Many factors must be considered in examining the causes of the witchcraft hysteria. Fundamental is the recognition that among the settlers of New England, belief in witchcraft was prevalent. Additionally, Salem was beset with political problems and internal strife. Land disputes and personal feuds were common. Some scholars maintain that the Puritan villagers felt they had failed God and deserved to be punished for their sins. The role of the clergy has also been much debated; some historians see them as largely responsible for stirring up the people and making them expect retribution. Others credit the clergy with ending the trials. The afflicted girls have been variously described as outright liars and frauds, children looking for excitement, …show more content…
In her character description, Miller mentions that she was the wife of man of rising fortunes, who was the target of the class in decline. Furthermore, Rebecca's reputation in Salem was such that in order to explain the fact that she was among the accused, one would have to look to the fields and boundaries of that time. After she is tried and sentenced to death, she accepts her fate with ultimate dignity and pride to the very end, refusing to admit her supposed guilt and thus succumb to the pressures of male authority imposed on her. She is represented, and at one point directly referred to as a saint, whose brave conduct and willingness to choose death over renouncing herself inspires wavering John Proctor to do the same thing. Her figure stands in sharp contrast with the accusers, who are, represented as vengeful, deceitful, ambition and jealousy-driven villains, but also, her good judgment, kindness, mercifulness and calmness create a model opposed to the hysteria, selfishness and short-sightedness of her