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Witches in the crucible
Who speaks out against the witch trials in the crucible
John proctors actions in the crucible
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This part of the play occurs after Parris finds Tituba and the group of girls in the woods dancing and doing other things that the village would see as witchcraft. During all of the talking of witchcraft and the village trying to get to the bottom of this, Parris is only worried about his
In the beginning of the movie, Reverend Parris questions Abigail about why Elizabeth Proctor let her go from working at her home. Parris knows something occurred between John and Abigail. In the play, Parris suspects something happened between the two, but does not come out and say it like he did in the movie. Parris only hints at knowing about why she was asked to leave the Proctor house. Parris says to her in the play, “Is there any other cause that you have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctor’s service?”
Reverend Parris is supposed to be a great Pastor in the little town of Salem; however he continues to be fixated on the belief of witches. The author, Arthur Miller was born in Manhattan in 1915 that has written several popular plays, but focuses on the Witch trails in his play, “The Crucible”. The Crucible focuses many of the witch trails that take place in Salem. The Minister of Salem’s church, Reverend Parris believes in witches after finding his daughter and other girls dancing in the woods. Reverend Parris is extremely paranoid and worries about becoming better known within the community.
Although Samuel Parris was sought out to be a respected reverend, his personal and physical actions make him an ugly selfish man. Samuel Parris shows that he is not an honest man throughout the play. Samuel Parris states early on that he didn’t see the girls dancing in the forest in court, while he constantly says to Abigail that he saw her, this is ironic because Parris gets defensive of others apparent lies. “Excelecy, you surely cannot think to let so vile a lie be spread in open court.”
He is helping Abigail the best that he can considering that her parents are dead. “I have given you a home, child, I have put clothes upon your back- now give me upright answer. Your name in the town- it is entirely white, is it not?” (1263). Parris’ personality is that he is self-centered and he is more worried about his reputation than the girls practicing witchcraft and makes sure that his reputation is all around still the way he wants it.
In Arthur Millard’s play The Crucible it follows the events of the Salem witch trials in the 1690s, and particularly for this play if follows the Puritans of the town as they struggle with the idea that the devil walks among them. One of the more prominent characters in the story is the preacher Reverend Parris whom is the pastor within the town, and as the story progresses it becomes more apart to the reader that he is more like many modern people than any of the other characters in the play. So three modern Interpretations of Reverend Parris are Ebenezer Scrooge, Donald Trump, and the entirety of humanity. For my First example I choose Ebenezer, because in a sense he is a older version of Parris. First both are men in their later years
He joins the mob and follows the others to protect his own reputation. If he would lose his reputation, people would think of him as a worse pastor than he already is. Also, if there is witchcraft in his household, he will lose his position of being the reverend of Salem. Parris becomes mad and accuses Abigail of compromising his character in this passage: “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, child.
I am Elizabeth Proctor, widow of John Proctor and mother to two children. Reverend Samuel Parris is the Revered of the local church I attend on occasion. The recent events in Salem of the supposed outbreak of witchcraft in the community has left many family heartbroken because of the lies believed in this court. The unjust punishment no, mass murder. I will not blink at this brutality which is due to this man’s carelessness.
Parris argues that Proctor is not a true Christian because he often misses church and works on Sundays “Such a Christian that will not go to church but once a month” (Miller 90). As Minister, Parris has the authority to say who is religious. He uses this to his advantage and makes Proctor look bad in front of Danforth. Since Parris is the minister of the church, Danthford believes him without question. At the end of the play Parris ends up losing his legitimate power because as more and more people are falsely accused of being witches, the community stops believing in the trials and the people leading
Parris says,”’ He’s come to overthrow this court, your Honor”’ (Miller 185). Reverend Parris is convincing Judge Danforth, that John Proctor is trying to dismantle the court, but John is only there to save the lives of those on trial. Marlow wrote, “Parris is evident in the stage directions where we first see Parris encounter his niece and are directly informed that she is glamorous and a compulsive liar” (1). Marlow is saying how Reverend Parris knows Abigail is a compulsive liar, but he believes her anyway.
This quote demonstrates how reverend Parris is only interested in his good reputation and will do anything to keep it that way. He makes it clear to Abigail that he had to fight and prove himself to get into the position he is in right now and that he would not let her bad conduct ruin this for him. By saying “stiff necked people” it demonstrates that Parris has no respect for the People of Salem and that he doesn’t really care about their welfare he only looks out for himself as his family. By asking Abigail “your name in the town-it is entirely white, is not”? it shows that he is aware that his niece doesn’t have a good reputation in the town after being fire from the Proctor’s house.
Throughout the Crucible I think Parris knew all along that Abigail and the others weren’t being honest and made up the whole witchery idea to save themselves but he said nothing to remain his good reputation in salem because if his niece Abigail was proven to be lying than people would think less of
He understood that the spectacle would raise suspicion of witchcraft among the people of Salem, and he would be implicated. He eventually took advantage of the situation to protect his position and punish a faction in the community that he suspected actively opposed him. Parris seemed glad when the girls started mentioning people they saw with the devil because it distanced his family from the situation. The focus was redirected at those who were mentioned by the girls. Parris can be blamed for setting a tone for his daughter and the people that will make them hysterical; As well as trying to point the finger at other people, to make sure no one blames him for what is going on.
Parris is a very self-centered man and is very embedded in his place in the community. He is a preacher for the church of Salem and his niece and daughter have been “bewitched” or so he thinks. Parris believes what he does is just and that no one should oppose him. This is also why he refuses to let news about his niece and daughter get out, he doesn’t want people to overthrow his position. Parris is a static character due to his nature of unchanging personality wise throughout the crucible, he is always self-centered.
(Act I. line 158-167). In the begging of the book Parris stand before his daughter’s bed and talk to Abigail what happened in the wood. At first we will think he is a good father who worried about his daughter, but then throughout his sentences we know he is just care about his position as a minister. “You people seem not to comprehend that a minister is the Lord’s man in the Parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted—”(Act I. line 823-827). Parris's repeated demonstrations of exceedingly selfish behavior don't help him.
