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
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.
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.
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.”
Reverend Parris is a man in his 40’s that is a minister of the town, and lives with his daughter, Betty, and his niece, Abigail, in Salem, Massachusetts. He finds Abigail and Betty in the woods dancing around a fire with Tituba, and practicing what he thinks is witchcraft. As he finds them dancing around the fire and practicing what he thinks is witchcraft, because of his reputation of being the minister of the town, he hopes that no one will find out about what he has seen and potentially ruin his reputation. Throughout The Crucible by Arthur Miller Parris goes through ups and downs with the town and the townspeople. “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” (Miller 1263).
(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.
Because of this, he consigns them to a future of suffering. The prominence he has as a respected figure in town is well known to all in the play, to the point where Parris professes that John’s signed confession “‘will strike the village’” (pg. 141). In this, it is evident that Parris is aware that if John confesses, others will follow. The townspeople of Salem have the overall impression of John Proctor as a good man, and if he were to confess to a sin such as witchcraft, it is likely that the townspeople would look more scrutinously towards the doings of the court.
Reverend Parris was the uncle of Abigail Williams and all he wanted was to have a good reputation in the community. At the start of the Crucible the girls were dancing around a fire in the woods in the middle of the night which was perceived as conjuring spirits during the salem witch trials times. Reverend Parris was in the woods and saw the ceremony going on and when the girls got caught they scattered around. Normally that would be reported immediately and the punishment to the girls would be getting whipped. To keep his reputation reverend Parris kept it to himself until the very end of the movie when he reluctantly told governor Danforth because reverend Hale and John Proctor brought it up.
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 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.
Abigail says,”’ No one was naked”’ (Miller 144). While Abigail and her friends where dancing in the woods one of them gets undressed. Reverend Parris sees the dress and knows one of the girls is naked, but he is convinced otherwise.
