Who or what was responsible For the Salem Witch trials?

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Ben Newman.

Who or what was responsible

For the Salem Witch trials?

 Arthur Miller one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century was persecuted in the 1950’s during the McCarthy trials suspected of attending communist meetings. America was against the idea of communism and saw it as a threat to their country anyone thought to be going to these secret meetings were persecuted and in some cases imprisoned. Miller wrote the play ‘The Crucible’ to show the parallels between two different societies i.e. the hysteria caused by the supposed witchcraft taking place in Salem and the hysteria caused by suspected communism which swept America. The play based around a small puritan town called Salem. In which girls, caught dancing in the woods lie their way out of a ‘whipping’ by blaming other members off the town of witchery. This was a very religious town if anyone did anything that was not considered ‘holy’ would be punished. So the girls blame Tituba a slave belonging to Parris, bought from the Barbados of witchcraft. Who in turn instead of losing her life she falsely admits to be in league with the devil but wants to turn back to Christianity so in turn she names other people in the village she has seen with the devil to escape persecution. This in turn leads to the hysteria of people naming people they want to get revenge on.  Many people blamed people they had grudges against or by that persons death they would become better off, i.e. land wise. If any one did anything wrong or out of the ordinary then there were accused of witchcraft. Many more were convicted of witchery but many admitted to it falsely as they would not be hanged therefore saving their lives. Although their soul would be damned this was an iccredible decision for the society to make. As Salem was a protestant community and was very theocratic society to be thrown out of the church would be a great sin. But many people threw away their godly ways so they could save their own lives. The play shows the two parallels between the Salem society and the McCarthy era in America.

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 John Proctor was a highly respected character, who could have however stopped the hysteria from arising Salem but didn’t as he would have had to admit to the town his affair with the main girl in the play Abigail Williams. This was a very theoretic town and this sin would go against the Ten Commandments, which would surely would have him out-cast from the town. It would also mean his name would be shamed. John Proctor tries to other throw the court when Abigail Williams names his wife as one of the people who she saw conversing with the devil. ...

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