preview

Who Is Abigail Williams Responsible For The Trials

Satisfactory Essays

Casey Morsell Mr. Schaefer American Literature Period 6 October 27, 2016 Who is most responsible for the trials? "Responsibility is accepting that you are the cause and the solution of the matter" - Unknown. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft. If a person was accused of witchcraft, then they would be executed. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams, Thomas Putnam, and Reverend Parris are responsible for the trials. Abigail Williams accuses Tituba of witchcraft to divert attention from her and the girls transgression. Reverend Parris, deeply engaged in the witch hunt, has also falsely accused random people of witchcraft. Thomas Putnam is guilty because he had people falsely accuse other people for his own benefit. Abigail Williams, Thomas Putnam and Reverend Parris are responsible for the trials because they falsely accuse other people of witchcraft. Abigail Williams is the initiator or the cause of trials in the play. She and her friends were out in the woods playing with spells and witchcraft. After nearly being caught, Abigail falsely accuses Tituba for witchcraft to divert attention from her and the girl’s transgressions in the woods. …show more content…

Putnam also falsely accused people, but in a different way. In the play, Putnam used his daughter Ruth to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft, so he could own Jacob’s land. Putnam also had his wife Ann, accuse Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft, after killing his newborns. While speaking with Hale about Rebecca, “ Francis, with a mocking, half —hearted laugh: For murder, she’s charged! Mockingly quoting the warrant: “ For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam’s babies.”(Miller). Rebecca was later hung after she was accused of murder. Nearly all of Putnam’s false accusations of witchcraft were successful and this caused many people to

Get Access