Furthermore we are also able to observe how important attending church was to other characters in the play, for example, John Proctor was not a regular church attendee. The Salem Society now had one over John; even though we are aware that it is a completely unreasonable thought, the society could have claimed that the reason why John did not attend church was because he had been communing with the devil.
Another absurd incident is when Giles Corey becomes suspicious of his wife Martha Corey because she would read a book every night instead of the bible.
Giles: “Mr Hale, I have always wanted to ask a learned man-what signifies the readin’ of strange books?”
Hale: “Who does this?”
Giles: “Martha, my wife. I have walked at night many a time and found her in a corner readin’ of a book. Now what do you make of that?”
The witch trials empowered several characters in the play; some of whom were previously marginalized in the Salem society. The four characters in this play that abused and manipulated their power in different ways and for different reasons were: Abigail Williams, Tituba, Reverend Samuel Parris and Judge Danforth.
In general women occupied the lowest rung of Salem (which was a male dominated town) and therefore had very few opinions in life. The Salem witch trials gave females such as Abigail and Tituba power as well as a voice which was heard.
Abigail Williams is one of the major characters; she is easily established and is clearly the villain of the play. Abigail is a good liar, she can be very manipulative and overall she is a very vindictive character. Abigail is an orphan and an unmarried girl; therefore she occupies a low rung on the Puritan Salem social ladder (the only people below her are the slaves like Tituba). In the play John Proctor has an affair with Abigail Williams; however, by terminating their affair he unexpectedly stimulates her spiteful jealousy. It is for this reason that Abigail begins to manipulate the truth and abuse her power. By aligning herself, in the eyes of others, with God’s will, she gains power over the Salem society and her word becomes virtually indisputable.
Abigail’s motivations never seemed more complex then simple jealousy and a desire to take revenge on Elizabeth Proctor (John Proctor’s wife), who fired Abigail as a maid from their home after she discovered that Abigail and her husband (John) were having an affair. Abigail is driven by sexual longing and desire for power.
Gaining power meant that Abigail could now express withdrawn feelings and act on long-held grudges. Abigail took full advantage of the situation which was occurring in Salem by accusing Elizabeth Proctor of witch craft; hoping to have her sent to jail or even killed. Abigail was conscious of the fact that this lie would result in pure success, having made prior preparation for this charade. Such explicit evidence could not be doubted nor questioned so Abigail took this opportunity to seek revenge on Elizabeth; the woman whom she despised for being the wife of her ex-lover John Proctor, and since Elizabeth had discharged Abigail from their home after the affair was exposed, Abigail was extremely motivated to get vengeance.
Moreover, at the end of Act 3, Mary Warren is defeated by Abigail and has no choice but to side with her once more. Abigail succeeds in defeating Mary Warren by again, lying and manipulating the truth. Mary stands before the court to expose the truth about how Abigail and the other girls were not in compact with the devil and that they were all lying about their convention with the devil as well. Mary also attempts to reveal that everything the girls had done and were doing was entirely pretence. However, it is not long before Abigail begins to twist and manipulate the truth. Abigail fallaciously claims that she can see Mary with the devil and that she could also feel a strong wind. Abigail pretends to feel threatened by both Mary and the devil before the court.
At first Mary pleads with Abigail and asks her to put a stop to her acting;
Abigail: (looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold) “I- I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come.” (Her eyes fall on Mary Warren)
Mary: (Terrified, pleading) “Abby!”
Abigail: (Shivering visibly) “It is a wind, a wind!”
Mary: Abby, don’t do that!
However when she realises that her efforts are pointless and she would be much better off lying along with the girls, she points the finger at John Proctor and tells Judge Danforth that John is in touch with the devil and that John had threatened to kill her if she did not attend court to give a testimony.
Mary: (hysterically pointing at Proctor fearful of him) “My name he wants my name. ‘I’ll murder you’ he says ‘if my wife hangs’! we must go and overthrow the court’, he says!”
Proctor: (turning, appealing to Hale): “Mr Hale!”
Mary: (her sobs beginning) “He wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign…”
Mary: “… (Sobbing, she rushes to Abigail) Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more!”
Furthermore, even though Abigail is unsuccessful in this attempt she still tries to abuse her power and use it to her full potential by lying to Judge Danforth that a woman, whom she believes to be Reverend Hale’s wife, comes to her every night threatening to kill her. However, Danforth rejects this accusation made by Abigail as he claims that it is impossible for a minister’s wife to be in compact with the devil.
The reasons as to why Abigail may have abused and manipulated her power throughout the play might have been the following: To take revenge on Elizabeth Proctor, to be recognized by the Salem society and more importantly to be recognized and acknowledged my John Proctor.
A further character in the play who also abused her power was Tituba. Tituba was Reverend Parris’s West-Indian slave originally from Barbados. Tituba initially agreed to perform voodoo at Abigail’s request and lead the other girls to dance around a fire in the forest, at the beginning of the play. Tituba, whose status is lower than that of anyone else in the play by virtue of the fact that she is black, manages to deflect blame of herself by confessing apologetically and then condemning others who she claimed were also in touch with the devil. Not only did Tituba abuse her power but she succeeded in manipulating the situation by lying to Parris about her session with the devil. Tituba manages to rise even as a black slave who was substandard when she obtains a voice; this voice gives her power as well as control over the situation.
She uses her power to make false statements about her convention with the devil to manipulate and alarm Reverend Parris;
Tituba: “Oh, how many times he bid me kill you, Mr Parris!”
Parris: “Kill me!”
Tituba: (In a fury) “He say Mr Parris must be kill! Mr Parris no goody man, Mr Parris mean man and no gentle man, and he bid me rise out of my bed and cut you throat! But I tell him ‘No, I don’t hate that man. I don’t want kill that man!’ But he say ‘You work for me Tituba, and I make you free! I give you pretty dress to wear, and put you way up high in the air, and you gone fly back to Barbados!’
The most obvious reason for Tituba’s actions was to save her life. She could have also abused her power to be the first to take control over the situation occurring in Salem.
Another character in the play that mistreated his power to its full potential is Reverend Samuel Parris. Parris was the minister of Salem’s church. He was a paranoid, power-hungry and self-pitying man. Parris was very concerned with building his position in the Salem community, and individuals such as John Proctor dis-liked him. Parris strengthened his position within the village by creating distrust amongst the people like John Proctor who questioned his authority.
Being the minister of the church Parris could not be doubted as to whether he was doing his profession correctly or suspected of abusing his power, as the vast majority of the community assumed that he was a civil and devout man. It is for this reason also that Abigail is not a focal suspect of witch craft because she was the niece of Parris and therefore was strongly associated to the church as well. Being a part of the church or even associated to it was a great strength. The reason for this is because both the church and the court worked as one, so together they were considered to be loyal Christians who were performing their utmost best for the health of Salem which had become an ill society.
Parris: “There is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning!”
Reverend Parris had said this for the congregation of Salem to believe that he truthfully wanted a peaceful society in Salem where individuals were submissive and worked as one, but in actual fact by this he meant that if the congregation were to simply respect and follow him, only then would they have a successful society. Overall, Parris wanted nothing more then money and power over the Salem Society.
Parris abused his position as the church minister to ask the congregation for materialistic objects, such as wood for a fire. He expected the congregation to pay his way by using Christian beliefs to threaten them. Parris told the congregation that they would enter hell (fire and grim stone) if they did not support the church (meaning himself). Money and materialistic objects were very important to Reverend Parris so he manipulated the Salem congregation to receive objects from them. Another incident which supports this point in Act Four is when Parris discovers his niece Abigail has ran away; he is immensely distressed about the money she has stolen from him, and taken with her, but shows no genuine concern for Abigail.
Parris: “…I discover my-my strongbox is broke into.” (He presses his fingers against his eyes to keep back tears.)
Hathorne: (Astonished) “She have robbed you?”
Parris: “Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless.” (He covers his face and sobs.)
Parris may have abused his power to maintain his stable, powerful and vital position in the Salem community and to gain undeserved respect.
A fourth character in the play who abused his power and was also very manipulative, was Judge Danforth. Judge Danforth was the Deputy Governor of Massachusetts and the presiding judge at the Salem witch trials. Danforth had the potential to abuse his power and manipulate the truth since he was a very decisive judge, and was therefore in no position to be questioned by anyone. Danforth abused and manipulated his power because he was very well aware that his decisions could not be contradicted.
Danforth was convinced that he was doing his job to the best of his ability; however his best was not good enough. We also reveal that Judge Danforth is not as fair or just as he should be.
In Act Four when Reverend Parris suggests that the hangings should be postponed until they receive further open confessions, Danforth immediately goes against this idea and gives a very incisive reply.
Parris: “Excellency, I would postpone these hangin’s for a while.”
Danforth: “There will be no postponement.”
Parris: “Excellency-“
Danforth: “Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more. I will not receive a single plead for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang. Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning.
Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God’s law I will not crack its voice with whimpering.”
Danforth’s quote above tells us a lot about him. We are able to assume that he does not have a strong passion for justice even though he is a judge and that his reputation matters more to him then innocent lives. Danforth also claimed that he speaks God’s law, yet he is neither merciful nor just.
We can also assume that Danforth’s mighty act and strong words may all just be an entire act. It could be that Judge Danforth is insecure about what he has to offer to the Salem community. He could also be unsure about himself, as a judge, and therefore is attempting to set a fine impression of himself to the Salem community, rather then saving innocent lives. We can also see that eventually Danforth does begin to doubt his decisions, yet he does not serve justice to the innocent as it would make him appear as a lame judge. Danforth could also be in denial of what he has been told by others or more importantly in denial of what he knows himself.
Throughout the play Danforth does not make his uncertainties explicit and continues to act completely oblivious to the girls’ pretence. This is a fine example of him abusing and misusing his power as he clearly feels that if he was to change his opinion now he would set a bad example of himself to the court, let down those reliant on him and ruin his reputation, so he chooses to act blind to the truth and ignores both John Proctor’s and Reverend Hale’s true allegations.
In Act Three, we can see a demonstration of how Danforth abuses his power and his position to support him with the witch trials. In this Act we can assume that he abuses his power to raise and feel good about himself, and to appear, in the eyes of others, as an excellent Judge. He wanted to demonstrate openly that he is very good at his profession;
Danforth: “…Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me!”
Danforth: “Do you confess this power! (He is an inch from her face) Speak!”
These examples demonstrate that Danforth abused his power to make others feel small and himself to feel supreme. You could say that his congress with Elizabeth Proctor, in Act Three at court, was another example in which he aimed to publicly intimidate Elizabeth by asking her about the affair between her husband (John Proctor) and Abigail. By doing this he felt that he could show the Salem community that he was committed to the witch trials and determined to find every witch in Salem.
Elizabeth: “I came to think he fancied he…”
Danforth: “Your husband-did he indeed turn from you?”
Elizabeth: “He-”
Danforth: “Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery?” (In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak.) “Answer my question! “Is your husband a lecher!”
This evidence enables us to suggest that Judge Danforth was a very unconfident man, maybe not generally but he was constantly insecure when undertaking his profession. Danforth felt he was rising higher each time he was lowering others.
Or you could argue that he was just doing his job which involves being blunt and incisive at all times. You could also argue that perhaps Judge Danforth abused his power for the right reasons; to get to the bottom of the Salem witch trials and that he genuinely wanted Salem to become a recovered society. But the end justifies all means; because he did not prosecute the true villains (witches) and killed the innocent, the final suggestion and opinion may very well be that he abused his power entirely for his own self-esteem and ego.
Having power, being in control of the witch trials and emerging to be extremely almighty, may all be nothing but a disguise of Danforth’s insecurities. The reasons as to why he might have abused his power could have been be to retain the respect he had within the Salem society and to maintain his reputation. Danforth became ignorant to justice and chose to abuse his power to overcome the witch trials; eventually however, he did not succeed in doing so.
Act Four: Proctor’s Confession
Proctor: I want my life.
Hathorne: (electrified, surprised): You’ll confess yourself?
Proctor: I will have my life
Hathorne: (with a mystical tone): God be praised! It is a providence! (He rushes out the door, and his voice is heard calling down the corridor): He will confess! Proctor will confess!
Proctor: (with a cry, as he strides to the door): Why do you cry it? (In great pain he turns back to Elizabeth.) It is evil, is it not? It is evil.
Elizabeth: (weeping hopefully) It is not evil John, you must do this. No-one can judge you, do as I will John, good shall come from this.
Proctor: Then who will judge me? (Suddenly clasping his hands) God in Heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor?
Elizabeth: One simple confession is all it is John, why is it you cannot see the simplicity in this?
John: Simplicity? (He looks at Elizabeth disappointedly)
Elizabeth: That is so John, you will not regret this I promise you.
John: How can you say such things Elizabeth? Is it simple for a man to lose his pride because he must feed these dogs a lie? I will not think so! (He turns away from her bewildered)
Elizabeth: (With great rage and belief) And you tell me John, will it be any easier for a widow to raise two children all by herself and one which is yet to come? Think about it John.
Hathorne enters with Danforth, and, with them Cheever, Parris and Reverend Hale. They each make a rapid entrance as if the ice had finally been broken.
Danforth: (With great relief and gratitude) Praise to God, man, praise to God; you shall be blessed in Heaven for this. (Cheever has hurried to the bench with pen, ink and paper. Proctor watches him.) Now then, let us have it. Are you ready Mr Cheever?
Proctor: (With a cold, cold horror at their efficiency): Why must it be written? Is a confession alone not enough?
Danforth: Why, for the good instruction of the village, Mister; this we shall post upon the church door!
Now then, Mister, will you speak slowly and directly to the point, for Mr Cheever’s sake. (He dictates to Cheever who writes.) Mr Proctor have you seen the Devil in your life? (Proctors jaws lock)
Proctor: I did.
Danforth: And when he come to you, what were his demand? (Proctor is silent. Danforth helps) Did he bid you to do work upon earth?
Proctor: Yes he did.
Danforth turns as Rebecca enters, with Herrick helping to support her. She is barely able to walk.
Proctor turns his face to the wall.
Danforth: Courage, man, courage-let her witness your good example that she may come to God herself. Now, did you bind yourself to the Devils service?
Proctor: (through his teeth, his face turned away from Rebecca): I did.
Danforth: When the devil came to you did you see Rebecca Nurse in his company?
Proctor: (almost inaudibly) No.
Danforth: Did you see her sister, Mary Easty, with the Devil?
Proctor: No I did not.
Danforth: Did you ever see anyone with the Devil?
Proctor: I did not.
Danforth: Look you, sir. I think you mistake you duty here. Your soul is the issue here Mister, and you will prove its witnesses or you cannot live in a Christian country.
Proctor: I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another.
Hale: (Quickly to Danforth) Excellency, it is enough he confess himself. Let him sign it.
Danforth: Come, then, sign your testimony. (To Cheever) Give it to him. (Cheever goes to Proctor, the confession and a pen in hand. Proctor does not look at it.)
Proctor hesitates.
Proctor: I will not. You have all witnessed it- it is adequate.
Elizabeth: (Weeps desperately) John please…
Hale: (Taken aback) Man, do as they ask! If you don’t you will hang!
Danforth: You will not sign it?
Proctor: What more is needed? You have all witnessed it.
Hale: Do as they ask, sign the testimony!
Elizabeth: Oh John, don’t do this! Not now! (She weeps severely) I love you. Don’t you want to live? You have the chance to survive John, please take it.
Proctor: But Elizabeth-
Elizabeth: No John, there is nothing left to consider, sign the testimony and we can go back home, where we belong, you, me and the children. Please John I’m begging with you.
Hale: Your wife pleads with you John-
Proctor: (He is in deep thought as if unaware if his surroundings) Ok, I will do this…
Danforth: Cheever- (Cheever returns with the confession and a pen in hand.)
Proctor signs the testimony. Elizabeth cries with relief. Hale raises a gentle smile and Danforth appears as a very content man.
Danforth: (He turns to Rebecca) I say, will you confess yourself, Goody Nurse?
Rebecca: Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot. How can you damn yourself this way John? May God send his mercy on you!
John leaves with his arm around his wife Elizabeth who is crying tears of joy, whilst he keeps his head down in doubt of his decision and feeling mortified.
