What role do grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria?
Miller establishes that rivalry and grudges lead to accusations and conviction of innocent people. These grudge create tension which tears the community apart. Certain individuals in Salem used the witch trial hysteria to make scape goats of others, and thereby strengthen their position within the community.
What role does hysteria play in the crucible?
In The Crucible, hysterical fear becomes an unconscious means of expressing the resentment and anger suppressed by strict Puritan society. The Crucible shows how religious fervor fuels hysteria and leads to conditions that sacrifice justice and reason.
Who holds grudges in the crucible?
Abigail, the original source of the hysteria, has a grudge against Elizabeth Proctor because Elizabeth fired her after she discovered that Abigail was having an affair with her husband, John Proctor.
Why is Parris so worried about the evidence of witchcraft being discovered in his own house?
Why is Parris so worried about the evidence of witchcraft being discovered in his own house? Parris wants to remain minister and fears any evidence that may harm his reputation. Proctor questions Parris’s beliefs and morals.
In what sense is Proctor’s quote from the Bible ironic?
When John Proctor is interviewed, or interrogated, he is asked to recite the Ten Commandments, and he can’t remeber the commandment against committing adultery. Irony is when the outcome is different than what is expected. It is ironic, because he has committed adultery, with Abigail Williams.
Why is it ironic that John forgets the commandment?
Irony is created here because the audience, along with Proctor and Elizabeth, realizes that he really “forgot” the commandment when he had the affair with Abigail. Proctor has not incorporated this commandment into his life, so it fails to remain in his memory.
What does Tituba claim the devil want?
Tituba says the Devil told her to kill Reverend Parris, and he promised her a better life if she worked for him. She claims that she saw Goody Good (Sarah Good) and Goody Osburn (Sarah Osburn) with the Devil.
Why does Betty accuse others of witchcraft?
Abigail did not confess this to her uncle, Betty’s father, and Betty knows this. Betty starts accusing people to deflect suspicion away from herself and the other girls from their dabblings in the occult in the woods. She is terrified into submission by Abigail, who tells Betty and the other girls, “…
Why are the Putnam’s so quick to agree with the idea of witchcraft?
Why are the Putnam’s so quick to agree with the idea of witchcraft? They already believed witches killed their babies so it would not be that unbelievable for a witch to be affecting Betty as well as their own daughter.
Why do the putnams start talking about witchcraft What do they and others mention as signs of witchcraft?
In Act I of this play, Mrs. Putman and her husband are talking about witchcraft because their daughter, Ruth, is ill and they believe witchcraft to be the cause. Mrs. Putman had previously sent Ruth to see Tituba, who they believe has the ability to speak to the dead and is involved in witchcraft.
What can you infer about Betty when she can’t stand to hear the Lords name?
What does it mean when Betty can’t stand to hear the Lord’s name? To those who believe in witchcraft, it means that she is possessed by the Devil and that is why she can’t stand to hear the Lord’s name.
Why is the Reverend Parris worried about his daughter Betty?
Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, is ill, and he believes her illness to be of “natural”—not “unnatural”—cause. He wants to have a doctor examine Betty to provide a more natural explanation for her sickness in an attempt to crush rumors of witchcraft.