The Crucible Ignorance And Lies Essay

In a society where wisdom does not come with age. In the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the society and it’s people within are the reason for the continuation of the Salem witch trials. Ignorance and lies are factors that lead to the elongated trials. Abigail Williams who was accused of witchcraft and not admitting the truth. The Salem society turn backs on each other and blame one another of witchcraft. Miller based the characters to show how fear and paranoia can escalate. A number of characters for example, like Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth and a number of other characters showed corruption. Although it seems like Abigail is guilty for the witch trials, it is proven that the society she is in is responsible for the tragedies during

Danfoth does not care about anyone’s matter on the trials, he would only listen to the girls that were in the woods. If someone were to be accused of being a witch and denied it, judge Danfoth would of have them hung anyway. If they denied Danfoth, he would reply “I cannot hear you. What do you say? Mary utters again unintelligibly. You will confess yourself or you will hang! He turns her roughly to face him. Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me”( Miller , 117). Danfoth ignorance lead him to have anyone killed. It allowed Abigail and the girls to control Judge Danfoth and have him kill any person they were to name. This caused the death of more than 20 people. Somehow, Danfoth was incapable to bring himself to believe that the girls had been lying to him. Judge Danfoth only cared about himself and his power. He did not respect the people's opinion. Perhaps if Judge Danfoth listened to the others in the town, Abigail would have paid her

Parris is seen as a liar and selfish. He only cares about himself and his daughter. Apparently, Reverend Parris discovered that his daughter was involved in witchcraft in the woods with the rest of the girls. His reaction was very different and pretend not to have seen anything. Reverend Parris is only worried about his reputation in the town. He is afraid that people might think there's witchcraft in his household and lose his position as minister of Salem(Miller,Reverend Parris,Shmoop). In a quote from the novel, Parris states “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 have put clothes upon your back—now give me an upright answer. Your name in the town—it is entirely white, is it not”(Miller, 63). The author, Miller explains what Reverend Parris says to Abigail. It took Parris long enough for him to get the people's attention and doesn't want to lose that. So he starts to protect his own reputation and says how the devil is out there among the people. Reverend Parris continues to lie and states in court that he did not see any naked girls dancing in the woods; but evidently he did. He would accuse others in the town and makes sure no one blamed him for what is going on. Reverend Parris is at total