Crucible

5 Pages 1331 Words

The madness of the Salem with trials is explored I great detail. There are many theories as to why the with trials come about, the most popular of which is the girls’ suppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, such as Abigail Williams’ affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges that neighbors held against each other, and the physical and economic differences between the citizens of Salem Village.
From a historical viewpooint, it is known that young girls in colonial Massachusetts were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were expected to walk straight, arms by their sides, eyes slightly downcast, and their mouths were to be shut unless otherwise asked to speak. It is not surprising that the girls would find this type of lifestyle very constricting. To rebel against it, they played pranks, such as dancing in the woods, listening to slaves’ magic stories and pretending that other villagers were bewitching them. The crucible starts after the girls in the village have been caught dancing in the woods. As one of them falls sick, rumors start to flu that there is witchcraft gong on in the woods, and that the sick girls is bewitched. Once the girls talk to each other, they become more and more frightened of being accused by saying, ‘I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” Another girl, Betty, continues the cry with, ‘I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!”
From here on, the accusations grow and grow until the jails overflow with accused witches. It must have given them and incredible sense of power when the whole town of Salem listened to their words and believed each and every accusation. After all, children were to be seen and not heard in Puritan society, and the new found attention was probably overwhelming. The girls were called before the judges...