Similar to The Crucible , a majority of the characters reacted the way they did out of fear. These allegations would have important implications for the future because they were part of a broader pattern of hostility toward and persecution of marginalized groups. However, Spain did witness one of the largest witch trials on record. The figurative 'witch hunt' of McCarthyism becomes literal in Miller's play, which is . One was Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, the 9-year-old daughter of Rev. When Arthur Miller published The Crucible in the early 1950s, he simply outdid the historians at their own game.. Through their reactions to the witch trials, characters in Arthur Millers The Crucible portray two major themes of self-preservation and mass hysteria. Both of these historic elements, however, were shaped by Miller into a story about a married man tormented by an orphaned, libidinous teenage girl seeking to punish him for a sexual transgression she participated consensually in. Again, the so-called witches made for the perfect scapegoats. The so-called 'confessions' by many of the accusers were an effort for them to purge themselves, as it were, of sin and thus find redemption. Lewis, Jone Johnson. At first, this lead society to a poor place of illogical reasoning and punishments, but overall gave a lasting lesson of how to deal with conflicts in the future. In 20th Century America, it all started when a playwright named Arthur Miller had an affair with a Hollywood actress named Marilyn Monroe. Because accusations and trials of witches took place in both ecclesiastical and secular courts, the law played at least as important a role as religion in the witch hunts. Widely influential, it was reprinted numerous times. But Tituba recanted her confession, and Parris never paid the fine, presumably in retaliation for her recantation. Yet one general explanation is valid: the unique character of the witch hunts was consistent with the prevailing worldview of intelligent, educated, experienced people for more than three centuries. The hunts were not pursuits of individuals already identified as witches but efforts to identify those who were witches. The gradual demise during the late 17th and early 18th century of the previous religious, philosophical, and legal worldview encouraged the ascendancy of an existent but often suppressed skepticism; increasing literacy, mobility, and means of communication set the stage for social acceptance of this changing outlook. In the 1960's few individuals primarily a band of girls accused innocent people of practicing witchery. In 1691, a group of girls from Salem, Massachusetts accused an Indian slave named Tituba of witchcraft, igniting a hunt for witches that left 19 men and women hanged, one man pressed to death, and over 150 more people in prison awaiting a trial. Three women and two infants died while imprisoned. Read the document introduction and transcript and apply your knowledge of American history in order to answer these questions. As questions of, When witchcraft arose, the state began executing anyone affiliated with witchery. Arrest warrants were also issued for Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. No one was safe from persecutions, and the witch hunts for communism began. However, it must be taken into account that different regions experienced a flare-up of witch trials for a variety of localized reasons. A crucible can mean either an instrument of heating or a severe trial. But the events surrounding the witch trials of Salem in 1692 were not in any way unique or isolated. The same person may have enslaved John Indian; they both disappear from all known records after Tituba's release. The emphasis on personal piety exacerbated the rigid characterization of people as either good or bad. It also aggravated feelings of guilt and the psychological tendency to project negative intentions onto others. This was a dissertation that endorsed witch-hunting and is believed to have inspired Shakespeares Macbeth. Latest answer posted April 17, 2020 at 1:25:04 AM. Salem, of course, serves as the perfect example of this fanaticism and scapegoating taken to the extreme. 'The witch-hunt was not, however, a mere repression. Parris. Current PhD Biblical Studies, BA Classics and Religion. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. Little is known of Tituba's background or even origin. How Does Arthur Miller Use Witch Hunts In The Crucible. And its this body of work, which students have been instructed to read at school for decades, that has permeated the culture and contributed to our modern version of blaming womens desires for societys ills. In the early modern period, Protestantism emerged as a viable challenge to the Catholic Churchs firm hold on the Christian population of Europe. Resentment and fear of the power of the hag, a woman released from the constraints of virginity and then of maternal duties, has been frequently described in Mediterranean cultures. Scapegoating can be viewed as the main reason behind the American witch hunts. The Salem witch trials end up being a crucible, that is, a time of great testing and purifying, for the townspeople. Even though the clergy and judges in the Middle Ages were skeptical of accusations of witchcraft, the period 130030 can be seen as the beginning of witch trials. In other words, there was how things actually happened during the Salem Witch Trials, and there was how Miller wrote about them, taking lots of liberties to tell this story through a prism that made sense to him. The Salem witch trials proved to be one of the most cruel and fear driven events to ever occur in history. He mentions that, firstly, the witch-hunts developed from what he names a 'paradox.' Witch Hunts In Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Soon, people feared, communist ways would come to the United States and would quickly corrupt the government system. https://www.thoughtco.com/tituba-salem-witch-trials-3530572 (accessed March 4, 2023). The theological worldviewderived from the early Christian fear of Satan and reinforced by the great effort to reform and conform that began in 1050was intensified again by the fears and animosities engendered by the Reformation of the 16th century. I had not approached the witchcraft out of nowhere or from purely social and political considerations. Students put themselves in the place of the playwright to answer: Aligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3- Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain. To prove that the promise of salvation served as a reason for the sudden flare-up of witch hunts during this period of religious turmoil, we only need to look to the notable absence of witch trials in Catholic strongholds. Miller completely discounts the idea that these events are caused by supernatural forces, and instead seeks to show how everyday difference between the members of the Salem community and the all-common emotions of anger, envy and greed are responsible. Namely, that he was in a marriage he wasnt happy in, and ended up having an affair with the much younger Marilyn Monroe, with whom he then had a troubled relationship and marriage. Four-year-old accused witch Dorcas Good went insane after spending months in prison and watching her baby sister die while in jail with their mother, who was later hanged. Those include fear, personal motives, unfair treatment of the accused, and accusers. As Miller puts it: 'Land-lust which had been expressed before by constant bickering over boundaries and deeds, could now be elevated to the arena of morality; one could cry witch against one's neighbor and feel perfectly justified in the bargain.'. These stage directions allowed the reader to gain insight as to why Salem was able to serve as home to the witch hunts. Most scholars agree that the prosecutions were not driven by political or gender concerns; they were not attacks on backward, or rural, societies; they did not function to express or relieve local tensions; they were not a result of the rise of capitalism or other macroeconomic changes; they were not the result of changes in family structure or in the role of women in society; and they were not an effort by cultural elites to impose their views on the populace. Both the Catholic and Protestant churches, striving to maintain a tight grasp on their clergy, each made clear that they alone could offer a priceless, invaluable commodity; Salvation. Like the Spanish colonies, the English colonies repeated the European stereotype with a few minor differences. Sarah Good claimed her innocence but implicated Tituba and Osborne. In counties divided along religious lines, such as Germany, however, there were many trials and executions. Why might their age make them particularly susceptible to accusations of strange behavior? The events in Salem and other towns in New England took place in a region of isolated villages and towns. Instead, they were just one very small chapter in the much longer story of the witch hunts that took place all across Europe and America in the early modern period, with the European witch hunts reaching a height between 1560 and 1650. The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. The early modern period was a time of calamity, plagues, and wars, while fear and uncertainty were rife. Puritan Americans viewed physical wants and desires as a threat to society and work of the Devil. The legal use of torture declined in the 17th and 18th centuries, and there was a general retreat from religious intensity following the wars of religion (from the 1560s to 1640s). 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: John Proctor, Critical Context (Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult Literature Series), Critical Context (Comprehensive Guide to Drama). What part might this physical separation have played in turning neighbors against one another and stoking fears of demons? The ultimate purpose of such a system was to create unity and, therefore, to fight any force that sought to break it. Arthur Miller's . Rather, recollecting others with distasteful memories such as witchcraft. Tituba was accused by the young girls of appearing to them (as a spirit), which amounted to an accusation of witchcraft. In act 4 of The Crucible, why does John Proctor decide to confess but refuse to sign a written confession? However, many were guilty of caving into their own weaknesses and only feared to be caught in their acts of hypocrisy. It used to be that women were only madthemselvesbecause of their lusts. John Indian, through the trials, also had a number of fits when present for the examination of accused witches. For many of them the witch-hunt provided an opportunity to release themselves from their own guilt and vent their impure thoughts under the cloak of seeking absolution. As the trials wore on, Miller traveled between Massachusetts and New York, researching what he saw as a clear correlation between the Red Scare and the Salem witch trials, both of which depended on a mass hysteria propelled by fear. When Samuel Parris moved to Boston from New Spain, he brought Tituba,John Indian, and a young boy with him as enslaved persons forced to work in a household. A combination of multiple different forces came together to create the circumstances in which these witch hunts took place, so there are numerous reasons to consider. Miller presents the idea that vengeance ruins peoples lives or reputation so that you can get what you want and be satisfied. The town of Salem in The Crucible, can relate to our nation today, through the way we target the Muslim religion as terrorist. It was this combination of sorcery and its association with the Devil that made Western witchcraft unique. The ensuing witch hunt would result in the executions of 19 men, women, and children, along with the deaths of at least six others, and the suffering, torment, and calamity of an entire community. Aligns with CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.7- Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. However, the general consensus is that the witch hunts spanning the two continents resulted in the deaths of between 40,000 and 60,000 people. Witch trials continued through the 14th and early 15th centuries, but with great inconsistency according to time and place. Why is Thomas Putnam bitter in act 1 of The Crucible. The Devil, whose central role in witchcraft beliefs made the Western tradition unique, was an absolute reality in both elite and popular culture, and failure to understand the prevailing terror of Satan has misled some modern researchers to regard witchcraft as a cover for political or gender conspiracies. Salem was a pressure-cooker ready to explode. Accessed 4 Mar. The term 'witch-hunt' has become entrenched in our vocabulary and our consciousness to mean, metaphorically, any act which purposely seeks out to punish those who hold unpopular views or. Tituba's confession, by the rules of the court, kept her from being tried later with others, including those who were eventually found guilty and executed. from University of the Western Cape, South Africa. A fire, a fire is burning! Why did Arthur Miller write The Crucible? How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials. She is a tour guide in Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, a popular historical site in Dublin, and a published fiction and non-fiction writer. By directing blame for misfortune upon others, various populations across Europe succumbed to the mass panic and collective fear ignited by those in authority. The paradox lies in the fact that the rules which were created and adhered to in order to ensure unity 'were grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition.' The next spring, the trials ended and various imprisoned individuals were released once their fines were paid. ", Latest answer posted October 02, 2020 at 10:46:39 AM. Therefore, to create unity, one also had to exclude and prohibit those who could threaten it. Part of their belief system was awareness for anything "evil". The economic theories of the Salem events tend to be two-fold: the first attributes the witchcraft trials to an economic downturn caused by a "little ice age" that lasted from 1550-1800; the second cites socioeconomic issues in Salem itself. There were additional hunts in Spanish America, where the European pattern of accusations continued even though the differences between the folklore of the Europeans and Native Americans introduced some minor variations into the accusations. In The Crucible, what message is Arthur Miller trying to get across to the reader? They believe that witches work with the devil and that they can see the devil and his followers. But there was one entry in Upham in which the thousands of pieces I had come across were jogged into place. They may evaluate how each version interprets the source text and debate which aspects of the enacted interpretations of the play best capture a particular character, scene, or theme. Witches sought to gain or preserve health, to acquire or retain property, to protect against natural disasters or evil spirits, to help friends, and to seek revenge. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: John Proctor, Critical Context (Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult Literature Series), Critical Context (Comprehensive Guide to Drama). Although many witchcraft theorists were not deeply misogynist, many others were, notably the authors of the infamous Malleus maleficarum. Although the lurid trials at Salem (now in Massachusetts) continue to draw much attention from American authors, they were only a swirl in the backwater of the witch hunts. In Greco-Roman civilization, Dionysiac worship included meeting underground at night, sacrificing animals, practicing orgies, feasting, and drinking. There have been many different "witch hunts" that have happened since 1692, that have shaped our world. The Reformation, Counter-Reformation, war, conflict, climate change, and economic recession are all some of the factors that influenced the witch hunts across the two continents in various ways. It was also, and as importantly, a long overdue opportunity for every-one so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.'. No wonder the term witch hunt has entered common political parlance to describe such campaigns as that of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy in his attempt to root out communists in the United States in the 1950s. Moreover, just as the growth of literacy and of reading the Bible helped spread dissent, so did they provoke resistance and fear. Upon these people, the blame could be laid for all hardships endured by Puritan society. Parris beat Tituba to try to get a confession from her. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. Tituba apologized for her part, saying she loved Betty and meant her no harm. Tituba is depicted in Miller's drama as initiating witchcraft as play among the girls of Salem Village. Very few accusations went beyond the village level. Witches were considered Satans followers, members of an antichurch and an antistate, the sworn enemies of Christian society in the Middle Ages, and a counter-state in the early modern period. Latest answer posted December 16, 2019 at 7:31:02 AM. To support my other endeavors, go here; http://patreon.com/teampomonok. . Latest answer posted April 17, 2020 at 1:25:04 AM. Anyone who failed to subscribe to Puritan social norms could become vulnerable and villainized, branded as an outsider, and cast in the role of the Other. These included those that were unmarried, childless, or defiant women on the fringes of society, the elderly, people suffering from a mental illness, people with a disability, and so forth. The story in The Crucible begins with how the paranoia and the following witch hunt started in Salem. An author named Arthur Miller wrote the play The Crucible based of the true events of the Salem witch trials. Thus creating the different movements to bring awareness to the situations and hope that the citizens will work to change and or stop these homicides from happening. Already a member? Mather and his fellow New Englanders believed that God directly intervened in the establishment of the colonies and that the New World was formerly the Devils territory. Arthur Millers play The Crucible, which forms the basis of many Americans knowledge of the trials, takes liberties with the story. Sermons and didactic treatises, including devil books warning of Satans power, spread both the terror of Satan and the corresponding frantic need to purge society of him. Students can make very profitable comparisons between the two tragic heroes: The Manchurian Candidates Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, and The Crucible's John Proctor. It would, however, be incorrect to suggest that witch-hunting was something wielded against ones opponents during the many cases of civil unrest ignited by the Reformation. Over seventy people were implicated as part of the North Berwick trials and seven years later King James came to write Daemonologie. Tituba was among the first three people accused of being a witch during the Salem witch trials of 1692. They [residents of Salem] carried about an innate resistance, even of persecution. Maleficium was a threat not only to individuals but also to public order, for a community wracked by suspicions about witches could split asunder.