Who Is Parris Guilty In The Crucible

In his play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller depicts the massive blood hunt for witches in Salem, Massachusetts. This play shows the intricate relationships between characters and how they exploit a situation to carry out their own needs and grudges against others. Many were responsible in creating a group to take down the hellish powers of the Devil, but I believe that Parris was the mastermind behind the intricate, criminal syndicate. Reverend Parris is guilty even before the play begins. He is the new community preacher and has only been in Salem for a few years now. Arthur says that, “In history [Parris] cut a villainous path, and there is very little good to be said for him” (Miller 3). Wherever he went, despite his best efforts, he felt that people were always trying to persecute him (Miller 4). He is certain that there are individuals in Salem that would

In Act 3, Proctor provides evidence that Elizabeth, his wife, and Martha are innocent and this makes Parris very nervous. Parris is always reading over the shoulder of Danforth and whispering into his ear. At this evidence, Parris proclaims that, “This is a clear attack upon the court” (Miller 94). Every defense of someone who is being accused as a witch is seen as an attack by Parris and sways the opinion of Judge Danforth. Back during the times of the Salem Witch Trials an attack upon the court held a lot of weight. The judiciary system was seen as the Word of God and if you were attacking that, it was seen as undermining the Word of God, and you would certainly be associated with the Devil and witchcraft. Parris cannot afford to have this trial end in a fraud, for his daughter and niece would be seen as liars and his name would be trampled. This is why he presses God into the trial and makes certain that nobody goes against that for fear of being accused as a