenced to their death. Judge Danforth continued to accuse people of witchcraft and was sending them all to a jail where they would be left until there time has come to be hung. He didn’t want his power to be questioned and so he didn’t want to give the people power over him by telling him that they weren’t guilty. He says to Martha Corey,” ...you have given yourself to the reading of fortunes. Do you deny it?” he was accusing Martha Corey of witchcraft because of what she has