The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

“Long-held hatred of neighbors could now be openly expressed and vengeance taken, despite the Bible’s charitable injunctions” (Miller, pg 1129). This quote perfectly explains the Salem Witch Trials and what went through Abigail and the girls heads when they accused innocent people of bewitching them. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the small village of Salem and the mass hysteria that was caused by young girls. Innocent people were hung and thrown in jail because they accused these people of bewitching them. The judges, Abigail, Tituba, and the girls are to blame for the Salem Witch Trials because the girls lied and the judges only relied on what these girls said for their evidence but Hale, a minister, was obligated to believe the girls

When Parris and Hale were first suspicious of the girls dancing for the devil Abigail repeated over and over again, “I didn’t see no devil” (1154). As the conversation went on, Abigail then blamed Tituba of making them dance around the the fire and drink blood. They go to Tituba to question her about everything Abigail is telling them and Tituba admits she sees the devil so that they do not hang her. Tituba is the first to say that Goody Good and Goody Osburn are witches. Abigail realizes that she has to play along with Tituba to stay out of trouble for drinking blood and dancing. Abigail interrupts Hale while he is telling Tituba that he will bless her and she will be fine, and says, “I want to open myself, I danced for the devil and saw Sarah Good, Goody Osburn and Bridget Bishop with the devil” (1156). Abigail and the girls begin shouting innocent women that they supposedly saw with the devil because they can then say they were bewitched and that is why they were drinking blood with Tituba. This shows that because of Abigail, Tituba and the girls lying, the Salem Witches Trials soon took over the