according to miller, what caused the witch hunts?

Most of the factors influencing the widespread witch hunts over the course of the early modern period can be summarized under two headings; salvation and scapegoating.. The latter was the greatest evil of the system, for a victim might be forced to name acquaintances, who were in turn coerced into naming others, creating a long chain of accusations. Their father had, of course, been persecuted in England. Salvation and Scapegoating: What Caused the Early Modern Witch Hunts? As competition flared up following the Reformation, churches turned towards offering salvation from sin and evil to their congregations. The witch trials offer a window into the anxieties and social tensions that accompanied New England's increasing integration into . Ultimately, 19 individuals who had refused to admit guilt were hanged and another was pressed to death. There were additional hunts in Spanish America, where the European pattern of accusations continued even though the differences between the folklore of the Europeans and Native Americans introduced some minor variations into the accusations. all rights reserved, History U: Courses for High School Students, Cotton Mathers account of the Salem witch trials, 1693, Located on the lower level of the New-York Historical Society. Most scholars agree that the prosecutions were not driven by political or gender concerns; they were not attacks on backward, or rural, societies; they did not function to express or relieve local tensions; they were not a result of the rise of capitalism or other macroeconomic changes; they were not the result of changes in family structure or in the role of women in society; and they were not an effort by cultural elites to impose their views on the populace. Some of the trial takes place in the actual courtroom, but the metaphor extends beyond the courtroom scenes. EDSITEment lesson Dramatizing History in Arthur Millers The Crucible, offers an engaging series of activities for students to examine the ways in which Miller interpreted the facts of the witch trials and successfully dramatized them. . This tendency to believe in the certainty of one's convictions as well as the belief that their practices of exclusion were justified among the cultural conditions of Salem. Throughout the ages, people repeatedly use witch hunts as a method for dealing with issues that are widespread. Members of the community claimed to have seen a person's spirit performing witchcraft, a crime that would cause a person to be sentenced to death. To find out what was causing the afflictions, a local doctor (presumably William Griggs) and a neighboring minister, Rev. It certainly was not deemed to be a threat, even by the leaders of the Catholic Church, who simply denied its existence. Indeed, Miller uses witchcraft and the Salem witch trials as a metaphor for situations wherein those who are in power accuse those who challenge them of suspect behavior in order to destroy them. Parris was, at the time he was in New Spain, not yet married and not yet a minister. In the final analysis, the witch-hunt was nothing more than an eruption of the tensions and fears which had been repressed by a society which believed that suffering was a virtue and that the expression of one's dissatisfaction with one's lot was a sin. Wherefore The devil is now making one Attempt more upon us; an Attempt more Difficult, more Surprizing, more snarld with unintelligible Circumstances than any that we have hitherto Encountered; an Attempt so Critical, that if we get well through, we shall soon Enjoy Halcyon Days, with all the Vultures of Hell Trodden under our Feet. *** Beyond Arthur Millers The Crucible, numerous dramatic presentations offer insights into irrational human fear. List their beliefs. Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims - HISTORY This helped to feed the paranoia that people felt about one another. Proctor house. Because accusations and trials of witches took place in both ecclesiastical and secular courts, the law played at least as important a role as religion in the witch hunts. It was this combination of sorcery and its association with the Devil that made Western witchcraft unique. Across New England, where witch trials occurred somewhat regularly from 1638 until 1725, women vastly outnumbered men in the ranks of the accused and executed. The witches and judges of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" They [residents of Salem] carried about an innate resistance, even of persecution. . Log in here. Malleus Maleficarum, first published in 1487 by Heinrich Kramer, was a major influence on this attitude shift. In pointing out this paradox, Miller suggests that the witch hunts exposed the failure of the Puritan theocracy. They could now publicly state their own iniquities and were praised for seeking purification. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. Aligns with CCSS RL.11-12.3 - Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama. Already a member? Through works of literature such as the Malleus, witches were broadly blamed for the effects of the Little Ice Age, thus becoming a scapegoat across the Western world. Soon, people feared, communist ways would come to the United States and would quickly corrupt the government system. So for a brief explanation, McCarthyism was carried out under senator Joseph McCarthy during 1950-1954 against alleged communist in the US government and in other institutions. The Crucible: McCarthyism and a Historical View of Witch Hunts One of these women was Tituba, who was there at the. "Tituba and The Salem Witch Trials of 1692." The first hanging for witchcraft in New England was in 1647, after the witch hunts had already abated in Europe, though a peculiar outbreak in Sweden in 166876 bore some similarity to that in New England. These can all be related back to The Crucible, in the way in which each character experienced. Cotton Mather, a prolific author and well-known preacher, wrote this account in 1693, a year after the trials ended. Samuel Parris moved to Salem Village in 1688, a candidate for the position of Salem Village minister. It would, over time, grow to be synonymous with mass hysteria, panic, and paranoia, referenced by those who believe themselves to be victims of unjust persecution; Salem. Although accusations of witchcraft in contemporary cultures provide a means to express or resolve social tensions, these accusations had different consequences in premodern Western society where the mixture of irrational fear and a persecuting mentality led to the emergence of the witch hunts. In the long run it may be better simply to describe the witch hunts than to try to explain them, since the explanations are so diverse and complicated. Tituba later testified that she saw visions of the devil and witches swarming. Poor agricultural success, conflict with Native Americans, tension between different communities, and poverty were not what the Puritan communities envisioned when they set out. The figurative 'witch hunt' of McCarthyism becomes literal in Miller's play, which is . The responsibility for the witch hunts can be distributed among theologians, legal theorists, and the practices of secular and ecclesiastical courts. The hunts were not pursuits of individuals already identified as witches but efforts to identify those who were witches. Witch trials continued through the 14th and early 15th centuries, but with great inconsistency according to time and place. Arthur Millers play The Crucible, which forms the basis of many Americans knowledge of the trials, takes liberties with the story. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/tituba-salem-witch-trials-3530572. He mentions that, firstly, the witch-hunts developed from what he names a 'paradox.' The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. Ecclesiastical and civil authorities usually tried to restrain witch trials and rarely manipulated witch hunts to obtain money or power. These courts reduced the number of witch trials significantly by 1600, half a century before legal theory, legislation, and theology began to dismiss the notion of witchcraft in France and other countries. While any number of marginalized groups could, in theory, have served as a scapegoat, the shift in attitudes towards witchcraft as heresy created the conditions that allowed populations to turn upon those accused of witchcraft instead. Parris. Where previously it was believed no mortal could control the weather, European Christians gradually came to believe that witches could. The Salem Witch Trials were a product of this fear and uncertainty that eventually overwhelmed the village for more than a year. No wonder the term witch hunt has entered common political parlance to describe such campaigns as that of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy in his attempt to root out communists in the United States in the 1950s. These beliefs changed drastically, however, towards the end of the Middle Ages, as witchcraft came to be associated with heresy. In Mexico the Franciscan friars linked indigenous religion and magic with the Devil; prosecutions for witchcraft in Mexico began in the 1530s, and by the 1600s indigenous peasants were reporting stereotypical pacts with the Devil. This definitely often refers to a courtroom trial in particular. Salem is an early example of what Miller saw around him and personally experienced in the 1950sthe communist witch hunts conducted by Senator Joseph McCarthy. A detailed study of a timeline accompanies their close reading of The Crucible. Puritan Americans viewed physical wants and desires as a threat to society and work of the Devil. During the examination of Elizabeth Procter, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam the two were afflicted teen-age accusers, and Abigail was Parriss niece both made offer to strike at said Procter; but when Abigails hand came near, it opened, whereas it was made up, into a fist before, and came down exceeding lightly as it drew near to said Procter, and at length, with open and extended fingers, touched Procters hood very lightly. While the theocracy attempted to create unity, what it did was encourage simmering emotions of greed and envy that had no sanctioned outlet. The early modern period was a time of calamity, plagues, and wars, while fear and uncertainty were rife. Witch hunts primarily target women and exploit India's caste system and culture of patriarchy. Throughout the story people accuse others of being witches or being involved with witchcraft so they could be hanged. What part might this physical separation have played in turning neighbors against one another and stoking fears of demons? Students can make very profitable comparisons between the two tragic heroes: The Manchurian Candidates Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, and The Crucible's John Proctor. However, the general consensus is that the witch hunts spanning the two continents resulted in the deaths of between 40,000 and 60,000 people. How does he describe the witch-hunts. A " witchcraft craze " rippled through Europe from the 1300s to the end of the 1600s. Women were certainly more likely than men to be economically and politically powerless, but that generalization is too broad to be helpful, for it holds true for societies in periods where witchcraft is absent. The Puritans were marked by inflexibility and extremism. Sarah Good claimed her innocence but implicated Tituba and Osborne. Miller captured the events in a riveting story that is now considered a modern classic in the theater. Tituba apologized for her part, saying she loved Betty and meant her no harm. A combination of multiple different forces came together to create the circumstances in which these witch hunts took place, so there are numerous reasons to consider. The effects of conflicts such as the Thirty Years War were exacerbated by the drastic Little Ice Age with which they coincided, especially in regard to the European witch hunts. How does Abigail turn the court against Mary Warren in The Crucible? In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, witch hunts empowered towns and consumed peoples lives with fear. Where central authorityi.e., bishops, kings, or the Inquisitionwas strong, convictions were fewer and sentences milder. Scholars have attempted to answer these questions with a variety of economic and physiological theories. Margaret Atwoods theory that societies under a lot of stress will give in to a person or a group proves a struggle between weak people giving into stronger people. They were Christians who originally left England because they felt persecuted. The Crucible Overture Summary | Course Hero In 1374 Pope Gregory XI declared that all magic was done with the aid of demons and thus was open to prosecution for heresy. Samuel Parris, later to play a central role in the Salem witch trials of 1692 as the village minister, brought three enslaved persons with him when he came to Massachusetts from New SpainBarbadosin the Caribbean. Throughout this article, it mentions the persecution of witches today in communities around the globe, mentioning the flashbacks of similar strategies that were used in the past, doing different types of tortures.In Modern days, recent generations have abandoned wonderful traditions. An additional activity would be to ask students to compare two or more recorded or live productions of Arthur Millers The Crucible to the written text. Salvation and Scapegoating: What Caused the Early Modern Witch Hunts? As Headley points out, he cites his relationships as instrumental to his writing of The Crucible in an essay he wrote about his process for The New Yorker: I visited Salem for the first time on a dismal spring day in 1952; it was a sidetracked town then, with abandoned factories and vacant stores. What do the characters in the play believe about witches? Tituba herself is hardly mentioned in the records after her initial arrest, examination, and confession. The town of Salem in The Crucible, can relate to our nation today, through the way we target the Muslim religion as terrorist. Tituba herself went into a fit, claiming to be afflicted. Why might their age make them particularly susceptible to accusations of strange behavior? How does Abigail turn the court against Mary Warren in The Crucible? Lewis, Jone Johnson. Someone paid seven pounds for Tituba's release. For The Crucible, Miller aged Abigail up from her actual age of 11 to a more easily sexualized 17, while aging down John Procter, who was historically 60 at the time the trials went down to 35. In that examination, Tituba confessed, naming both Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good as witches and describing their spectral movements, including meeting with the devil. The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling., Have a tip we should know? It was also, and as importantly, a long overdue opportunity for every-one so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.'. The drastic effects of the Little Ice Age reached a height between 1560 and 1650, which happened to be the same period in which the number of European witch hunts reached their height. Also during the McCarthyism era and the witch trials innocent lives were ruined when people were forced to accuse others or be accused themselves. The setting of a literary work refers to the time and place in which the action occurs. The differences between inhabitants were expressed as a battle between good and evil. A Conspectus On 'Witch Hunt' | Merriam-Webster Both he and you are wrong. She may have served as a household servant and a companion to Betty. Most accused children had parents who had been accused of witchcraft. Arthur Miller and The Crucible Background - SparkNotes ", Latest answer posted October 02, 2020 at 10:46:39 AM. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Many historians see its publication as a watershed moment in witch-hunting history. Among others, it argued that those guilty of witchcraft should be punished, and equated sorcery with heresy. There was bad blood between the two women now. Maryse Cond, a French Caribbean writer, published "I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem" which argues that Tituba was of Black African heritage. Torture was not allowed in witch cases in Italy or Spain, but where used it often led to convictions and the identification of supposed accomplices. All three of the accused were examined the next day at Nathaniel Ingersoll's tavern in Salem Village by local magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. We have been advised by some Credible Christians yet alive, that a Malefactor, accused of Witchcraft as well as Murder, and Executed in this place more than Forty Years ago, did then give Notice of, An Horrible PLOT & against the Country by WITCHCRAFT, and a Foundation of WITCHCRAFT then laid, which if it were not seasonably discovered, would probably Blow up, and pull down all the Churches in the Country. By directing blame for misfortune upon others, various populations across Europe succumbed to the mass panic and collective fear ignited by those in authority. By the late 16th century, many prosperous and professional people in western Europe were accused, so that the leaders of society began to have a personal interest in checking the hunts. In essence, these infamous witch hunts took place because people came to believe that witches conspired to destroy and uproot decent Christian society. The Reformation, Counter-Reformation, war, conflict, climate change, and economic recession are all some of the factors that influenced the witch hunts across the two continents in various ways. eNotes Editorial, 6 June 2016, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reasons-miller-gives-salem-witch-hunts-360670. Log in here. By Katie BrownCurrent PhD Biblical Studies, BA Classics and ReligionKatie is a postgraduate research student in Trinity College Dublin, where she also received her Bachelor's Degree in Classical Civilisation and World Religions and Theology. Also the fact people would accuse people of witchcraft which would then accuse other people of witchcraft and etc. Those who were unhappy with their lot and envious towards of who were not now had the chance to voice their suspicions and take revenge against them. Anyone who failed to subscribe to Puritan social norms could become vulnerable and villainized, branded as an outsider, and cast in the role of the Other. These included those that were unmarried, childless, or defiant women on the fringes of society, the elderly, people suffering from a mental illness, people with a disability, and so forth. In act 4 of The Crucible, it is revealed that Abigail Williams has run away from Salem, but her motives are never discussed. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. "In Act 1, what explanation does Miller give as to why the witch hunts developed in such a community in The Crucible?" Both Protestants and Catholics were involved in the prosecutions, as the theology of the Protestant Reformers on the Devil and witchcraft was virtually indistinguishable from that of the Catholics. Girls had specific roles in society and were expected to follow the rules of the church without question, so when they acted out and danced or strayed from the church, chaos was unavoidable. A few histories mention a daughter, Violet, who remained with the Parris family. According to Cotton Mather, what are the immediate and long-term goals of the Devil? The Crucible: Questions & Answers | SparkNotes When a local doctor diagnosed the girls as suffering from the malevolent effects of the supernatural, they set in motion a series of events that would irrevocably alter the course of American cultural, judicial, and political history. In 20th Century America, it all started when a playwright named Arthur Miller had an affair with a Hollywood actress named Marilyn Monroe. What are the reasons Miller gives for the Salem witch hunts? A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials - Smithsonian Magazine In the 1960's few individuals primarily a band of girls accused innocent people of practicing witchery. While the European witch hunts had more or less declined by the mid to late 17th century, they increased in the American Colonies, particularly in Puritan societies. Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, presents a theme that demonstrates how characters change throughout the storyline. Even though the clergy and judges in the Middle Ages were skeptical of accusations of witchcraft, the period 130030 can be seen as the beginning of witch trials. Young women were sometimes accused of infanticide, but midwives and nurses were not particularly at risk. In the play "The Crucible," Arthur Miller uses a great trial in the Salem witch trials to describe how he felt during the Red Scare in the 1950's. The Red Scare was a national hunt for Communists, or "Reds" as they were called. Witch Hunts In Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Tituba is depicted in Miller's drama as initiating witchcraft as play among the girls of Salem Village. They believed in short that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. Some have speculated that this was a way of deflecting further suspicion of himself or his wife. And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! Another Information that imparted Arthur Miller . The Salem witch scare had complex social roots beyond the communitys religious convictions. The visible role played by women in some heresies during this period may have contributed to the stereotype of the witch as female. The Black Death: Europes Deadliest Pandemic in Human History. John Proctor, as Miller portrays him, is a good man whos made a bad, but human, mistake. As students examine historical materials with an eye to their dramatic potential, they also explore the psychological and sociological questions that so fascinated Miller: Aligns withCCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8- Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information. She would also have likely been aware of the unrest in the community when raids were launched in New England, starting up again in 1689 (and called King William's War), with New France using both French soldiers and local Native Americans to fight against the English colonists. The economic theories of the Salem events tend to be two-fold: the first attributes the witchcraft trials to an economic downturn caused by a "little ice age" that lasted from 1550-1800; the second cites socioeconomic issues in Salem itself. Abigail's Obsession With Proctor In The Crucible By Arthur Miller Describe a relatively recent historical event that resembles the situation that unfolded in Salem. Witch Hunts Today: Abuse of Women, Superstition and Murder Collide in Three-fourths of European witch hunts occurred in western Germany, the Low Countries, France, northern Italy, and Switzerland, areas where prosecutions for heresy had been plentiful and charges of diabolism were prominent. 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