Power And Authority In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Dorothy Good, the 4 year old daughter of previously accused Sarah Good, was the youngest to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The people that obtained any sort of power during these trials had no mercy whatsoever on anyone. The accusing girls such as Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam, and many others displayed that as long as their high position in the village was kept to themselves, they did not care who was accused or killed. The concern of having power and authority is the factor that caused the most destruction in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Reverend Parris is nothing but a perfect example of a character in The Crucible, who is obsessed over his position in the village and doesn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage. “Beware this man. Your Excellency, this man is mischief” (Miller 106). Parris attempts to warn the judge about John Proctor because he is apparently mischievous and causes problems within the village when really he is just threatening Parris' position

Abigail displays many times in the story that she is an evil, coniving, and a corrupt person. Abigail states, “I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people --- and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a ---” (Miller 115). Abigail was in a precarious situation in the beginning of the play when herself and a group of girls were thought to be practicing witchcraft, so she developed lies about many other people in the village to save herself and the other girls that took part. She did not care if her lies caused innocent people to be murdered, as long as she kept her significant amount of power, and kept her high position in the village and the court. This proves that power, authority, and influence on the village and the court was the most important thing to