A slave brought to the Americas from Barbados, Tituba is a naive, and significant character overlooked in Puritan Society. She caused the uproar of witchcraft making Tituba responsible for the mass hysteria that occurred in Salem. Brought to Salem from Barbados, Tituba began working as Reverend Parris slave. Following her culturally rooted background, Tituba brought along a group of girls into the woods to start casting spells, and perform “black magic.” Eventually in the story the girls are found dancing in the woods by Reverend Parris and the blame is amongst Tituba. Being an extremely vulnerable character she automatically relinquished. As her last resort she names characters and accuses them of being along side of the Devil that came to her. In a quote, her timidness can easily be represented. “(In a fury) He say Mr.Parris must be killed (...) But he say you work for me Tituba …show more content…
Bless him (She is rocking on her knees sobbing in terror) (Miller.1.134).” This confession is an obvious implication of acting without thinking, which, can be another reason for the hysteria.Due to the quick decision she made it impacted the girls greatly because most measures they took were not well-thought out. Immediately after the impetuous actions Tituba took the girls followed in her steps by falsely accusing many innocent civilians in Salem. Tituba: “(...) And there was Goody Good (Miller.1.134).” In which all the girls who joined in Tituba start accusing people “Aye, sir and Goody Osbourn (Miller.1.136).” From the beginning to when leading the girls to the woods, and influencing them to accuse many innocent people. Tituba is a very persuasive character as she gave it upon these girls to accuse many other innocent Salemites, maybe not directly but you could definitely see a substantial decision the group of girls took upon themselves to accuse many other people after Tituba
An arrest warrant was issued out against for Tituba Indian in Salem Village on February 29, 1692. There were also arrest warrants out for Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. All three of these women were accused of witch craft and examined the day after they were captured. They were examined at Nathaniel Ingersoll’s tavern in the Salem Town. This examination was performed by Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne.
On February 29, 1692, issued warrants were released for Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba for witchcraft. Good, a beggar, and Osborne, a poor elderly woman, both claimed they were innocent and Tituba, a Caribbean slave from Elizabeth Parris’ family, confessed to being a witch. Tituba not only confessed to doing witchcraft but that there was a whole coven of witches in Salem, making her not the only one. Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams were experiencing tremors, spasms, fits and crying while throwing things. All of this made everyone suspicious about witchcraft.
Rosenthal’s article focuses on Tituba’s life and how she played a role within the Salem Witch Trials. Rosenthal sheds light on the fact that Tituba was married, which is left out in several documentations of her. He also brings up the fact that she admitted to doing witchcraft and the infamous circle of girls she told stories to. He shares that not many people would know that her plan was not to cause a ruckus upon Salem but to ultimately warn people of the devil.
Tituba caused the witch hunt outrage in Salem. Tituba was the servant of Reverend Parris. Practicing black magic was one of her hobbies and she showed this hobby to Reverend Parris’s curious daughter and niece. The young
In the winter of 1691-1692 Tituba taught black magic to a group of young girls. In May 1692, Samuel Parris and his daughter and niece gave testimony against Tituba. The people of Salem Village realized how easy it was to accuse people of witchcraft that they accused anyone that they despised bringing them to
they had a feud of some kind with the accused. It all started when little Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail met an Indian slave named Tituba and asked for their fortunes. After that, the girls were seen, as put by Reverend Samuel Parris, “getting into Holes, creeping under Chairs and Stools,...” and were questioned on the matter. Under pressure, they identified two local white women and Tituba herself. Throughout the spring, a large chunk of the Salem population was accused, executed, and jailed for being witches.
Because the fact that she told the truth, Tituba did not have to go to trial and ended up being a big help with catching the rest of the witches. The other witch was Sarah Good. She had been accused by 7 people. One of those 7 was her own daughter, Dorcas Good. Sarah was arrested on March 23th and executed on July 19th.
Doctor William Griggs declared all those afflicted bewitched and the village agreed with this statement. Indian slave couple Tituba and John were accused in the making of the witch-cake which all those afflicted had had. Tituba was reverend Parris slave, caretaker of Abigail and Betty. February 25 and 28 Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good also accused as the tormentors. The first three women to be accused witches were not originally born in Salem and Tituba was also linked towards the Indian war.
Later in the story Tituba under the pressure of the court confest which ignited a hunt for witches. in both the salem witch trials and the red scare people where both paranoid of something. At the time of the witch trials the people were afraid of evil spirits, and the devil if you were accused of being a witch you would lose almost everything you owned. With the power of the church the people of Salem where easy overpowered by Propaganda and hysteria, with this people started so claim any was a witches for power, land, and even political strength. “We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”
Once Abigail is indicted of witch craft she exclaims that Tituba "...sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer," Tituba quickly retaliates only for Abigail to inform Reverend Hale she is lying (Miller 43). Albeit Abigail wasn't so selfish and took the punishment she deserved, none of the accusations would have been made. Protecting herself was her only goal but little did she know that it started the whirlwind of dreadful events. Abigail makes things worse when she has to threaten the other girls such as Betty to lie. Abigail warns the girls that if, "...either of [them] breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and [she] will come to [them] in the black of some terrible night and [she] will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you" (Miller 20), it was crystal clear that if one rats her out they're dead.
The narrator describes Salem as a new town with strict puritan way of life and its out look on the rest of the world. The town saw itself as persecuted a legacy of persecution puritans faced in the old world because the puritans sought a community they managed to survive. Around 1692 much that was good about the puritans the narrator suggests has been lost. The Salem witch trials were an opportunity for the neighbors to vent against neighbors to publicly air long standing jealousy to accuse those they disliked and all while sounding righteous and religious. The first scene opens as Tituba the Rev Parisis slave enters the bedroom.
This shows Hale feeding Tituba the flames to a fire, giving her the power to accuse any person from the village. Little did he know that this would lead to Abigail and many others accusing innocent people of toying with the Devil. Reverend Hale ultimately proves himself culpable for the hysteria that struck the Salem because of these false accusations. Not only was Hale responsible for incorrect claims, but his narrow point of view widely affected the witch
So speak utterly, Tituba, turn your back on him and face God- face God, Tituba, and God will protect you” (Miller 44, Act 1). Tituba, the lowest of the low, has her status temporarily elevated because of the witch trials. Normally, she is the one told what to do and told to obey; now, however, she has the power of life and death over others. With the “good” power and the “bad” power being displayed in the town of Salem, times got very puzzling for the court and
To begin, it is a popular belief that Tituba, a slave in the story, was justified in her confession to witchcraft in order to save her own life. After the girls of Salem peg Tituba as the culprit for corrupting their souls and torturing them, she is interrogated and accused by characters such as the esteemed Reverend Hale and town’s Reverend, Mr. Parris. Finally, Parris exclaims, “ You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!” (1.941-942). Tituba instantly confesses, and saves herself from a terrible death.
Tituba is one of the first three women to be accused of witchcraft. But, she is the only one of them to survive the witch trials. Many historians think that Tituba introduced the “afflicted” girls to witchcraft. Her confession legitimized suspicions and led to investigations (Ray 2002). Meanwhile, John Proctor was actually around sixty years old at the time the Salem Witch Trials took place.