In “The Crucible”, a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692, by Arthur Miller, the author showed how a reverend, Rev. Parris, displayed hypocrisy. Since priest are generally considered good, honest people, Arthur Miller shows how Rev. Parris lies to the community, he puts his ministry in front of his daughter’s life, and tries to help himself before helping the community. Even when his daughter is sick and he is unsure what is wrong with her, he puts himself and his job before her.

Sometime during February of the exceptionally cold winter of 1692, young Betty Parris became strangely ill. She twisted in pain, and complained of fever. The cause of her symptoms may have been some combination of stress, asthma, guilt, child abuse, epilepsy, and delusional psychosis, but there were other theories. Cotton Mather had recently published a popular book, "Memorable Providences," describing the suspected witchcraft of an Irish washerwoman in Boston, and Betty's behavior in some ways mirrored that of the afflicted person described in Mather's book. It was easy to believe in 1692 in Salem, with an Indian war raging less than seventy miles away that the devil was close at hand.

lk of witchcraft increased when other playmates of Betty, including eleven-year-old Ann Putnam, seventeen-year-old Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott, began to show signs of similar unusual behavior. When his own nostrums failed to affect a cure, William Griggs, a doctor called to examine the girls, suggested that the girls' problems might have a supernatural origin. The widespread belief that witches targeted children made the doctor's diagnosis seem increasing likely.

Some of the facts that are not in the textbook are those like, how and why Tituba admitted to witchcraft. The way she was accused while in Betty’s room when all the other girls were being accused and Abigail said that Tituba was the witch. Another is how the textbook does not mention that Giles Corey (the man was pressed) had refused to stand trial because he was afraid to be convicted, due to that if he was convicted his land would go to the state instead of his sons.

In the 1970s, a theory was put forth that the afflicted had suffered from hallucinations from eating moldy rye wheat -- egotism -- and although that theory has generally been refuted, its life continues in the popular explanation of the events.

No execution caused more unease in Salem than that of the village's ex-minister, George Burroughs. Burroughs, who was living in Maine in 1692, was identified by several of his accusers as the ringleader of the witches. One victim of the Salem witch hunt was not hanged, but rather pressed under heavy stones for two days until his death. Such was the fate of octogenarian Giles Corey who, after spending five months in chains in a Salem jail with his also accused wife, had nothing but contempt for the proceedings. Seeing the futility of a trial and hoping that by avoiding a conviction his farm, that would otherwise go the state, might go to his two sons-in-law, Corey refused to stand for trial. The penalty for such a refusal was peine et fort, or pressing. Three days after Corey's death, on September 22, 1692, eight more convicted witches, including Giles' wife Martha, were hanged. They were the last victims of the witchhunt.

Overall the book was ok. I also discovered the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history. Arthur Miller admits to adding some characters and that he changed a few things, why he did it? Who knows but the minor changes he made do not change how Salem was and reacted to its problem in 1692.

All that Parris can think of is that his “ministry is at stake.” He tells Putnam to “say nothing of witchcraft” because it is unknown. Parris from then on denies the true story and only admits that the girls were dancing. Later in the s

Some topics in this essay:
Giles Corey, Rev Parris, Act Parris, John Hathorne, Reverend Parris, Arthur Miller, Mary Warren, American Nation, William Griggs, Osborne Tituba, arthur miller, giles corey, rev parris, refused stand trial, witches including, close hand, ann putnam, accused witchcraft, parris lies, witch hunting, giles corey pressed, ministry cousin’s life”, ministry cousin’s,