MissRaz
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Salem: The Fear that Gripped Them All
Salem is a simple village with simple disputes over land, sins, and jealousy. However, mischief soon turns the small arguments into small wars. The Witch Trials all started with some girls whom grow bored of their Puritan lives. One of those girls, Abigail Williams, can be seen as most responsible for the trials and the death of her peers. Another of the girls, Mary Warren, is consistently motivated by fear struggling with peer pressure and control. Judge Danforth is another character struggling with the decision between saving innocent lives and keeping his name upright. Fear crept through the small town as they thought the devil crept.
As previously mentioned, Abigail Williams can be seen as the most responsible for the havoc in Salem. Abigail, in the beginning, is solely motivated by the fear of repercussions for what she and the girls had done. When Abigail sees that Titchiba is forgiven for what she had supposedly done, she views this as an escape from potential trouble and an opportunity for revenge. Another fear of Abigail’s was losing John Proctor. According to John, he gave her, "The Promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl"(Miller 35). She had lost him long before the girls started crying witch. Abigail uses the trials to extract revenge upon Elizabeth Proctor. She felt that if John’s wife was no longer in the picture, he would come right back to her. This she was terribly wrong about; and John ends up in jail sentenced to hang. Abigail then runs away removing herself from the mess she created.
The reader cannot deny Marry warren is considerable in the quest to find who is responsible. She was one of the accusers. However most would conclude that she was not necessarily actively accusing people more than just simply going along with the other girls. She is in a struggle to become independent the reader can see her struggle when she says, “I’ll not be ordered to bed no more, Mister Proctor! I am eighteen and a woman, however single!” (34). When she attempts to speak out against the girls, they turn on her. At this point she is faced with death or crying out against Proctor. Of course Marry Warren, not being of a strong will and easily peer pressured, turns against proctor, though most of the readers are unable to blame her for wanting her life.
Furthermore Judge Danforth, whom in rating of fault, is very comparable to Abigail. He refuses to admit fault, even when his own conscious falters. Danforth is very defensive, and when Hale asks him to consider Proctors’ evidence he replies, “Mister Hale, you surely do not doubt my justice?” (61). He is extremely influenced by Abigail in court. For some reason, she is able to convince him, even when it is clear that she is wrong. He also lets his pride get in the way to save his name. Due to this, he lets many people die. If the worth of his name was less a priority to him, the truth would have come out far sooner than it did.
Overall, we can see the master manipulator is Abigail Williams. It is clear that Marry Warren and Judge Danforth are merely caught up in the hunt and had their own personal motives, not to mention being manipulated by Abigail and the other weighty consequences of telling the truth. The Salem Witch Trials show the true personalities of these characters.
Salem is a simple village with simple disputes over land, sins, and jealousy. However, mischief soon turns the small arguments into small wars. The Witch Trials all started with some girls whom grow bored of their Puritan lives. One of those girls, Abigail Williams, can be seen as most responsible for the trials and the death of her peers. Another of the girls, Mary Warren, is consistently motivated by fear struggling with peer pressure and control. Judge Danforth is another character struggling with the decision between saving innocent lives and keeping his name upright. Fear crept through the small town as they thought the devil crept.
As previously mentioned, Abigail Williams can be seen as the most responsible for the havoc in Salem. Abigail, in the beginning, is solely motivated by the fear of repercussions for what she and the girls had done. When Abigail sees that Titchiba is forgiven for what she had supposedly done, she views this as an escape from potential trouble and an opportunity for revenge. Another fear of Abigail’s was losing John Proctor. According to John, he gave her, "The Promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl"(Miller 35). She had lost him long before the girls started crying witch. Abigail uses the trials to extract revenge upon Elizabeth Proctor. She felt that if John’s wife was no longer in the picture, he would come right back to her. This she was terribly wrong about; and John ends up in jail sentenced to hang. Abigail then runs away removing herself from the mess she created.
The reader cannot deny Marry warren is considerable in the quest to find who is responsible. She was one of the accusers. However most would conclude that she was not necessarily actively accusing people more than just simply going along with the other girls. She is in a struggle to become independent the reader can see her struggle when she says, “I’ll not be ordered to bed no more, Mister Proctor! I am eighteen and a woman, however single!” (34). When she attempts to speak out against the girls, they turn on her. At this point she is faced with death or crying out against Proctor. Of course Marry Warren, not being of a strong will and easily peer pressured, turns against proctor, though most of the readers are unable to blame her for wanting her life.
Furthermore Judge Danforth, whom in rating of fault, is very comparable to Abigail. He refuses to admit fault, even when his own conscious falters. Danforth is very defensive, and when Hale asks him to consider Proctors’ evidence he replies, “Mister Hale, you surely do not doubt my justice?” (61). He is extremely influenced by Abigail in court. For some reason, she is able to convince him, even when it is clear that she is wrong. He also lets his pride get in the way to save his name. Due to this, he lets many people die. If the worth of his name was less a priority to him, the truth would have come out far sooner than it did.
Overall, we can see the master manipulator is Abigail Williams. It is clear that Marry Warren and Judge Danforth are merely caught up in the hunt and had their own personal motives, not to mention being manipulated by Abigail and the other weighty consequences of telling the truth. The Salem Witch Trials show the true personalities of these characters.
