It’s backed up by the science of magic which helped by the advance of science of urban centres from the declined belief in witchcraft in the 18th century. Meaning witches used science and medicine to heal people (Cheung 539). Lastly, a witch has appeared in cases of the Bible. In 1 Samuel 28, King Saul dreaded the battle outcomes and decided to summon Witch of Endor to raise ghost of prophet Samuel to
It mentions the court cases and how there were more woman than men accused of practicing witch craft. It also states how historians believe the girls were faking their fits from the start. Also mentions how religious Salem was at the time which influenced the trials.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. Set in the 17th century The Crucible told the story of a town that ensued a hunt for witches, caused by the accusations of Salem 's young girls and their ring leader Abigail Williams. Arthur Miller wrote this play to symbolize 1950’s McCarthyism. Most readers are unfamiliar with McCarthyism. So for a brief explanation, McCarthyism was carried out under senator Joseph McCarthy during 1950-1954 against alleged communist in the US government and in other institutions.
The threat of Communism and the Red Scare put fear of group mentality into many people during the late 1940-50s. The authors of 1984 and The Crucible used their respective works to comment on the social injustice going on in their own lives, which connects to injustice the exists throughout time anywhere in the world. Miller wrote his play, set in 1692, about Puritans and the Salem witch trials because he believed that, similar to his trial for HUAC in the 1950s, the trials in Salem were caused by false accusations and mass hysteria led by powerful individuals. In 1984, Orwell creates a world in the near future that shows group mentality and its threat to conform society with the government. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller illustrates a world
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft between 1692 and 1693. It occured in colonial Massachusetts, relying on a theocracy. The government and religious authority inseparably rule together, and individuals who question authority are accused of questioning God and his authority. There are multiple characters who played major roles in The Crucible but each of them contributed to the play in different ways. Abigail Williams is a major character who was one of the main reasons the Salem Witch Trials took place.
The citizens felt it was their duty to destroy the witches for the good of the community. More than one hundred and fifty people were charged and jailed. Twenty were executed. However, most of the folks accused were sincerely innocent. The real causes of the Salem witch trials were quite the antithesis from the handiwork of Satan and his “employed witches.” Today, the origin of the calamity is believed to be a combination of a few different factors.
Analysis Essay: The Crucible essay: Is Abigail Williams evil? Arthur Miller was one from the community of people who fought against the Congress Committee which took place in the 1950s and also known as McCarthy Trials. This historical period was also known as “Red Hunt” for communists and occurred in Washington D.C. From this events, Arthur had drawn parallels to the Salem Witch Trails in the late 1600s. He wrote a play called The Crucible where he had told the story of the Salem people who were bounded by the Devil. The Salem-town (nowadays Salem) situates in Massachusses state and during Witch Trails it was under the influence of Puritans church and traditions.
Curran McCartney HIS 301 Professor Malcom 31 March 2018 The Salem Witch Trials and its Aftermath The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trials and accusations against many people in the town of Salem Massachusetts that accused them of widespread witchcraft. This event in history took place for only one year, from 1692 to 1693. During this time period, over 200 people were accused of being a witch or performing some type of witchcraft and some even paid the ultimate price for a crime they never even committed. This event in history occurred through widespread hysteria created by lies from those who lived in the village. These lies that were spread around were about how the devil was there and took control of others so they could perform witchcraft
Her reason why was given after the trial. “ I did confess; but I confessed a lie. I confessed that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins. … Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and menaced , until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was. He threatened excommunication and hell fire in my last moments if I continued obdurate.” (Shelley 94) The Crucible featured a trial in the third act where several characters accuse Abigail Williams, the main antagonist, of deceiving the court by falsely accusing people of witchcraft.
Reverend Hale The witch scare of 1692, caused by a group of young girls, created insanity in the town of Salem leaving two hundred people arrested and twenty dead on the charge of witchcraft. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many peoples beliefs on witchcraft change and develop over the course of this time due to the persecution of hundreds of people in Salem. Reverend Hale is among these people, originally coming to help the people of Salem as a master in the study of witchcraft but overtime changes his thoughts on the matter. Reverend Hale 's views on witchcraft are altered over the course of the play. Reverend Hale 's beliefs in witchcraft are strong in the opening of the play.