Reverend Parris discovers his niece, Abigail; his servant, Tituba; and many other women from the town of Salem Massachusetts dancing around a kettle in the forest. The next morning Betty Parris, daughter of Reverend Parris, does not wake up when called and cannot be woken up by any medical means. Witchcraft is suspected by many of the townspeople, but Reverend Parris is not so quick to label this as the cause seeing that both his daughter and his niece were among those in the woods. He believes that witchcraft proven to be in his family would ruin his reputation and threaten his status in the town. Abigail denies any part in witchcraft and tries to convince her uncle that the dancing in the forest was nothing but a harmless social gathering in witch no spirits were conjured and their was no calling of the devil. Abigail sticks to that story
The Putnam's are the next to enter the play. Goody Putnam had lost seven children to birth and her only surviving daughter, Ruth, was not able to wake, just like Betty Parris. She was among those in the forest. Both Putnam's are quick to blame a witch for what has happened to Ruth and for what has happened to them in the past. Parris still fights the idea of witchcraft but is getting closer to accepting it as truth.
When Reverend Hale arrives witchcraft becomes accepted my all as the means for all the trouble in the present and much of the injustice of the past. Almost all the people of the town admit that they saw some form of witchcraft taking place and openly discuss all suspicions of such. Abigail blames Tituba saying that she made her do all that she did and that she had no will to practice witchcraft. In front of everyone Tituba confesses and calls out t
All papers and essays are for research and reference purposes only!
Copyright 2002-2009
Direct Essays , LLC. All Rights Reserved. DMCA Webmasters make $$$$