The Crucible

The witch trials in the play The Crucible, take place in a setting of a deeply religious yet highly superstitious and easily deceived society. Being so superstitious, the characters believe in witchcraft. At the beginning of the play, teenage girls are seen dancing in the woods. They are immediately suspected of witchcraft. These suspicions lead to accusations among the townspeople, which lead to the witch trials. However, there are many rivalries, jealousies, and feuds in the small town that do not pertain to religion or witchcraft. Many residents of Salem take advantage of the trials to express their hatred towards neighbors and enemies that they could not express before due to such a strict religious society. The trials were a way for the people of Salem to seek revenge on each other without contradicting the values of the religious society they lived in. Arthur Miller creates numerous motives and reasons for the characters to plot against each other and seek revenge.
Several ...