The Cruicible

The Crucible is a story of the many wrongs that come from the town of Salem during 1692. The power that is brought fourth through revenge, deceit, paranoia, and sheer naive ness, is enough to turn the town of Salem, Massachusetts upside down. It results with the death of twenty innocent people and the jailing of hundreds more. The surge of power through the young women of Salem, who had never tasted power before complied with the struggle between good and evil are two main points in the play. Abigail Williams is the main instigator in all of the play. She is the ringleader of all the young women in Salem. The minute she feels or sees a “spirit” all the other girls miraculously see and feel them too. Abigail has her eyes set on John Proctor and uses the witch-hunt to take his wife out of play. She discovers that with her new found power all she has to do is accuse someone and they can be condemned. Her hatred for Goody Proctor is evident as in her quote to Rev. Parris, “ She hates me, uncle for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!” (Act 1 PG 11) The power behind the girls accusations is amazingly large, through all their spectral evidence that was taken for by Danforth and Hathorne. “I tell you straight, Mister—I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them struck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me.” (Act 3 PG 84) The power these girls got from the court is a monster that is ever present throughout this play. However along with power comes something much worse which is evil. During the correspondence of the Salem Witch Trials there is a presence of a struggle between good and evil the power of the Puritan Lord and the Devil. Some characters including Danforth and Hathorne who believe they are working on behalf of their lord are