These times also had many differences. People in the Salem Witch Trials were in the 1600's-a very naive time- while people during the time of McCarthyism lived in the 1950's. Citizens of America in the 1600's were scared of one thing, the devil. The churches wanted to rid their town of anyone who associated with him by being hanged. In the 1950's, however, people were terrified of the red Communists coming to take over their beloved country.
Author Millers, The Crucible, is a play about the fear, of witchcraft in the sixteenth century, and what fear does to people in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. During the colonial time period, witchcraft was punishable by death. In Salem the idea of witchcraft not only feared the people, but also the community as a whole. The community of Salem was split into two demographics by poor farmers, and wealthy merchants, becomes a scared fearful town during the accusations, not knowing if your neighbor was or was not a witch. The church of Salem plays an important role in the outcome of the town; the church has immense power and control of the town.
The Puritans in The Scarlet Letter ironically condemn Hester by hypocritically reacting to her sin and by foolishly praising the preacher who actually committed adultery with her. Once the puritans realize Hester was pregnant, they began to condemn her and give her harsh consequences. All together they banished her from the town and tried to take her daughter away from her. These consequences were given hypocritically since the majority of the town participated in witchcraft. The town, in order to justify it's sin, acted like they actually held standards by harshly attacking Hester's sin.
Also, Abby accuses Mrs. Proctor of witchcraft for her own self-interest. She wanted Mrs. Proctor to be killed so she could have Mr. Proctor to herself. Lastly, Arthur Miller underscores the magnitude of personal indiscretion in influencing social upheaval. During the witch trials, people were afraid of their own sins being exposed and they tried anything they could to keep it a secret. John Proctor tried to keep his affair with Abigail from the court as long as possible until he pretty much had to break down and confess it.
Another reason their relationship is dangerous is that if John Procter were to prosecute against Abigail Williams saying that she is in fact a witch, Abigail Williams could very easily tell the entire town that she and Procter have been having an affair to get revenge on him. It wouldn’t really affect her too much, but on the contrary, it would ruin his reputation in the town and his relationship with his wife. Later in Act I, Abigail is being “interrogated” by Reverend Hale and she claims “I never sold myself! I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl!” (Miller 40) in this statement, Abigail is defending herself that she never sold herself to the devil.
The absence of a fair and honest trial for the prosecuted in the small Protestant town is thought to be approached in a different manner today. And although in some situations this may be true, the past still dwells. The initial start of the hysteria originated in Salem Village in 1692. The instigators, Abigail Williams and her cousin Betty Parris were constantly faced with boredom, along with other young people of the Puritan communities because of the adult’s beliefs that the young adults should be doing things of a higher maturity level and not spending their time with play, engaged in magic and voodoo led by their servant, Tituba. started having fits described as “beyond the power of Epileptic Fits or natural disease to effect.”1 During one of the girl’s outbreaks, they would yell strange sayings and throw things around the room.
Austin Meyer R10286217 The Crucible In 1692, the Puritans believed in the supernatural power of witchcraft and that the devil is responsible if anything bad happens. This belief in sorcery plays a very important role in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and sets the tone for how the play progresses. In the small Massachusetts town of Salem, religion is viewed as law and anything that goes against the bible is considered a dreadful sin. During this time, a person’s name meant everything to their honor and respect from others. An easy accusation of one’s name could tarnish their reputation and ruin their career.
Salem Witch Trials What were the motivations for the Salem witch trials? The Trials that accused and killed so many innocent women and men. What we know about the trials is that there were religious, social, and economic factors involved. The Religious/Political factor was is the inability to explain certain events and to go outside their church beliefs and discipline. The Social factor was that they weren’t really a community, there failure to really know there neighbors and the economic factor was because of the difference in monetary income.
Abigail new the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging and carried out her accusation so that she and Jon could “dance upon her grave together.”(Act 3) John Proctor is also charged with witch craft; he had a choice of lying about consorting with the devil or keeping his integrity. John Proctor died a positive role model for the community and his children, and went to death with his soul and integrity. Similarity, In “Macbeth” individuals are killed for greed of power. Macbeth makes foolish decisions that lead him to paranoia, grief and his downfall. “Where our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.” (Act IV, Scene 2) Macbeth’s downfall is attributed to a sense of over-confidence and ambition Macbeth’s destruction.
Therefore the witches could foretell Macbeth’s fate and his downfall. Although, the witches were not completely honest, Macbeths' actions were more ambitious and destructive than the witches, since Macbeth used violence to advance in the game of power taking harmful actions to the advance to the next. Proving, that Macbeths' actions fed his ambitions and led him to his downfall. Secondly, the witches told Macbeth the apparitions as if they were complete truths not just mere predictions. The witches mislead Macbeth into believe a certain fate that could possibly have been a false truth.