The Recanation Of Margaret Jacobs And The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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What I said was altogether false against my grandfather and Mr. Burroughs, which I did to save my life and to have my liberty; but the Lord, charging it to my conscience, made me in so much horror that I could not contain myself before I denied my confession…”(Godbeer 147).
This is a portion of a quote from the Recantation of Margaret Jacobs, (Hutchinson 30-31) who was accused of witchcraft during the infamous Salem Witch Hunt of 1692 that took place in and around Salem, Massachusetts. Nearly seventeen years old at the time, Margaret Jacobs confessed she had participated in the practice of witchcraft along with former Puritan minister, George Burroughs, and her own grandfather, George Jacobs, Sr. Both men had already been accused of practicing …show more content…

Barker also confessed to hurting his accusers and begged for their forgiveness. He also asked for prayers while promising to “renounce the Devil and all his works” (Godbeer 146). Another accused, Dorcas Hoar, known as a “cunning woman,” openly bragged of her ability to predict the future and tell fortunes. Her minister, John Hale, became concerned with her activities and pleaded with her to refrain from her practices. When she refused to “renounce and reject all such practices,” (Godbeer 116) she was arrested, tried, and convicted of using the Devil’s magical powers in her works. After several months in jail, she confessed her guilt and asked for time to repent for “the salvation of her soul”(Godbeer 116). This confession ultimately saved her from …show more content…

Crops failure, dying livestock, strange illnesses, or injuries were often believed to be the result of a spell cast by a witch or a neighbor practicing witchcraft in retaliation resulting from an argument over land boundaries, an unpaid favor, or other insignificant civil matters. “Witches” were accused of “pricking, pinching, or choking” their accusers without actually being physically present or “appearing as an apparition” as in the case of Elizabeth Hubbard against Tituba Indian (Godbeer 90). Men, women, and children were accused of being witches; however, women were more often the accused. Any sarcastic remark or spiteful comment said in private, public, or social circles, would sometimes manifest into an accusation of a spell or curse cast upon an unsuspecting

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