In the beginning of the play his daughter is extremely ill appearing, and many think it to be witchcraft. When he is speaking to Abby about what she and her friends were doing in the forest …show more content…
In the middle of the play when John gets everyone to sign the petition for his and a few others’ wives to be released, Reverend Parris fights against it. He tries to discredit John before he can even defend his wife. He says, “Beware this man, Your Excellency, this man is mischief.” He cannot bear the thought of possibly someone finding out his niece, her friends, and himself are all frauds and have been lying through the entire duration of the trial. He continuously tries to discredit his testimonies by pointing out, “Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month.” To not show up to church was a great offense, and you were seen as a lesser christian or less of a person for not showing up for it. For Parris to bring this up in the middle of church, it really threw a wrench is the Judge's ability to believe his testimony of being honest. Parris knew that he had to discredit John in order to keep the truth and his reputation