766 Miller, Arthur
crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when
the harlots’ cry will end his life” (130). The typical,
day-to-day operations of the town are no longer a
concern—not when anyone can cry “devil-worship”
and send another to jail.
The community itself has fallen apart, and Abi-
gail and her friends are in control. They are respon-
sible in the court for determining who is involved in
witchcraft, and their dramatic antics serve to con-
demn the innocent. Unless those accused confess to
witchcraft, repent, and name other devil-worshipers,
they will be hanged. Fearing for their reputations
and their lives, they lie to the court. The vicious cycle
continues as new men and women are blamed.
No one in the town of Salem is safe. When
Mary Warren comes forward and tries to tell the
court that Abigail and her friends are lying, Abigail
accuses Mary of witchcraft. Abigail controls her
friends, the court, and ultimately the town. The trial
becomes a power struggle. If the magistrates choose
to believe John Proctor’s confession of adultery and
Abigail’s motive to condemn his wife, it means
admitting they have made an error—an error that
will eventually cost townspeople their lives.
Salem is a town in distress. The problems plagu-
ing the citizens are magnified when they find an
outlet for their personal disagreements in the form
of witch trials. When the dust settles on these dis-
putes, innocent men and women are dead and trust
and unity no longer exist.
Erin Brescia
Spirituality in The Crucible
One of the most pervasive themes in Arthur Miller’s
play The Crucible is the idea of spirituality. Based on
the historical Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible is set
in Puritan Massachusetts. Puritans were known for
their strict interpretation of the Bible. At the time,
Salem was a theocracy, meaning the church and the
state were one and God was the ruler. Puritans lived
by a harsh moral code; anyone who broke the Ten
Commandments or sinned in the eyes of the church
could expect severe punishment.
The stage for the trials is set by young girls who
are caught dancing in the woods. One of the girls
removes her clothes, and the slave who joins them,
Tituba, is seen chanting over a fire and boiling pot.
Rumors of witchcraft spread through the town.
Because of her disobedience, the reverend’s daughter
is now pretending to be ill in bed, hoping to avoid
punishment for her sins.
When John and Elizabeth Proctor are ques-
tioned in act 2, the chief concern is that John Proctor
has not attended church regularly. There is a rumor
he has plowed on Sunday as well, directly disobeying
the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy. He is
told that one cannot attend church in his home; to
please God he must attend church regularly.
This is the least of Proctor’s concerns, however,
for he previously had an affair with the family
servant, Abigail, which resulted in her dismissal
by Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail wants to marry John
Proctor, which means eliminating his wife. Ulti-
mately, her sins become the foundation for her accu-
sations of “devil-worship.”
Abigail sees the accusations and trials as a way
to quell some of the rumors around town stemming
from her dismissal. She ultimately confesses that she
saw the devil when she and the other girls were with
Tituba. She cries: “I want to open myself! I want the
light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced
for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go
back to Jesus; I kissed his hand” (48). The other girls
join in, and, having been forgiven, begin to name
others in the town they have witnessed worshiping
the devil.
By making her “sins” known, Abigail can,
according to Puritan doctrine, set her conscience
free. In Puritan society, a confession clears one of
all guilt. If you are not with God, you are with the
devil. Because Abigail has forsaken the devil, she
can turn to Jesus and all will be well. As soon as
her name is cleared, she is free to pass her blame
onto others.
At the trials, Abigail and her friends are put in
charge of determining who among the townsfolk
are involved in witchcraft. Their irrational antics—
screaming, crying, and their chills—are led by Abi-
gail and are seen as proof before the court that dark
forces live among the people of Salem.
Uneducated and superstitious, the men and
women of Salem often attribute the death of a child,
or a farm animal, or a poor harvest to the supernatu-
ral. Mrs. Putnam believes someone murdered seven