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Reverend Hale is an intellectual ma
Reverend Hale is an intellectual man, and he has studied witchcraft extensively. He arrives at Parris’s home with a heavy load of books. Hale asks Proctor and Giles if they have afflicted children. Giles says that Proctor does not believe in witches. Proctor denies having stated an opinion on witches at all and leaves Hale to his work.
Parris relates the tale of finding the girls dancing in the forest at night, and Mrs. Putnam reports having sent her daughter to conjure the spirits of her dead children. She asks if losing seven children before they live a day is a natural occurrence. Hale consults his books while Rebecca announces that she is too old to sit in on the proceedings. Parris insists that they may find the source of all the community’s troubles, but she leaves anyway.
Giles asks Hale what reading strange books means because he often finds his wife, Martha, reading books. The night before, he tried to pray but found that he could not succeed until Martha closed her book and left the house. (Giles has a bad reputation in Salem, and people generally blame him for thefts and random fires. He cares little for public opinion, and he only began attending church regularly after he married Martha. Giles does not mention that he only recently learned any prayers and that even small distractions cause him problems in reciting them.) Hale thoughtfully considers the information and concludes that they will have to discuss the matter later. Slightly taken aback, Giles states that he does not mean to say that his wife is a witch. He just wants to know what she reads and why she hides the books from him.
Hale questions Abigail about the dancing in the forest, but Abigail maintains that the dancing was not connected to witchcraft. Parris hesitantly adds that he saw a kettle in the grass when he caught the girls at their dancing. Abigail claims that it contained soup, but Parris insists that he saw something moving in it. Abigail says that a frog jumped in. Under severe questioning, she insists that she did not call the devil but that Tituba did. She denies drinking any of the brew in the kettle, but when the men bring Tituba to the room, Abigail points at her and announces that Tituba made her drink blood. Tituba tells Parris and Hale that Abigail begged her to conjure and concoct a charm.
Tituba insists that someone else is bewitching the children because the devil has many witches in his service. Hale counsels her to open herself to God’s glory, and he asks if she has ever seen someone that she knows from Salem with the devil. Putnam suggests Sarah Good or Goody Osburn, two local outcasts. In a rising tide of religious exultation, Tituba says that she saw four people with the devil. She informs Parris that the devil told her many times to kill him in his sleep, but she refused even though the devil promised to grant her freedom and send her back to her native Barbados in return for her obedience. She recounts that the devil told her that he even had white people in his power and that he showed her Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Mrs. Putnam declares that Tituba’s story makes sense because Goody Osburn midwifed three of her ill-fated births. Abigail adds Bridget Bishop’s name to the list of the accused. Betty rises from the bed and chants more names. The scene closes as Abigail and Betty, in feverish ecstasy, alternate in piling up names on the growing list. Hale calls for the marshal to bring irons to arrest the accused witches.
Analysis
In a theocracy, part of the state’s role is policing belief. Therefore, there is a good deal of pressure on the average citizen to inform on the blasphemous speech of his or her neighbors in the name of Christian duty. Giles’s claim to Hale that Proctor does not believe in witches does not necessarily arise out of a desire to do his Christian duty—he may only be making a joke. However, the very offhand nature of his statement indicates that reporting a neighbor’s heretical words or thoughts is a deeply ingrained behavior in Salem.
Rebecca, a figure of respectability and good sense, fears that an investigation into witchcraft will only increase division within the Salem community. Parris’s declaration that a thorough investigation could get at the root of all the community’s problems proves accurate, though not in the way that he foresees. The witch trials do bring out all of the community’s problems, but in the worst possible way. The specter of witchcraft allows citizens to blame political failures, the deaths of children, and land squabbles on supernatural influences. No one has to accept individual responsibility for any of the conflicts that divide the community or confront any of his or her personal issues with other individuals because everyone can simply say, “The devil made me do it.”
Reverend Hale’s reaction to Giles’s story about Martha reveals the dangerous implications of a zealous witch-hunt. Ordinarily, reading books not related to the Bible would be considered an immoral use of one’s time, but it certainly would not be interpreted as evidence of witchcraft. But with Hale present and the scent of witchcraft in the air, the slightest unorthodox behavior automatically makes someone suspect.
Abigail’s reaction to the mounting pressure determines the way in which the rest of the witch trials will play out. Because she can no longer truly deny her involvement in witchcraft, she accepts her guilt but displaces it onto Tituba. She admits being involved in witchcraft but declares that Tituba forced her into it. Tituba’s reaction to being accused follows Abigail’s lead: she admits her guilt in a public setting and receives absolution and then completes her self-cleansing by passing her guilt on to others. In this manner, the admission of involvement with witchcraft functions like the ritual of confession.
The ritual of confession in the witch trials also allows the expression of sentiments that could not otherwise be verbalized in repressive Salem. By placing her own thoughts in the devil’s mouth, Tituba can express her long-held aggression against the man who enslaves her. Moreover, she states that the devil tempted her by showing her some white people that he owned. By naming the devil as a slave owner, she subtly accuses Parris and other white citizens of doing the devil’s work in condoning slavery. Tituba is normally a powerless figure; in the context of the witch trials, however, she gains a power and authority previously unknown to her. No one would have listened seriously to a word she had to say before, but she now has a position of authority from which to name the secret sins of other Salem residents. She uses that power and authority to make accusations that would have earned her a beating before. The girls—Abigail and Betty—follow the same pattern, empowering themselves through their allegedly religious hysteria.
Parris relates the tale of finding the girls dancing in the forest at night, and Mrs. Putnam reports having sent her daughter to conjure the spirits of her dead children. She asks if losing seven children before they live a day is a natural occurrence. Hale consults his books while Rebecca announces that she is too old to sit in on the proceedings. Parris insists that they may find the source of all the community’s troubles, but she leaves anyway.
Giles asks Hale what reading strange books means because he often finds his wife, Martha, reading books. The night before, he tried to pray but found that he could not succeed until Martha closed her book and left the house. (Giles has a bad reputation in Salem, and people generally blame him for thefts and random fires. He cares little for public opinion, and he only began attending church regularly after he married Martha. Giles does not mention that he only recently learned any prayers and that even small distractions cause him problems in reciting them.) Hale thoughtfully considers the information and concludes that they will have to discuss the matter later. Slightly taken aback, Giles states that he does not mean to say that his wife is a witch. He just wants to know what she reads and why she hides the books from him.
Hale questions Abigail about the dancing in the forest, but Abigail maintains that the dancing was not connected to witchcraft. Parris hesitantly adds that he saw a kettle in the grass when he caught the girls at their dancing. Abigail claims that it contained soup, but Parris insists that he saw something moving in it. Abigail says that a frog jumped in. Under severe questioning, she insists that she did not call the devil but that Tituba did. She denies drinking any of the brew in the kettle, but when the men bring Tituba to the room, Abigail points at her and announces that Tituba made her drink blood. Tituba tells Parris and Hale that Abigail begged her to conjure and concoct a charm.
Tituba insists that someone else is bewitching the children because the devil has many witches in his service. Hale counsels her to open herself to God’s glory, and he asks if she has ever seen someone that she knows from Salem with the devil. Putnam suggests Sarah Good or Goody Osburn, two local outcasts. In a rising tide of religious exultation, Tituba says that she saw four people with the devil. She informs Parris that the devil told her many times to kill him in his sleep, but she refused even though the devil promised to grant her freedom and send her back to her native Barbados in return for her obedience. She recounts that the devil told her that he even had white people in his power and that he showed her Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Mrs. Putnam declares that Tituba’s story makes sense because Goody Osburn midwifed three of her ill-fated births. Abigail adds Bridget Bishop’s name to the list of the accused. Betty rises from the bed and chants more names. The scene closes as Abigail and Betty, in feverish ecstasy, alternate in piling up names on the growing list. Hale calls for the marshal to bring irons to arrest the accused witches.
Analysis
In a theocracy, part of the state’s role is policing belief. Therefore, there is a good deal of pressure on the average citizen to inform on the blasphemous speech of his or her neighbors in the name of Christian duty. Giles’s claim to Hale that Proctor does not believe in witches does not necessarily arise out of a desire to do his Christian duty—he may only be making a joke. However, the very offhand nature of his statement indicates that reporting a neighbor’s heretical words or thoughts is a deeply ingrained behavior in Salem.
Rebecca, a figure of respectability and good sense, fears that an investigation into witchcraft will only increase division within the Salem community. Parris’s declaration that a thorough investigation could get at the root of all the community’s problems proves accurate, though not in the way that he foresees. The witch trials do bring out all of the community’s problems, but in the worst possible way. The specter of witchcraft allows citizens to blame political failures, the deaths of children, and land squabbles on supernatural influences. No one has to accept individual responsibility for any of the conflicts that divide the community or confront any of his or her personal issues with other individuals because everyone can simply say, “The devil made me do it.”
Reverend Hale’s reaction to Giles’s story about Martha reveals the dangerous implications of a zealous witch-hunt. Ordinarily, reading books not related to the Bible would be considered an immoral use of one’s time, but it certainly would not be interpreted as evidence of witchcraft. But with Hale present and the scent of witchcraft in the air, the slightest unorthodox behavior automatically makes someone suspect.
Abigail’s reaction to the mounting pressure determines the way in which the rest of the witch trials will play out. Because she can no longer truly deny her involvement in witchcraft, she accepts her guilt but displaces it onto Tituba. She admits being involved in witchcraft but declares that Tituba forced her into it. Tituba’s reaction to being accused follows Abigail’s lead: she admits her guilt in a public setting and receives absolution and then completes her self-cleansing by passing her guilt on to others. In this manner, the admission of involvement with witchcraft functions like the ritual of confession.
The ritual of confession in the witch trials also allows the expression of sentiments that could not otherwise be verbalized in repressive Salem. By placing her own thoughts in the devil’s mouth, Tituba can express her long-held aggression against the man who enslaves her. Moreover, she states that the devil tempted her by showing her some white people that he owned. By naming the devil as a slave owner, she subtly accuses Parris and other white citizens of doing the devil’s work in condoning slavery. Tituba is normally a powerless figure; in the context of the witch trials, however, she gains a power and authority previously unknown to her. No one would have listened seriously to a word she had to say before, but she now has a position of authority from which to name the secret sins of other Salem residents. She uses that power and authority to make accusations that would have earned her a beating before. The girls—Abigail and Betty—follow the same pattern, empowering themselves through their allegedly religious hysteria.
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Mục sư Hale là một người đàn ông sở hữu trí tuệ, và ông đã nghiên cứu phù thuỷ rộng rãi. Ông đến ở Parris của nhà với một tải nặng của cuốn sách. Hale hỏi Proctor và Giles nếu họ có ảnh hưởng trẻ em. Giles nói rằng Proctor không tin vào phù thủy. Proctor từ chối có nói một ý kiến về phù thủy ở tất cả và lá Hale công việc của mình.Parris liên quan câu chuyện của việc tìm kiếm các cô gái nhảy múa trong rừng vào ban đêm, và bà Putnam báo cáo đã gửi con gái của bà để van xin các linh hồn của con chết. Bà ấy yêu cầu nếu mất bảy trẻ em trước khi họ sống một ngày là một sự xuất hiện tự nhiên. Hale tư vấn sách của mình trong khi Rebecca thông báo rằng cô ấy là quá cũ để ngồi trên các thủ tục tố tụng. Parris khẳng định rằng họ có thể tìm thấy nguồn gốc của tất cả cộng đồng khó khăn, nhưng cô lại anyway.Giles hỏi Hale đọc những gì lạ sách có nghĩa là bởi vì ông thường thấy vợ ông, Martha, đọc sách. Vào đêm trước, ông đã cố gắng để cầu nguyện, nhưng thấy rằng ông có thể không thành công cho đến khi Martha đóng cửa cuốn sách của mình và rời khỏi nhà. (Giles có một danh tiếng xấu ở Salem, và người thường đổ lỗi cho anh ta để trộm cắp và các đám cháy ngẫu nhiên. Ông quan tâm chút cho ý kiến công chúng, và ông chỉ bắt đầu tham dự nhà thờ thường xuyên sau khi ông kết hôn với Martha. Giles không đề cập đến rằng ông chỉ mới học được bất kỳ lời cầu nguyện và rằng thậm chí nhỏ phiền nhiễu gây ông vấn đề trong đọc chúng.) Hale thận trọng xem xét các thông tin và kết luận rằng họ sẽ có để thảo luận về các vấn đề sau này. Hơi lấy aback, Giles nói rằng ông không có nghĩa là để nói rằng vợ ông là một phù thuỷ. Ông chỉ muốn biết những gì cô đọc và tại sao cô ẩn những cuốn sách từ anh ta.Hale câu hỏi Abigail về nhảy múa trong rừng, nhưng Abigail duy trì rằng các nhảy múa không kết nối với phù thuỷ. Parris hesitantly cho biết thêm rằng ông thấy một ấm đun nước trên bãi cỏ khi ông đánh bắt các cô gái tại nhảy múa của họ. Abigail tuyên bố rằng nó chứa súp, nhưng Parris khẳng định rằng ông thấy một cái gì đó di chuyển trong nó. Abigail nói rằng một con ếch nhảy vào. Theo đặt câu hỏi nghiêm trọng, cô khẳng định rằng cô đã không gọi devil nhưng mà Tituba đã làm. Cô từ chối uống bất kỳ bia ở kettle, nhưng khi những người đàn ông mang lại Tituba để phòng, Abigail điểm vào cô ấy và thông báo rằng Tituba đã uống máu của cô. Tituba nói với Parris và Hale đó Abigail begged cô ấy để van xin và pha một nét duyên dáng.Tituba khẳng định rằng một người nào khác bewitching trẻ em bởi vì quỷ có nhiều phù thủy trong dịch vụ của mình. Hale tham mưu của mình để mở bản thân để vinh quang của Thiên Chúa, và ông đã yêu cầu nếu cô ấy đã từng gặp một ai đó mà cô ấy biết từ Salem với devil. Putnam cho thấy Sarah tốt hay Goody Osburn, hai địa phương outcasts. Trong một làn sóng tăng của tôn giáo exultation, thị trấn này có Tituba nói rằng cô thấy bốn người với devil. Cô ấy thông báo cho Parris rằng ma quỷ đã nói với cô ấy nhiều lần để giết anh ta trong giấc ngủ của mình, nhưng cô từ chối mặc dù ma quỷ đã hứa ban tự do của mình và gửi trở lại của cô để cô bản xứ Barbados trong trở lại cho Vâng lời của cô. Cô kể lại rằng ma quỷ nói với cô ấy rằng ông thậm chí có người da trắng trong quyền lực của mình và rằng ông đã cho thấy cô Sarah tốt và Goody Osburn. Bà Putnam tuyên bố rằng câu chuyện của Tituba có ý nghĩa bởi vì Goody Osburn midwifed ba cô sinh bất hạnh. Abigail thêm Bridget Bishop tên danh sách bị cáo. Betty tăng từ đáy và chants thêm tên. Cảnh đóng là Abigail và Betty, trong ecstasy feverish, thay thế trong xi măng đất lên tên trong danh sách ngày càng tăng. Hale kêu gọi thống chế nhằm bàn là bắt các phù thủy bị cáo.Phân tíchTrong một theocracy, một phần của vai trò của nhà nước lập chính sách niềm tin. Vì vậy, có là một thỏa thuận tốt về áp lực lên công dân Trung bình để thông báo cho vào các bài phát biểu báng bổ của hàng xóm của mình trong tên của Thiên Chúa giáo nhiệm vụ. Yêu cầu bồi thường của Giles Hale Proctor không tin vào phù thủy không nhất thiết phải phát sinh ra khỏi một mong muốn để làm nhiệm vụ Kitô giáo của mình-ông chỉ có thể thực hiện một câu chuyện đùa. Tuy nhiên, bản chất rất không sửa soạn trước của tuyên bố của ông chỉ ra rằng báo cáo của một người hàng xóm lạ lùng từ hoặc những suy nghĩ là một hành vi sâu sắc ăn sâu ở Salem.Rebecca, một nhân vật tư cách đáng kính và cảm giác tốt, lo ngại rằng một cuộc điều tra vào phù thuỷ sẽ chỉ tăng lên các bộ phận trong cộng đồng Salem. Tuyên bố của Parris một điều tra kỹ lưỡng có thể nhận được ở gốc của tất cả cộng đồng vấn đề chứng minh chính xác, mặc dù không phải theo cách mà ông thấy trước. Thử nghiệm phù thủy đưa ra tất cả các vấn đề của cộng đồng, nhưng bằng cách tồi tệ nhất có thể. Các specter phù thuỷ cho phép công dân để đổ lỗi thất bại chính trị, cái chết của trẻ em, và đất squabbles trên ảnh hưởng siêu nhiên. Không ai có chấp nhận trách nhiệm cá nhân cho bất kỳ của các cuộc xung đột mà chia cho cộng đồng hoặc đối đầu với bất kỳ vấn đề cá nhân của mình với các cá nhân bởi vì tất cả mọi người chỉ có thể nói, "devil làm cho tôi làm điều đó."Mục sư Hale phản ứng với Giles của câu chuyện về Martha cho thấy những tác động nguy hiểm của một witch-hunt nhiệt tâm. Thông thường, đọc sách không liên quan đến kinh thánh sẽ được coi là một sử dụng trái với đạo đức của một thời gian, nhưng nó chắc chắn sẽ không được giải thích như là bằng chứng về phù thuỷ. Nhưng với hiện tại Hale và hương thơm của các phù thủy trong không khí, hành vi không chánh thống nhỏ nhất tự động làm cho ai đó nghi ngờ.Abigail của phản ứng với những áp lực gắn kết sẽ xác định cách mà trong đó phần còn lại của các cuộc thử nghiệm phù thủy sẽ diễn ra. Bởi vì cô không thực sự có thể phủ nhận sự tham gia của cô trong phù thuỷ, cô chấp nhận tội lỗi của mình nhưng displaces nó vào Tituba. Cô thừa nhận được tham gia vào phù thuỷ nhưng tuyên bố rằng Tituba buộc nó vào nó. Phản ứng của Tituba bị buộc tội sau của Abigail dẫn: cô thừa nhận tội lỗi của mình trong một khung cảnh khu vực và nhận được absolution và sau đó hoàn thành của cô tự làm sạch bằng cách đi qua tội lỗi của mình vào những người khác. Theo cách này, việc nhập học của sự tham gia với chức năng phù thuỷ thích nghi lễ của xưng tội.Các nghi lễ của xưng tội trong các thử nghiệm phù thủy cũng cho phép biểu hiện của tình cảm có thể không nếu không được verbalized ở Salem đàn áp. Bằng cách đặt những suy nghĩ riêng của mình trong miệng của devil, Tituba có thể nhận của mình xâm lược lâu chống lại người enslaves cô ấy. Hơn nữa, cô tiểu bang rằng ma quỷ xúi giục cô ấy bằng cách hiển thị của mình một số người da trắng mà ông sở hữu. Bằng cách đặt tên quỷ là một chủ sở hữu nô lệ, cô tinh tế buộc tội Parris và các công dân trắng làm công việc của ma quỷ trong condoning chế độ nô lệ. Tituba thường là một nhân vật bất lực; trong bối cảnh của thử nghiệm phù thủy, Tuy nhiên, cô đạt một sức mạnh và quyền lực trước đó chưa được biết đến cô ấy. Không ai sẽ nghe lời nghiêm túc để một từ cô ấy đã nói trước, nhưng cô ấy bây giờ có một vị trí quyền lực mà từ đó để đặt tên tội lỗi bí mật của các cư dân Salem. Cô sử dụng quyền lực và quyền hạn đó để làm cho lời buộc tội nào đã đem lại cho bà một đập trước khi. Các cô gái — Abigail và Betty-làm theo cùng một khuôn mẫu, trao quyền cho mình thông qua của thần kinh loạn tôn giáo bị cáo buộc.
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Reverend Hale is an intellectual man, and he has studied witchcraft extensively. He arrives at Parris’s home with a heavy load of books. Hale asks Proctor and Giles if they have afflicted children. Giles says that Proctor does not believe in witches. Proctor denies having stated an opinion on witches at all and leaves Hale to his work.
Parris relates the tale of finding the girls dancing in the forest at night, and Mrs. Putnam reports having sent her daughter to conjure the spirits of her dead children. She asks if losing seven children before they live a day is a natural occurrence. Hale consults his books while Rebecca announces that she is too old to sit in on the proceedings. Parris insists that they may find the source of all the community’s troubles, but she leaves anyway.
Giles asks Hale what reading strange books means because he often finds his wife, Martha, reading books. The night before, he tried to pray but found that he could not succeed until Martha closed her book and left the house. (Giles has a bad reputation in Salem, and people generally blame him for thefts and random fires. He cares little for public opinion, and he only began attending church regularly after he married Martha. Giles does not mention that he only recently learned any prayers and that even small distractions cause him problems in reciting them.) Hale thoughtfully considers the information and concludes that they will have to discuss the matter later. Slightly taken aback, Giles states that he does not mean to say that his wife is a witch. He just wants to know what she reads and why she hides the books from him.
Hale questions Abigail about the dancing in the forest, but Abigail maintains that the dancing was not connected to witchcraft. Parris hesitantly adds that he saw a kettle in the grass when he caught the girls at their dancing. Abigail claims that it contained soup, but Parris insists that he saw something moving in it. Abigail says that a frog jumped in. Under severe questioning, she insists that she did not call the devil but that Tituba did. She denies drinking any of the brew in the kettle, but when the men bring Tituba to the room, Abigail points at her and announces that Tituba made her drink blood. Tituba tells Parris and Hale that Abigail begged her to conjure and concoct a charm.
Tituba insists that someone else is bewitching the children because the devil has many witches in his service. Hale counsels her to open herself to God’s glory, and he asks if she has ever seen someone that she knows from Salem with the devil. Putnam suggests Sarah Good or Goody Osburn, two local outcasts. In a rising tide of religious exultation, Tituba says that she saw four people with the devil. She informs Parris that the devil told her many times to kill him in his sleep, but she refused even though the devil promised to grant her freedom and send her back to her native Barbados in return for her obedience. She recounts that the devil told her that he even had white people in his power and that he showed her Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Mrs. Putnam declares that Tituba’s story makes sense because Goody Osburn midwifed three of her ill-fated births. Abigail adds Bridget Bishop’s name to the list of the accused. Betty rises from the bed and chants more names. The scene closes as Abigail and Betty, in feverish ecstasy, alternate in piling up names on the growing list. Hale calls for the marshal to bring irons to arrest the accused witches.
Analysis
In a theocracy, part of the state’s role is policing belief. Therefore, there is a good deal of pressure on the average citizen to inform on the blasphemous speech of his or her neighbors in the name of Christian duty. Giles’s claim to Hale that Proctor does not believe in witches does not necessarily arise out of a desire to do his Christian duty—he may only be making a joke. However, the very offhand nature of his statement indicates that reporting a neighbor’s heretical words or thoughts is a deeply ingrained behavior in Salem.
Rebecca, a figure of respectability and good sense, fears that an investigation into witchcraft will only increase division within the Salem community. Parris’s declaration that a thorough investigation could get at the root of all the community’s problems proves accurate, though not in the way that he foresees. The witch trials do bring out all of the community’s problems, but in the worst possible way. The specter of witchcraft allows citizens to blame political failures, the deaths of children, and land squabbles on supernatural influences. No one has to accept individual responsibility for any of the conflicts that divide the community or confront any of his or her personal issues with other individuals because everyone can simply say, “The devil made me do it.”
Reverend Hale’s reaction to Giles’s story about Martha reveals the dangerous implications of a zealous witch-hunt. Ordinarily, reading books not related to the Bible would be considered an immoral use of one’s time, but it certainly would not be interpreted as evidence of witchcraft. But with Hale present and the scent of witchcraft in the air, the slightest unorthodox behavior automatically makes someone suspect.
Abigail’s reaction to the mounting pressure determines the way in which the rest of the witch trials will play out. Because she can no longer truly deny her involvement in witchcraft, she accepts her guilt but displaces it onto Tituba. She admits being involved in witchcraft but declares that Tituba forced her into it. Tituba’s reaction to being accused follows Abigail’s lead: she admits her guilt in a public setting and receives absolution and then completes her self-cleansing by passing her guilt on to others. In this manner, the admission of involvement with witchcraft functions like the ritual of confession.
The ritual of confession in the witch trials also allows the expression of sentiments that could not otherwise be verbalized in repressive Salem. By placing her own thoughts in the devil’s mouth, Tituba can express her long-held aggression against the man who enslaves her. Moreover, she states that the devil tempted her by showing her some white people that he owned. By naming the devil as a slave owner, she subtly accuses Parris and other white citizens of doing the devil’s work in condoning slavery. Tituba is normally a powerless figure; in the context of the witch trials, however, she gains a power and authority previously unknown to her. No one would have listened seriously to a word she had to say before, but she now has a position of authority from which to name the secret sins of other Salem residents. She uses that power and authority to make accusations that would have earned her a beating before. The girls—Abigail and Betty—follow the same pattern, empowering themselves through their allegedly religious hysteria.
Parris relates the tale of finding the girls dancing in the forest at night, and Mrs. Putnam reports having sent her daughter to conjure the spirits of her dead children. She asks if losing seven children before they live a day is a natural occurrence. Hale consults his books while Rebecca announces that she is too old to sit in on the proceedings. Parris insists that they may find the source of all the community’s troubles, but she leaves anyway.
Giles asks Hale what reading strange books means because he often finds his wife, Martha, reading books. The night before, he tried to pray but found that he could not succeed until Martha closed her book and left the house. (Giles has a bad reputation in Salem, and people generally blame him for thefts and random fires. He cares little for public opinion, and he only began attending church regularly after he married Martha. Giles does not mention that he only recently learned any prayers and that even small distractions cause him problems in reciting them.) Hale thoughtfully considers the information and concludes that they will have to discuss the matter later. Slightly taken aback, Giles states that he does not mean to say that his wife is a witch. He just wants to know what she reads and why she hides the books from him.
Hale questions Abigail about the dancing in the forest, but Abigail maintains that the dancing was not connected to witchcraft. Parris hesitantly adds that he saw a kettle in the grass when he caught the girls at their dancing. Abigail claims that it contained soup, but Parris insists that he saw something moving in it. Abigail says that a frog jumped in. Under severe questioning, she insists that she did not call the devil but that Tituba did. She denies drinking any of the brew in the kettle, but when the men bring Tituba to the room, Abigail points at her and announces that Tituba made her drink blood. Tituba tells Parris and Hale that Abigail begged her to conjure and concoct a charm.
Tituba insists that someone else is bewitching the children because the devil has many witches in his service. Hale counsels her to open herself to God’s glory, and he asks if she has ever seen someone that she knows from Salem with the devil. Putnam suggests Sarah Good or Goody Osburn, two local outcasts. In a rising tide of religious exultation, Tituba says that she saw four people with the devil. She informs Parris that the devil told her many times to kill him in his sleep, but she refused even though the devil promised to grant her freedom and send her back to her native Barbados in return for her obedience. She recounts that the devil told her that he even had white people in his power and that he showed her Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Mrs. Putnam declares that Tituba’s story makes sense because Goody Osburn midwifed three of her ill-fated births. Abigail adds Bridget Bishop’s name to the list of the accused. Betty rises from the bed and chants more names. The scene closes as Abigail and Betty, in feverish ecstasy, alternate in piling up names on the growing list. Hale calls for the marshal to bring irons to arrest the accused witches.
Analysis
In a theocracy, part of the state’s role is policing belief. Therefore, there is a good deal of pressure on the average citizen to inform on the blasphemous speech of his or her neighbors in the name of Christian duty. Giles’s claim to Hale that Proctor does not believe in witches does not necessarily arise out of a desire to do his Christian duty—he may only be making a joke. However, the very offhand nature of his statement indicates that reporting a neighbor’s heretical words or thoughts is a deeply ingrained behavior in Salem.
Rebecca, a figure of respectability and good sense, fears that an investigation into witchcraft will only increase division within the Salem community. Parris’s declaration that a thorough investigation could get at the root of all the community’s problems proves accurate, though not in the way that he foresees. The witch trials do bring out all of the community’s problems, but in the worst possible way. The specter of witchcraft allows citizens to blame political failures, the deaths of children, and land squabbles on supernatural influences. No one has to accept individual responsibility for any of the conflicts that divide the community or confront any of his or her personal issues with other individuals because everyone can simply say, “The devil made me do it.”
Reverend Hale’s reaction to Giles’s story about Martha reveals the dangerous implications of a zealous witch-hunt. Ordinarily, reading books not related to the Bible would be considered an immoral use of one’s time, but it certainly would not be interpreted as evidence of witchcraft. But with Hale present and the scent of witchcraft in the air, the slightest unorthodox behavior automatically makes someone suspect.
Abigail’s reaction to the mounting pressure determines the way in which the rest of the witch trials will play out. Because she can no longer truly deny her involvement in witchcraft, she accepts her guilt but displaces it onto Tituba. She admits being involved in witchcraft but declares that Tituba forced her into it. Tituba’s reaction to being accused follows Abigail’s lead: she admits her guilt in a public setting and receives absolution and then completes her self-cleansing by passing her guilt on to others. In this manner, the admission of involvement with witchcraft functions like the ritual of confession.
The ritual of confession in the witch trials also allows the expression of sentiments that could not otherwise be verbalized in repressive Salem. By placing her own thoughts in the devil’s mouth, Tituba can express her long-held aggression against the man who enslaves her. Moreover, she states that the devil tempted her by showing her some white people that he owned. By naming the devil as a slave owner, she subtly accuses Parris and other white citizens of doing the devil’s work in condoning slavery. Tituba is normally a powerless figure; in the context of the witch trials, however, she gains a power and authority previously unknown to her. No one would have listened seriously to a word she had to say before, but she now has a position of authority from which to name the secret sins of other Salem residents. She uses that power and authority to make accusations that would have earned her a beating before. The girls—Abigail and Betty—follow the same pattern, empowering themselves through their allegedly religious hysteria.
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