Description of Preliminary Research The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693‚ and involved over two hundred people being accused of practicing witchcraft. After the execution of twenty people‚ the colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted. Following the events‚ the story of the trials has become synonymous with paranoia and injustice‚ and continues to beguile the common imagination. Initially‚ I aimed my research
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Arthur Miller’s modern play The Crucible‚ takes place in Salem‚ Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials‚ in which the theocracy in the Puritan community causes mass hysteria during the accusations of witchcraft against citizens. Abuse of legal authority is viewed throughout the play‚ and social issues of intolerance are evident. Arthur Miller’s characterization of Thomas Putnam‚ Mary Warren‚ and John Proctor exemplify their purpose‚ motivation‚ and character traits. In the beginning of the play
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the Salem outbreak in New England and how bewitchment was related to New England villages. The author also discussed in the chapter what social factors contributed to those accused of witchcraft in Salem. The author described this period of time in Salem life as the “invisible world” (57). “Demons‚ familiars‚ witchcraft‚ and magic all shaped seventeenth-century New England” (57). What aspect of historical research are they demonstrating in this article? “Historians studying the psychological and social
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jump to conclusions and never feel safe? This is the reality of today’s generation with the clown scare and was the reality of the puritans with the witchcraft. In olden times‚ many people became paranoid and concerned with the idea of witchcraft‚ so they accused the innocent if there happened to be any superstition or signs of them practicing witchcraft. Today many people are being terrorized by people dressed as clowns. There have been clown hunts held and some people have been injured. Although witches
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the play. It introduces the fact that everyone in the town is carrying their own demons inside and their willing to bail them on anyone to escape judgment. In the play there are two types of demonic forces at work‚ literal demonic forces‚ like witchcraft‚ possession‚ death during child birth‚ people being turned into witches‚ and dancing in the forest late at night. As well as figurative demonic forces‚ examples of that would be reputation‚ intolerance‚ deceit‚ lies‚ and rumors. One prominent
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eighteen other people followed behind her and were hung as well. Martha Corey who was a faith based‚ church going women was also accused. Religion was important during this time‚ so seeing someone who had such strong religious beliefs get accused of witchcraft was astonishing. This basically sent out a message to everyone that anyone could be accused of talking with Satan. The people accused were as young as five and as old as eighty. The number of people being accused continued to skyrocket‚ and it eventually
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In Salem Massachusetts‚ during the late 1600’s‚ more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 24 of those 200 people who were accused were killed. The evidence didn’t have to be reliable; it hardly had to be there! All it took was someone to point a finger at you and you would find yourself in the middle of a trial‚ for something you didn’t do! If I were back in Salem Massachusetts during the time of the infamous Salem Witch Trials and I found myself in the middle‚ I would do whatever it
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Salem was one of the most popular places where witches were executed‚ because people where afraid of devil which shows the Miller’s story The Crucible. This horrible fear shaped the society of Salem and as it happened a lot of women were killed. As Dorothy Thompson said: "The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness". The book which I read is the story about how the society was manipulated by the fear of the unknown or different. Therefore‚ in my opinion people
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The Mystery of the Salem Witchcraft Trials In a plain meeting house in 1692 a woman stands before her judges. She is accused of tormenting innocent girls with an unseen evil. Standing there‚ the poor woman is ridiculed in front of her whole town. She is surrounded by people accusing her of witchcraft based only on the hallucinations of attention-hungry schoolgirls. It makes us wonder was there no justice? It did not matter; superstition got the best of them. Eventually these superstitions claimed
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When Elizabeth is charged and arrested for “witchcraft”‚ the dynamic between John and Elizabeth Proctor changes; as well as Elizabeth herself. She grows stronger and confident for herself and her family. She says to John‚ “When the children wake‚ speak nothing of witchcraft- it will frighten them”(Miller‚37). She is motivated by the love she shares with John to continue and go through the witch trials. Consequently‚ her love for him makes the situation worse in the long run. Elizabeth lies about
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