The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The year is 1692. Throughout the small, Puritan, seaside community of Salem, rumors and accusations fly like gusts of ocean wind. Neighbors turn on neighbors, and even the most holy church-goers are accused of being the devil’s servants. The Crucible details this real-life tragedy of the Salem witch trials, in which nineteen members of the Salem community were hanged for alleged witchcraft. Abigail Williams, a seemingly innocent girl, accuses dozens of Salem’s citizens of witchcraft through the support of her mob of girls and the complicity of the court officials. The title of this play gives significant insight into the experiences of several of these Salem citizens. Although a crucible is often used in chemistry for heating up substances,

When Hale first arrives in Salem, he is utterly committed to God and his beliefs. He sees the Christian religion as “a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small” (67). With this metaphor of Christianity and theology, Miller shows how deeply Hale values his beliefs, and how he views any wavering “cracks in the fortress” as a renunciation of God. His faith caused him to disregard even reason and logic in his thinking. When the court accuses Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft, Hale had little doubt in the validity of it, saying “If Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning” (71). Miller uses this hasty generalization to demonstrate how strongly Hale believes in the courts and in God’s power to bring justice. Hale, upon hearing that the courts accused Rebecca of witchcraft, uses this example of a moral citizen to deem that anyone can come under the power of the devil. By doing so, Hale ignores that fact that Rebecca, like so many of the others accused, has been a pillar of the Salem community for many years and is known to be a moral person. However, as the courts accuse more and more citizens of Salem, these ridiculous accusations cause Hale to waver in his beliefs, which tests his faith in the power of God and all that is good. As John Proctor prepares for his

Abigail Williams is the citizen of Salem who most acutely fails these tests. When she is confronted by Danforth in the court over her fraudulent accusations, Abigail tells him: “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!” (108). By having Abigail make a direct ad hominem attack against Danforth’s hyper-confidence, Miller illustrates how Abigail lacks the integrity to tell the truth, and how this reflects her own guilt in what has happened in Salem. She doesn't know how to cope with these accusations truthfully due to her lack of integrity, and thus, turns to criticizing the “wits” and “might” of others to take the blame off of herself. Abigail continues with this strategy of evasion whenever others question her. As soon as Mary Warren, someone who could potentially show the holes in her story, comes to testify against the validity of the spectral evidence, Abigail reacts wickedly. She screams, “Why? Why do you come, yellow bird?” (114). Abigail’s usage of a red herring shows the obvious absence of her trustworthiness and character; she sees no issue in obstructing justice-- by accusing Mary of being a witch-- to save her own skin. To Abigail, all that matters is keeping