Crucible Essay, Research Paper

The Crucible

The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins with a sense of

witchcraft in the air, when we find out that Reverend Parris (the town minister) and the town are

concerned about Betty, Parris’ daughter, who has fallen “a victim of witchcraft.” We find out that

Betty, her cousin Abigail, Tituba, a slave, and other girls in the town had been cavorting and

practicing witchcraft, naked in the woods, the night before. Since this occurred, Betty

had been in a coma-like trance that was suspected to be caused by witchcraft. We soon

find out that Abigail has control over the other girls and blackmails them into lying which

eventually leads to unnecessary murders of innocent people throughout the book. We also find

out that Abigail worked for John and Goody Proctor, but was fired after she had an affair with

Mr. Proctor. Since then, Abigail has had it out for Goody and was attempting to kill her with

witchcraft that night in the woods. Her devious and obviously insane state of mind makes the ?if

she can’t have him, no one can theory’ come into effect, until it suddenly changes into if ?she

can’t have him, she’ll make his and everyone else’s lives miserable’. Also, a vicious circle of

paranoia and self centeredness comes into action, which also leads to the many unnecessary

deaths, when one by one, the innocent are accused, tried, and killed for being witches, even

though there is no evidence to support any of the cases, except for the reactions of Abigail and the

other girls in the courtroom. The play ends with John Proctor being tried and hung for suspicions

of witchcraft, even though he is obviously not a witch. Their reasoning is that all of the others

were unjustly killed, so he had to be killed also. It also says that Abigail leaves town and was

rumored to have become a prostitute.

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