Who Is Reverend Parris Guilty In The Crucible
analytical Essay
692 words
In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem faces a mask of hysteria from the accusations of witchcraft. Reverend Parris, one of the many characters mentioned throughout the play, was a man who did not want his good name to be tarnished. Reverend Parris is known throughout the town as the churchly figure. Most citizens do not like his personality, but they ultimately respect him for his belief in religion. Although many people were hung for the accusations of dealing with witchcraft, Reverend Parris is the most guilty to blame for the events of the Salem Witch Trials, because he was a fearful and terrified religious leader who really didn’t know what he was doing, as well as a selfish and greedy idiot who made quick and irrational decisions for the benefit of himself that non-surprisingly ended up killing tons of innocent people …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the town of salem faces hysteria from the accusations of witchcraft. reverend parris was a fearful and terrified religious leader who didn't know what he was doing.
- Analyzes how reverend parris is terrified of his daughter, abigail, that she might be part of witchcraft because she won't wake up.
- Analyzes how john proctor called out reverend parris on his accountability within salem. he accuses him of being unholy and calls him to see if he reads the gospel.
- Analyzes how reverend parris is accused of abusing his position and craving selfish and greedy after more than his due. instead of accepting the generosity of the town in supplying him with a free place to live, he demands the deed of ownership to the house.
As Reverend Parris worries about his daughter he makes it clear the consequences of lying about witchcraft. “Now tell me true, Abigail. And I pray you feel the weight of truth up on you, now my ministry is at stake, my reputation and perhaps your life as well.”(Act 1, Lines 113-116). Reverend Parris cannot reveal that he found his niece, Abigail dancing in the forest. Reverend Parris tells Abigail that he has enemies who will use that knowledge against him. He is particularly terrified because he could be implicated in the witchcraft accusations and scapegoating. Betty is accused of witchcraft, Abigail as well accuses Tituba of witchcraft. This would mean that three people of supposed witchcraft would all be living under Mr. Parris roof and that is a huge NO within the Salem community. Reverend Parris is terrified of his overall future and reputation within the town of Salem. Being terrified is the reason why so many lives were taken away. His fear has spread and will ultimately affect the town of
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- explanatory
- Characters In The Crucibleanalytical essayChoose three of the characters in the crucible and show how Miller presents the motivations for their actions.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how miller presents the motivations for three of the characters in the crucible.
- Analyzes how in the crucible characters are motivated by various themes such as reputation, power, witchcraft and society.
- Analyzes how john proctor is a very honest, upright man who has his own ideas and needs to guard his reputation. he vowed not to touch abigail again in fear of losing his name in the town.
- Analyzes how john proctor's desire to keep his ‘name’ leads him to withdraw his admittance of witchcraft but sacrificing his life. this is seen by many as the defining characteristic of his heroic attribute.
- Analyzes how reverend hale, a witchcraft expert who dedicated almost his life to reveal unholy spirits, is motivated by his reputation.
- Analyzes how reverend parris cares about his power in church, as well as the power over individuals and decision making.
- Analyzes how john proctor is motivated by power, the fact that he possesses power over many individuals, such as mary warren and abigail williams.
- Analyzes how reverend hale is motivated by the power over the devil and the possessed. his great knowledge of witchcraft grants him both power and respect throughout salem.
- Analyzes how witchcraft became a major theme in salem, as it could leave innocent people hanging on nooses. parris was ashamed of his child and niece as they were supposedly 'possessed' by witchcraft.
- Analyzes how john proctor can be motivated by witchcraft as it has affected him directly, his wife was accused due to the witch trial craze, but also his fellow neighbours, friends and even himself which have all been detailed, tortured and some even hanged.
- Explains that reverend hale could be motivated by witchcraft, purely due to the fact his career is based on identifying it, and these trials offer him the opportunity to increase his reputation in witch finding, but also satisfying the town of salem with his wisdom.
- Analyzes how the theme of society ties in with all the themes above, especially considering salem is regarded as a puritan religious town. reverend parris cried because he was publicly ridiculed.
1407 wordsRead More - Tituba Crucibleanalytical essayIn “The Crucible” Tituba asserted, “ Mister Reverend, I do believe someone else be witchin’ these children”(Pg.1109). Frighten Tituba make false accusation to protect her from being whipped. In act one Titube describes, “ Well, they were always talking; they was always runnin’ round and carryin’ on”(Pg.1110). Tituba recalled seen the Salem witches causing fear and suspicion among everyone. All in all Tituba just pointed fingers to save herself from being whipped, creating a fear in the town. This point of view sounds convincing at first however Reverend Parris was the one most responsible for the confusion of witchcraft in Salem. If it were not for Reverend Parris making a big deal out of the girls dancing in the woods no one would have know of the witchcraft situation. Reverend Parris blew out of proportion the situation with his daughter Betty, and bringing in Reverend Hale was what expose fear and suspicion among the town folks. The confusion of witchcraft was not because Tituba made false accusation but because Reverend Parris turned mad and threaten to beat Tituba. Tituba made up things to protect herself from being beaten. To sum up Tituba was not the cause for the confusion of witchcraft situation, however Reverend Parris was to blame for the confusion of witchcraft situation in Salem that created fear and suspicion among the towns
In this essay, the author
- Explains that arthur miller wrote "the crucible" in 1953 because freedom goes against the conformity of others. the play was similar to investigations that created fear and suspicion in american society.
- Analyzes how reverend parris was responsible for the confusion situation in salem. he had been stalking his daughter and niece abigail long enough to come to a belief that they were part of the witchcraft ritual.
- Argues that tituba was the person most responsible for the confusion of witchcraft situation in salem by the end of act one in "the crucible".
796 wordsRead More - Reverend Parris’ fear of losing his job provokes him to cry witch. Reverend Parris’ daughter feigns to be in a coma. When the doctor bade Susanna tell Reverend Parris that he “might look to unnatural things for the cause of it” (9), he denies that possibility because he fears that rumors of witchcraft under his roof would help his “many enemies” (10) to drive him from his pulpit. Later, by supporting the Salem witch trials, Reverend Parris secures his position in the church. When John Proctor brings a deposition to court signed by Mary Warren that calls Abigail and her girls’ frauds, Reverend Parris urgently tells Judge Danforth that “they’ve come to overthrow the court” (88). When Mary Warren cannot faint in court, Reverend Parris accuses her of being “a trick to blind the court” (107). After Abigail pretends that Mary Warren is attacking her, Reverend Parris spurs on the accusations by telling her to “cast the Devil out” (118). Reverend Parris fears that if Abigail becomes exposed he will be punished for supporting an illegitimate court procedure. When execution day arrives, Reverend Parris fears that the “rebellion in Andover” (127) over hangings will occur similarly in Salem. Reverend Parris pleads to Hathorne that “. . . it were another sort that we hanged till now . . . these people have great weight yet in the town” (127). Reverend Parris’ last attempt at preserv...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how fear motivates people to behave unscrupulously in arthur miller's play the crucible. personal fears incite characters to cry witches.
- Analyzes how reverend parris' fear of losing his job provokes him to cry witch, while his daughter feigns to be in a coma.
- Analyzes how abigail's fear of prosecution and losing john proctor causes her to cry witch.
- Analyzes how reverend hale's harsh treatment of tituba motivates her to cry witch on innocent people.
- Analyzes the parallels between "crying witch" and the actions of the government we support.
770 wordsRead More - Causes Of The Salem Witch Trialsexplanatory essayMost of the people in Salem were based on the Puritan belief, which was very strict. The Puritans believed in a punishment for the disobediences against the laws during the period of Salem. There were only a few things a person could do to avoid being hanged. If a person confessed of witchcraft, they would not be executed. According to the article “Witchcraft in Salem,” “a confessor would tearfully throw himself or herself on the mercy of the town and court and promise repentance.” Even though many people did confess to witchcraft, many would not because they wanted justification. However, there were only a few to confess, but were still punished in jail. Reverend Samuel Parris was the town’s minister during the trials, and two of the main accusers Betty and Abigail lived in the Parris’s household. However, once a person was accused of witchcraft, Reverend Samuel Parris had no interest in believing otherwise in the person’s innocence. Reverend Parris was very imprudent, and careless to the hangings. Ragosta observes that “through either direct order or indirect insinuation, Parris may have chosen not only those who represented an unusual or disliked position in the village, but also those who had supported his enemies and
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the witch trials in salem, massachusetts, were one of the most devastating events to have ever occurred.
- Explains that the salem witch trials was built off of ignorance and irrationality. the afflicted girls who started the scene played many roles in the trials.
- Explains that the religion of salem was a major reason for the community's wish in hanging the accused.
- Explains that abigail, the main accuser, left salem and little was known about her after the trials. nothing could ever be taken back to change anything, but many people tried restoring the reflection.
- Explains that the trials ended after significant people started being accused, including margaret thatcher, who was the mother-in-law of magistrate jonathon corwin, and former governor simon bradstreet’s sons.
988 wordsRead More - The Crucible -Jinwooanalytical essayThe Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, which dramatizes the Salem witch trials that occurred in the late seventeenth century. In the play, many comparisons can be made between the two characters Reverend Samuel Parris and Reverend John Hale. Both introduced as intelligent men of God, the two spiritual leaders preach in towns of New England and are respected by many people in their communities. Although these two reverends share some similarities of setting the hysteria into motion and asking Judge Danforth to postpone the executions, their dissimilarity is clearer as they have different personality traits and attitudes towards the case of witchcraft in Salem.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible dramatizes the salem witch trials that occurred in the late seventeenth century.
- Analyzes how reverend hale transforms into a dynamic character while parris stays static throughout the play.
- Analyzes how hale and parris have different attitudes towards the case of witchcraft in salem.
- Explains that although parris and hale appear to be polar opposite characters, they do share some resemblance throughout the play.
- Analyzes how hale regrets his faulty actions, but also sets the hysteria into motion. parris asks danforth to postpone executions because he fears that if john proctor and rebecca nurse are hanged, his life will be threatened.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is a 1953 play about the case of witchcraft that happened in salem in the late seventeenth century.
841 wordsRead More - Human Motives Exposed in The Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayReverend Parris is the character that initiates the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, in a community where authorities wasted no time minding the business of it's citizens, what should have been seen as teen frivolity was blown into one of the ugliest moments in American History. Parris sparks this by firstly acting on his own paranoia, which the reader would find in the introduction 'he believed he was being persecuted where ever he went';, and calling Reverend Hale in an attempt for self-preservation '….if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.'; This statement says a lot about the character of Reverend Parris: a greedy, power hungry man who is more concerned with his own reputation than the souls of his niece and daughter. He always acts on fear, a fear that he will lose his position of power in the community. Parris does not want the trials to end as a fraud because the scandal of having a lying daughter and niece would end his career in Salem.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that life is dictated by an inborn hunger or purpose, and people act on this hunger for their own personal gain in their individual ways. this essay will explore the motives of characters within the play and even miller himself.
- Analyzes how reverend parris initiates the hysteria of the salem witch trials, in a community where authorities wasted no time minding the business of its citizens.
- Analyzes how salem citizens were afraid of all ungodly things with their puritan views. religion pervades every aspect of life, but it lacks the ritual of confession.
- Analyzes how abigail williams sees an opportunity in the trials, a chance for revenge on the wife of the man she loves. betty and abby 'cry out' the names of their enemies.
- Analyzes how abigail uses the fear within her community to cultivate and expose the conflicts in that town and the society loses itself to hysteria.
- Analyzes how thomas and ann putnam see that witchcraft allows the misfortunes of dead children, political failures, and land squabbles to be blamed on supernatural influences.
- Analyzes how the trials have brought out many human failings that have initiated conflicts and grudges within the town. proctor hates hypocrisy and has strong morals.
- Analyzes how hale shows the audience how abby acted out of revenge and jealousy. the audience would relate to the main characters in this play as they recognise these failings within themselves and the people around them.
- Analyzes how arthur miller uses the salem trials as a metaphorical representation of the pressure to conform to societal norms.
- Opines that universal human failings stem conflicts with the ability to consume us all.
1463 wordsRead More - Crucible Unresolved Conflictsanalytical essayPeople are mad at Parris because of everything that is going on: “Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house- a dagger clattered to the ground” (Miller 1324). Parris, the town minister, is getting a lot of blame for all that has been going on lately in Salem. His neighbors wanted to prove a point of how angry they are by throwing a dagger at his door. Parris is a coward and is too afraid to just tell the truth about what happened in the woods that night with the girls. He is afraid his own name will be in parish, yet he is not worried about anyone else’s danger. The town has been torn apart with all of this witchcraft nonsense: “There be so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now their masters are in jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now” (Miller 1321). Animals are being left uncared for and are just running ransom through the streets. People are arguing about who they belong to, wanting to keep the animals for themselves. Neighbors are accusing each other of witchcraft, and causing a lot of trouble. The tension is high, with a deep craving of revenge. (PrepPh). Some accuse because they want to take over that persons land for their own, or they have a bad history with them and want them gone. No reason is a good reason because they are not solid facts, just false accusations. A fear of riots runs through the town. Salem is surely unraveling, along with everyone in it.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how in arthur miller's "the crucible," a group of girls conjure spirits in the woods and tell lies to cover up their mistake. unresolved conflicts between people can lead to unnecessary death, marriage conflicts, and town unraveling.
- Analyzes how mary warren, who is the proctor's servant, tries to take john’s side by turning from the other girls and telling the truth. rebecca nurse is also accused of witchcraft.
- Analyzes how marriage conflicts between elizabeth and john proctor occur. elizabeth believes that john still has feelings for abigail, but that is not true.
- Analyzes how unresolved conflicts lead to the town unraveling. people are mad at parris because of everything that is going on in salem.
- Opines that people should set their differences aside and not take it out on each other. innocent people are dying in salem because of a few girls' lies that went too far.
975 wordsRead More - Cause Of The Salem Witch Trialsanalytical essay...easons why we could not join with Mr.Parris in prayer, preaching, or sacraments…the said Mr. Parris having teaching such dangerous errors, and preached such scandalous immortalities, as ought to discharge any from the work of the ministry…” (Salem Witchcraft: Compromising More Wonders of the Invisible World, Collected by Robert Calef; And, Wonders of the Invisible world, by Cotton Mather: Together with Notes and Explainations. Page 161 middle). (The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: A Commentary).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that tituba was known for telling girls stories about voodoo, omens, and witchcraft from her folklore. she was also a servant to thomas putnam.
- Analyzes how tituba's interrogation turned into a confession and she named 4 witches, which included good and osborne. she confessed that she tried to murder children while she was in her specter form.
- Analyzes how martha corey was asked specific questions by a magistrate of salem. witches were asked these types of questions along with tests that they had to go through.
- Explains that the salem witch trials was an unexpected tragedy that lasted for about a year.
- Analyzes how tituba's confession changed the outcome of the witch trials and made it easier to identify witches.
- Narrates how corey affected the afflicted in different ways, like the powers that bishop had. they created the superior court to try all the remaining prisoners.
2438 wordsRead More - the mccarthy and the salem witch huntsanalytical essay"However, the Salem Witchcraft Trials use of human frailty in court helped courts move forward in eliminating its use. Courts now need factual or circumstantial evidence to convict a person of any crime and the accused is promised a fair trial. Nowadays, the accused is given an unbiased judge and jury making it a fair trial (Linder). A fair trial was something colonialists thought they were giving. Human frailty to a colonialist from the 1640s would have been overwhelming and unbelievable. Colonialists believed that the common procedure of witchcraft was justifiable and never abused. The evidence from the Salem trials found nowadays shows that not only were the procedures often abused and accusations baseless, but that the way in which they treated the accused was inhumane."The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in American history surrounding the Salem witch trials of the seventeenth century, yet is as much a product of the time in which Arthur Miller wrote it, the early 1950s, as it is description of Puritan society. The Salem witch trials took place from June through September of 1692, during which time nineteen men and women were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem, while another man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges. Hundreds of other persons faced accusations of witchcraft and dozens more languished in jail without trials. As the play describes, the witchcraft trials began because of the illness of Betty Parris, the daughter of the Salem minister, Reverend Samuel Parris, a former merchant in Barbados. Before Betty Parris fell ill, Cotton Mather had published
In this essay, the author
- Compares the mccarthy era of the 1950's and the salem witch trials, which destroyed the lives and careers of many innocent victims.
- Analyzes how the salem witchcraft trials' use of human frailty in court helped courts move forward in eliminating its use.
- Analyzes how betty parris' hysteria mirrored that of the suspected irish witch, while other girls, including ruth putnam and mercy lewis, exhibited similar symptoms.
- Explains how the educated elite of salem began efforts to end the witch-hunting hysteria that had enveloped the colony.
- Opines that miller wrote the crucible not as a straight historical play detailing the salem witch trials. miller's play has as much significance as the early cold war era in which he wrote the play.
- Explains that mccarthy was an undistinguished member of the senate until february 1950, when he made the public charge that 205 communists had infiltrated the state department.
- Explains that the hollywood ten, a group of entertainers, refused to testify and were convicted of contempt and sentenced to up to one year in prison.
1086 wordsRead More - Perception In The Crucibleanalytical essayIn the play, there were many situations that in return caused new developments and even more problems in the town of Salem. The problems and situations that happened can all be tied back to perception, or the way someone regards or interprets a situation or event. Perception can be terrifying and have devastating effects on people and places. “Parris: Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. Abominations are done in the forest” (1030). Parris had caught the girls dancing in the forest and viewed it as witchcraft. He could have believed Abigail that it was just sport and the whole situation in Salem could have been prevented. This one perception is what caused everyone to believe that the devil was loose in Salem. Many other perceptions took part in leading to the devastating situations that happened in
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the meaning of the word crucible in a play called the crucible, which tells about the salem witch trials that took place in 1692.
- Analyzes how the people of salem were willing to band together to end the witch trials, as they realized that their town had been through enough.
- Analyzes how proctor was caught in the middle of the situation in salem. he could have broken down and confessed to witchcraft to save his life, but chose to die for what he believed in.
- Analyzes how the work crucible testifies to god's test of the puritans' faith in salem.
- Analyzes how rebecca nurse held on to her faith even after being accused of witchcraft. she saw the situation as a time of struggle and chose to turn to god.
- Explains that the crucible is a place or situation that influences or forces change or development. perception can be terrifying and have devastating effects on people and places.
- Analyzes how abigail's perception caused a majority of the events and developments in the community of salem.
- Explains that the title the crucible fits the play perfectly. the town and characters stick together and come out of the situation as a community.
1406 wordsRead More