The Crucible Salem Witch Trials

During the seventeenth century, there was a series of court hearings and prosecutions of people who happened to be accused of practicing witchcraft in Massachusetts. These events would later be called the Salem witch trials. In the book titled The Crucible by author Arthur Miller, it is written in the form of a play that has a central idea that explores the Salem witch trials in seventeenth - century Salem, Massachusetts. The main theme that is seen throughout the play is cruelty which can be seen in the way each individual is treated by their peers. The first significant event of cruelty that is seen is within society itself. This heavily religious village is overcome by the paranoia of the devil being present and leads to the neglect of one

Once his presence is discovered, this brings panic among the girls which causes them to scatter about the forest. Eventually the morning comes and the concerned Reverend confronts Abigail Williams of what he saw the previous night and questions if she was talking to the Devil. Since it was a crime to talk to the Devil which would result in the execution of the perpetrator, Abigail obviously lied. This was until more of the other girls that were caught dancing recklessly in the first alongside Abigail were confronted. At this point all of the girls start to point fingers until they bestow the blame against Tituba. Abigail Williams officially places the blame on Tituba in front of the Reverend and the rest of the girls by stating, “It was Tituba. She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” (Miller 41). After this broad statement made by Abigail, all hell breaks loose. It begins with the rest of the girls from the forest coming forth to the Reverend at once and shout out who they saw with the Devil which was caused by Tituba’s potential practice of witchcraft. Since she was originally from Barbados, this made it easier for the rest of the Salem community to place the blame on Tituba. This displays the main theme of cruelty within The Crucible because the individuals of Salem were able to place the blame on Tituba solely based off that she came from Barbados and has a different culture and set of beliefs in which she is able to conjure spirits. This additionally shows cruelty as Abigail Williams and her fellow friends also participated in conjuring spirits during that one night in the forest and Abigail wished for the death of John Proctor's