Do Witches Exist In The Crucible

Do witches really exist? In Salem Massachusetts, many innocent people were killed because of motivations such as grudges and personal rivalries. Salem townspeople are very strict about sin, but the reader will realize that not everyone is as good as he or she may appear. People believed that witches would roam Salem worshiping the devil and causing chaos. But in reality, witches were only an excuse to cover up the sins of the accusers. The Crucible by Author Miller is based on the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts and shows the true horror behind the hysteria. Many character such as Abigail, The Putnam’s, and Reverend Parris use witchery as an excuse for egocentricity. Lust, revenge, and power partake an essential role in the Salem witch

In The Crucible, a man named John Proctor commits adultery with a young woman, Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth, finds out about the affair and fires Abigail as the housemaid but the trouble does not end there. Abigail stirs up problems and states to John, “I have a sense for heat, John, and yours has drawn to my window, and I have seen you looking up, burning in your loneliness” when they meet alone in the woods (Beers and Odell 1225). Abigail tries to seduce John and does whatever possible to get him back, even if that means taking other people’s lives. Abigail tries to win John back but realizes that he loves his wife, so Abigail calls Elizabeth a witch “out of lust for John and out of jealousy for Elizabeth Proctor” (Bonnet 33). Elizabeth’s life is threatened because of these actions and John dies trying to save her. Sinful ways are hard to overcome but it is a choice to do right or wrong and many puritans in Salem chose wrong. Many other obstacles swept through Salem, and puritan beliefs slowly faded

Reverend Parris selfishly put himself before others, and did anything to get what he wanted. He cares more about his own reputation and does whatever is possible to keep his job. Parris’s daughter gets sick, but he worries about his career in the community more and states to Abigail, “There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?” (Beers and Odell 1219). Reverend Hale comes to Salem to help the sick children, but he eventually realizes that there are no real witches in Salem. Reverend Parris goes to court with Abigail to keep her out of trouble because there cannot be witches in his house. Parris is caught up in the fact that he could lose his job, but if his world did not revolve around power then lives could possible have been saved. His motivations led him to testify against an innocent man, known as John Proctor, to save his name and reputation. Many people panicked in Salem and often chose the wrong way to handle situation and as a result, many people did not survive the Salem witch