In the play “The Crucible”, common grudges and personal rivalries are like a marionette pulling strings within the courtroom of Salem throughout the witch trials. It seems as if everyone is searching for a way to benefit from this outrage, and those who attempt, usually succeed. The following 3, are only a few examples of how grudges and personal rivalries worked their way into the witch trials of Salem.
Beginning with a personal rivalry, Thomas Putnam gets his daughter to testify against Mr.Jacobs for witchcraft to get the land he owns. After the court decides that Jacobs is a witch and he is hung, Giles makes an uproar about Putnam’s obvious plan, “Giles: My proof is there! Pointing to the paper. If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the; coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” (96pg online). The quote shows that Giles truly knows that the act of Putnam’s daughter testifying against Mr.Jacobs was actually so Putnam could acquire his land. Thus showing, that the personal rivalry between Mr.Jacobs and Putnam was a main cause of a witch trial in Salem. Because Putnam’s rivalry with Jacobs’s 600 acres of land, he accused him of witchcraft to further his land profits by buying his land after he is hung. Next is a personal grudge, John Proctor and Parris are constantly working against one another through the whole witch trials, Parris lies and says anything to not let Proctor get ahead. During the court case Proctor is fighting for his wife in act 3, Proctor tells Danforth about how Abigail lead the other girls into the woods to dance around naked and said Parris witnessed it, “Proctor, taking it right up: Abigail leads the girls to the woods, Your Honor, and they have danced there naked - Parris: Your Honor, this - Proctor, at once: Mr. Parris discovered them himself in the dead of night! There’s the "child" she is! Danforth - it is growing into a nightmare, and he turns, astonished, to Parris: Mr. Parris - Parris: I can only say, sir, that I never found any of them naked, and this man is - Danforth: But you discovered them dancing in the woods? Eyes on Parris, he points at Abigail. Abigail?” (105pg online). This quote shows that Proctor and Parris are always on opposite sides and that Parris would lie to keep his …show more content…
In the duration of Act 1, John is talking to Abigail about how he doesn’t want to be involved with her anymore and she says, Abigail: “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her!”(1110pg). Thus shows the grudge and rivalry she has with Elizabeth because she wants John. John and Abigail technically are both to blame, but Abigail is the one who pushed Salem brink and made them the way they are: delusional people who claim others are witches to protect themselves or to get rid of someone they have a grudge or personal rivalry with. The whole time Abigail tries to defend her “needle in the stomach story” in court, she is indeed manipulating the court to achieve her revenge! Pulling heart strings, left and right, as well as spewing pure
Beginning with a personal rivalry, Thomas Putnam gets his daughter to testify against Mr.Jacobs for witchcraft to get the land he owns. After the court decides that Jacobs is a witch and he is hung, Giles makes an uproar about Putnam’s obvious plan, “Giles: My proof is there! Pointing to the paper. If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the; coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” (96pg online). The quote shows that Giles truly knows that the act of Putnam’s daughter testifying against Mr.Jacobs was actually so Putnam could acquire his land. Thus showing, that the personal rivalry between Mr.Jacobs and Putnam was a main cause of a witch trial in Salem. Because Putnam’s rivalry with Jacobs’s 600 acres of land, he accused him of witchcraft to further his land profits by buying his land after he is hung. Next is a personal grudge, John Proctor and Parris are constantly working against one another through the whole witch trials, Parris lies and says anything to not let Proctor get ahead. During the court case Proctor is fighting for his wife in act 3, Proctor tells Danforth about how Abigail lead the other girls into the woods to dance around naked and said Parris witnessed it, “Proctor, taking it right up: Abigail leads the girls to the woods, Your Honor, and they have danced there naked - Parris: Your Honor, this - Proctor, at once: Mr. Parris discovered them himself in the dead of night! There’s the "child" she is! Danforth - it is growing into a nightmare, and he turns, astonished, to Parris: Mr. Parris - Parris: I can only say, sir, that I never found any of them naked, and this man is - Danforth: But you discovered them dancing in the woods? Eyes on Parris, he points at Abigail. Abigail?” (105pg online). This quote shows that Proctor and Parris are always on opposite sides and that Parris would lie to keep his …show more content…
In the duration of Act 1, John is talking to Abigail about how he doesn’t want to be involved with her anymore and she says, Abigail: “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her!”(1110pg). Thus shows the grudge and rivalry she has with Elizabeth because she wants John. John and Abigail technically are both to blame, but Abigail is the one who pushed Salem brink and made them the way they are: delusional people who claim others are witches to protect themselves or to get rid of someone they have a grudge or personal rivalry with. The whole time Abigail tries to defend her “needle in the stomach story” in court, she is indeed manipulating the court to achieve her revenge! Pulling heart strings, left and right, as well as spewing pure