Crucible Essay

In Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, power played a huge role in the witch trials. There were certain people who were obsessed with the idea of power, and leadership, and would do anything to attain it. Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth were just two of many characters who loved power. These particular two hold a huge amount of responsibility for the hangings of 18 innocent men and women, and the pressing to death of one. Abigail uses her leadership skills to convince a group of girls to join with her and accuse people in Salem of being witches, and afflicting them in various ways. Judge Danforth decided not to end the trials, even though he had the chance, because he was afraid he would lose his authority, and hurt his reputation. When there are leaders, there are followers, and Mary Warren is one of the biggest followers of them all. She tells John Proctor that she and the other girls are only pretending, and falls under his leadership, coming clean to the judges. However, when Abigail takes the reins and begins to accuse Mary, she switches sides in fear, in order to save herself. Mary Warren, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth are the three characters who are most responsible for the Salem Witch Trials.

Primarily, in the first act of The Crucible, when John Proctor and Abigail are talking by Betty’s bedside, Proctor mentions that the town is suspecting witchcraft. In response, Abigail disregards it, and says that it isn’t witchcraft. Abigail said, “We were dancin’ in the woods last night, and my uncle leaped in on us. She took fright, is all” (Miller 22-23). This shows that Abigail knew that none of what happened is witchcraft, and that it all started with Betty’s fear of Reverend Parris after he discovered her with the other girls, dancing in the woods. This is essentially a confession from Abigail that the girls’ afflictions from the witches are lies. Abigail could have stopped the witch trials by telling the town the truth, but instead, sees a chance to take Elizabeth Proctor out of the picture, so she can live happily with John. Abigail prolonged the idea of witches in Salem, and used her leadership skills to convince all the other girls to pretend with her. Therefore, she is responsible for initiating the idea of witchcraft in Salem.

Mary Warren tells John Proctor that she and the other girls were only pretending, and Proctor told her to confess. After Mary Warren admits to Judge Danforth that she and the other girls were untruthful, Abigail begins acting as though Mary was afflicting her. The other girls joined in, and in fear of being accused as a witch, Mary switches her loyalty from John Proctor to Abigail, and accuses Proctor of working with the Devil, and trying to get her to sign the Devil’s book. She said, ““No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God. Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more” (Miller 119)! This quote demonstrates Mary Warren’s frantic confession when she believes that she may be in danger of being accused. When she thinks that she no longer has a chance to expose the girls for the liars that they are, and sees that she may be on the losing side, she cries and says that she wants to be on God’s side. Mary had the chance to end the witch trials, but she gave in to the fear and the pressure, and tried to win Abigail’s favor once more. For that reason, she is greatly at fault for the continuation of the witch trials.

In the fourth act of The Crucible, Reverend Parris goes to Judge Danforth and begs him to delay the trials, before John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are hanged. He says that until that point, the only sort of people who had been accused and didn’t confess were people lower in society. Parris worries that, since Proctor and Goody Nurse are so well-respected in the town, their deaths may have bad consequences in the town. Danforth said, “Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now” (Miller 129). The quote illustrates Judge Danforth’s obsession with power, and with his reputation. Essentially, he is saying that he won’t postpone the trials because it makes him look bad. He doesn’t want people to doubt his authority, and possibly consider the innocence of those already hanged. By suspending the hanging of Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor, Danforth believes that he will damage his status. He is so focused on his own reputation that he doesn’t seem to realize the consequences of his actions.

Ultimately, Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, and John Danforth are most responsible for the witch trials. Abigail is the entire reason that the idea of witchcraft in Salem Massachusetts in 1692 grew to the extent that it did. Without her assurance of the so-called-afflictions, and her leadership over the other afflicted girls, the citizens of Salem may not have allowed the fear to have gotten so out of hand. With her assertive accusations and authority over the girls, she began the entire masquerade that resulted in the killing of 19 innocent people. Mary Warren was exceptionally responsible for the witch trials in Salem, because she gave in to fear. She was presented the opportunity to end the trials and deaths, and to expose Abigail and the other girls for the liars that they truly were, but out of fear, she relinquished. Finally, Judge Danforth holds responsibility for not ending the trials when he had the chance. He was worried about his reputation, and he knew that stopping the trials despite the continued accusations will cause doubt about his power, and about the guilt of those already accused and hanged.