In the Crucible on one level, the conflict arises because of the shock and fear experienced by the girls, who are caught dabbling in witchcraft in the forest. They are spotted dancing and then sitting around the cauldron. Abigail is drinking chicken blood and the other girls are throwing frogs into the cauldron. They are aware that this “witchery’s a hanging “” offence, but Abigail threatens the girls that she will harm them in the dead of night. Alarmed and to deflect attention, they instigate a witchhunt against their enemies which sets in train a court case that leads to the deaths of more than 72 people in Salem.
Specifically, Abigail uses the witch hunt as a pretense to take revenge on Goodie Proctor who dismissed her after she became aware of her affair with John. However, the conflict also concerns the manner in which people worship God in Salem; many individuals are beginning to show their faith in individual ways which undermines the power of the church and the state. For this reason, the witchhunt also conceals other long-held hatreds and simmering divisions.
The court and the religious “keepers” place their faith in the girls as it becomes a convenient means of arresting their eroding power. Many citizens in Salem use the witch-hunt as a pretext to grab land. Thomas Putnam, reeling from a prior confrontation with his brother-in-law, uses the opportunity to fight with his neighbours over boundaries and titles; the land-grab is “elevated to the areana of morality”. Miller also presents the witch hunt as symptomatic of deeper rifts in society.
The playwright identifies a sense of “panic” or ear which arises as individuals question the authority of the powerful theocratic institutions and seek to demand greater individual freedoms. Alarmed at the systematic erosion of faith since arriving in Salem seven years prior, Reverend Parris uses the witch hunt as a way to regain some control. The Reverend Parris panics upon surprising the girls in the forest; he is fearful and anxious at his niece’s, Betty’s, condition and his fear prompts a cover up. He knows that his position is already precarious owing to his obsession with the ornaments of faith.
He fears that he will be shamed and ruined if they are caught “trafficking in witchcraft”, which undermines not only the reputation of the church, but his own standing and status in the community. Specifically, he takes it as a personal affront that his power as the Lord’s minister is being challenged. He reminds people that a “minister is the Lord’s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted. ” On one level, the conflict arises because of the shock and fear experienced by the girls, who are caught dabbling in witchcraft in the forest.
They are spotted dancing and then sitting around the cauldron. Abigail is drinking chicken blood and the other girls are throwing frogs into the cauldron. They are aware that this “witchery’s a hanging” offense, but Abigail threatens the girls that she will harm them in the dead of night. Alarmed and to deflect attention, they instigate a withchunt against their enemies which sets in train a court case that leads to the deaths of more than 72 people in Salem. Specifically, Abigail uses the witch hunt as a pretence to take revenge on Goodie Proctor who dismissed her after she became aware of her affair with John.
However, the conflict also concerns the manner in which people worship God in Salem; many individuals are beginning to show their faith in individual ways which undermines the power of the church and the state. For this reason, the witchhunt also conceals other long-held hatreds and simmering divisions. The court and the religious “keepers” place their faith in the girls as it becomes a convenient means of arresting their eroding power. Many citizens in Salem use the witch-hunt as a pretext to grab land.
Thomas Putnam, reeling from a prior confrontation with his brother-in-law, uses the opportunity to fight with his neighbours over boundaries and titles; the land-grab is “elevated to the areana of morality”. Miller also presents the witch hunt as symptomatic of deeper rifts in society. The playwright identifies a sense of “panic” or fear which arises as individuals question the authority of the powerful theocratic institutions and seek to demand greater individual freedoms. Alarmed at the systematic erosion of faith since arriving in Salem seven years prior, Reverend Parris uses the witch hunt as a way to regain some control.
The Reverend Parris panics upon surprising the girls in the forest; he is fearful and anxious at his niece’s, Betty’s, condition and his fear prompts a cover up. He knows that his position is already precarious owing to his obsession with the ornaments of faith. He fears that he will be shamed and ruined if they are caught “trafficking in witchcraft”, which undermines not only the reputation of the church, but his own standing and status in the community. Specifically, he takes it as a personal affront that his power as the Lord’s minister is being challenged.
He reminds people that a “minister is the Lord’s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted. “Those in a position of power, like Govenor Danforth and the Reverend Parris, appear to be merely interested in perpetuating the power of the court and the church and refuses to listen to dissenting views. They identify themselves as part of the system and any dissent becomes a personal affront. Miller also suggests that they place their faith in the girls because it is expedient to do so as a means of reclaiming their eroding authority.
As the “keeper” of justice, Danforth believes that people must be sentenced to death if they do not confess. He follows “procedures” and refuses to admit Proctor’s deposition. He maintains that a “person is either with this court or he must be counted against it”. He maintains that 4000 are already set to hang in jails upon his signature and 72 are ready to be hang in Salem here as well. There is “no road in between. ” Danforth is convinced that “the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children” and that any hesitation would be to admit that he has already erred in the sentencing of prior convictions.
He does not brook any exceptions and will not stay the proceedings because this will cast aspersions on his honour and reputation, which he confuses with the court’s. When John Proctor and the Reverend Hale plead for the innocence of their loved ones and seek more time, Danforth dismisses their concerns by stating that “it is not just for those already found guilty. In the crucible faith and truth are shown all around in the story starting by the witchcraft and on up to John Proctor lying to the court and cheating on his wife, and then everyone letting the truth come out and starting to get people killed it but in jail.
