I am writing this report today to explain the major reasons behind the horrific witchcraft trials that took place in Salem‚ Massachusetts in the years 1692 and 1693. For years this event has been ignored. However‚ after analyzing the evidence in the case‚ I have some startling news to share. First‚ I will explain to you several theories that make the most sense. Then‚ I will tell you what I believe caused the Salem community to respond in such a cruel and violent way. Could a disease have caused
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Predetermined Justice Witchcraft in early modern Europe was understood to be the combination of maleficium and diabolism. The term maleficium refers to the actual act of witchcraft‚ which was believed to be harmful magic or sorcery. Allegations of maleficium were simply the foundation for the crime of witchcraft. Diabolism is what made witchcraft a crime because it involved trading oneself for magical abilities from the Devil (xxv). With regard to religion during early modern Europe‚ it
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infamous events that demand an explanation for their occurrence. The trials that took place in 1692 caused neighbors in the community of Salem Village in the colony of Massachusetts to turn on one another out of paranoia‚ accusing one another of witchcraft. According to Carol Karlsen‚ a longtime author of the subject‚ nineteen people were hanged and about 200 others were imprisoned (40). A few theories have been offered in order to explain the root of this mass hysteria. The theories in question need
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begin to assume something else is occurring. Their inability to comprehend the true nature of the situation leads them to deduce that the true cause of their woes were something that nobody could control‚ the supernatural‚ and more specifically‚ witchcraft. They picked this supernatural cause to blame for their problem‚ and eventually managed to use it in order to hold the minds of the entire town in a common fear of the supernatural. Personally I believe that the girls‚ led by Abby‚ were merely using
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The Crucible shows the similarities between the Salem witch trials and the Red Scare‚ the fear of communism.The red scare led to many people fearing every one else‚ thinking they were communist. In Salem witch trials‚ witchcraft is haunting the village. During the McCarthy era‚ freedom was a very important aspect in life‚ as was religion a very important aspect of life during the Salem witch trials. The Crucible was a play made to symbolize McCarthyism in the 1950’s In the beginning of The Crucible
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Corwin. Sarah Good‚ the wife of William Good of Salem Village was suspected of practicing witchcraft. She was accused by Elizabeth Parris‚ Abigail Williams‚ Ann Putnam‚ and Elizabeth Hubbard; all young women who began the original accusations in Salem. These girls held Sarah Good responsible for hurting them various times. Upon examination‚ Good was asked numerous questions about her involvement with witchcraft. She denied having any connection with evil spirits. They asked her if she made any contact
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in the church and feared when someone or something acted out. The Puritans are misunderstood in the eyes of the twenty-first century for their extreme reactions to witchcraft‚ the Devil‚ and God. The Salem Witch Trials are one of the most interesting pieces of history. Numerous women‚ and even some men‚ were accused of witchcraft. The hysteria started with a few young women claiming to have seen the devil.
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seek reparations from grudges. Hysteria suspends the rules of daily life and allows the acting out of every dark desire and hateful urge under the charade of righteousness. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller‚ the hysteria due to the paranoia of witchcraft causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself‚ Danforth to ruin the community‚ and Proctor to be convicted of witchery. The hysteria surrounding the witchtrials causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself. She is affected by the hysteria because
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In "The Crucible" accusations of witchcraft worried townspeople and made them panic‚ much like Y2K. Many experst had claimed in 1999 that the world would end in the year 2000. The reasoning behind this absurd accusation was that the Mayan calender had stopped at the 2000th year. Many people panicked and sold their properties in order to "enjoy" their last days on Earth. This relates to the Salem Witch Trials where there were a plethora of accusations of witchcraft. People went crazy and began to worry
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of the earliest accusation of witchcraft can be dated back to 1484 in Germany. Many men and women were persecuted‚ tortured‚ burnt and even killed because they were believed to be witches under the devil’s control. In this essay I will talk about what witchcraft was‚ who was accused of practicing it‚ the social response in Salem and what social and religious factors are given to account for the harsh response to witchcraft. The direct definition of witchcraft is the use of supernatural or
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