Reverend Parris Paranoia In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. At the time there are a series of trials, called the Salem witch trials. The play begins with us finding about a young girl who is unable to move in her bed. The villagers dubiously see witchcraft but they do not know that the night before all the girls left the village sneaked out to the woods where they made a potion, with the help of a black slave, Tituba, to let them have the man they love. It was fine until one girl, Abigail went too far and wished death on the wife of John Proctor. The girls went crazy, twirling and shedding but then Abigail’s uncle walks in and finds them. This is the real reason the girl is powerless to move, anxiety. The girls

Reverend Parris who is the father to the girl that is in the bed, is a rich man who only cares about his reputation. Reverend Parris in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible portrays paranoid and despicable natures. Reverend Parris’ paranoia causes the death of blameless people. For instance,” And pray you feel the height of truth upon you, for now my ministry’s at stake, my ministry perhaps my cousins life. Whatever administration you have done give me all of it now, for I dare not be taken unaware when I go before them down there.”(Miller 144).This shows that he is paranoid because as he talks repeated of his “enemies” and present his position as being under threat and danger. He is paranoid anyway, even before the witchcraft denunciations, and he is always supposing that someone is conspiring in contradiction of him. In addition, "Your name in the town--it is entirely white, is it not?"(Miller 164) This shows Parris's paranoia about how he is perceived in the Salem community. He fears that any criticism of Abigail will reflect badly on himself. Not to mention, “Now look you, child, your punishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know

To illustrate,” He’s come to overthrow this court, Your Honor.”(Miller 192) This shows Parris is a despicable coward who is willing to allow innocent people to be killed in order to save his own reputation. In a like manner,” Judge Hawthorne- it were another sort that hanged till now. Rebecca Nurse is no Bridget that lived three year with Bishop before she married him. John Proctor is no Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin. I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town. Let Rebecca stand upon the gibbet and send up some righteous prayer, and I fear she’ll wake a vengeance upon you.” This shows Parris is despicable because he just wants to blame virtuous people like Rebecca Nurse to save his reputation. "There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit."(Miller 200) These interactions clearly demonstrate that Parris is both rather paranoid and ready to place blame on anything other than himself. Parris’ despicableness shows the behavior of the town through his steps of dishonesty, and diffusion of counterfactual evidence. In Conclusion, Parris becomes more despicable and paranoid as the play wares on. He has been instrumental in these witch trials by spreading gossip and accusing innocent people for his own benefit. Parris had many detractors from the beginning. His selfishness and favoritism