The Salem Witch Trials were a result of mass hysteria fueled by the accusations of Abigail Williams and her friends. During the Salem Witch Trials those suspected of witchcraft were jailed and given a trial. During the trial the accused was dogged for a confession and even names of other wishes. The incentive was if they confessed, God would forgive them and they could live, but of course no one was really a witch so most plead innocent and were hung anyways, simply because of a suspicion. The whole event of the Salem Witch Trials is viewed as unjust because after the accusations spread, many townspeople simply accused their neighbors of being a witch to gain revenge, money, land, or something similar.
The historical significance of Susannah Martin’s trial is in communion with each other convicted witch, in that an idea can lead to destruction, not only destruction of the lives that were taken due to this idea, but almost to the colony itself. In order to explain the life of Susanna Martin it is first necessary to explain the life of the Salem witch trials. The era of the witch trials lasted less than a year, from the first arrests on March 1, 1692 to the final hanging on September 22, 1692. In 17th century New England, witchcraft under British law was seen as a felony and a crime committed against their government, and the punishment for the crime was hanging. There is often a
The Crucible, set during the Salem Witch Trials, is about how young girls could persuade an entire puritanical society to believe that there are witches. Throughout the plot of the story, John Proctor is an important character. While he dismisses the fact that there are witches, it is revealed that Proctor had an affair with Abigail, the first accuser. Throughout the beginning and middle of the story, Proctor pays his penance privately and no one knows what he did. When he tries to confess to the court about his sin to prove that he would not lie about the witches, the court puts him in jail for lying ironically.
Proctor tries to prevent Elizabeth from being hanged. He also admits that he lusted with Abigail. Elizabeth lies to the court, telling the first lie she has ever told. She lied to save her husband though. Abigail is accusing everyone of witchcraft to clear her name.
Not only does she deny doing witchcraft, she also manages to accuse Tituba of having full responsibility while she is the one who starts the whole thing. At the end of the chapter, she also frames some other citizens, saying that she sees them with the Devil. Her affair with John Proctor is furthermore exposed to the audience. Betty, Reverend Parris’s daughter, reveals that Abigail attempts to drink blood as a charm in order to kill Elizabeth Proctor, who is John Proctor’s wife. Moreover, when Reverend Parris confronts Abigail about being fired by Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail denies any wrongdoings.
Supposedly, the Devil walked on earth and tempted the townspeople to write their name with blood in a black book. Also, they believed witches and the Devil correlated together because they tempted the citizens to do wicked things to other Puritans. The hysteria begins with a few girls mentioning that witches controlled them to conjure sprits. All of Salem panicked right after the girls started to point fingers. Since the girls were considered the Lamb of Gods, nobody defied them.
The physical appearance of the woman concluded the examination and marked them as witches, due to physical signs left by the devil such as a "wart." Ann, and her parents accused many more townspeople, typically those who were enemies of the family. The accusation sent fear to the people as villagers believed that anyone could be a witch. By the time Ann's witch hunt was over, she had accused 62 people . Tituba denied to have practiced any witchcraft and was beated by Parris to confess as he would promise her freedom.
In 1692 Salem Massachusetts was well established with Puritans. Anxiety has been with the Puritans from the very beginning. Afraid of death by starvation, diseases, and savages. The Puritans began to see that they were losing their place in the world and that both the devils and the Indians were lined against them. The fear allows the witch trial hysteria to take over.
So when the proceedings of the witch trials come to town the Putnam s take that as a way to take Rebecca down. They accuse her of killing their babies be conjuring up her spirit and killing them before they come out of the womb. Unfortunately for Rebecca she fall victim to the mass hysteria in Salem, and is thrown I jail because of it. So being the good Christian she is when Judge Danforth asks her to confess she does not. Rebecca Nurse one of the kind and innocent people in the Crucible fall from power do to the happening of the Salem Witch
The Crucibles The crucibles is like desperation, lies, and hopelessness. Arthur Miller uses Rebecca Nurse to shows us that she is the clear martyr in the play, the most pure and saintly character hanged for witchery. Rebecca Nurse in the Crucibles uses integrity has always been scarce in society. In today’s world and as shown in The Crucible, honesty is unappreciated and the truthful are punished. While this brings fear to all of Salem, one character stands by her beliefs until the death.