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Post by laurensc116 on Sept 30, 2012 17:06:22 GMT -5
A pivotal aspect of this play is accusations. Throughout the first two acts, accusations of witchcraft are made by individuals about other individuals, and each time the accused are jailed at least until the accusations are addressed in a trial. This shows how this witchcraft scheme could easily become someone accusing their enemies of witchcraft for some kind of revenge. For example, on page 60, Elizabeth says "She wants me dead, John, and you know it," about Abby to Proctor. Therefore, it is clear that accusations carry a lot of weight in this play because some accuser's motives may not be to bring witches to justice, but to harm their enemies for their own gain. However, because of these corrupt accusations, do you think any actual potential witches are being accused, or is witchcraft just a game of accusations against enemies in this play?
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Post by gabriellest116 on Sept 30, 2012 17:15:08 GMT -5
I agree that accusations are made just to get rid of enemies because in act II Rebecca Nurse is accused of killing Mrs. Putnam's babies. In act I it was stated that "another sugestion to explain the systematic campaign against Rebecca, and inferentially against Francis, is the land war he fought with his neighbors, one of whom was Putnam," (Miller 26). Therefore, the Putnam's probably accused Rebecca Nurse of killing their babies due to their previous land dispute.
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Post by gabriellest116 on Sept 30, 2012 17:22:29 GMT -5
In act II, Elizabeth Proctor was accused of being a witch by Abigail. The reason why Abigail accused Elizabeth was clearly because of her affair with Proctor and Abigail's jealousy of Elizabeth for being married to Proctor. The situation with Abigail being stabbed in her stomach with the needle and the doll Mary Warren made Elizabeth with a needle in the stomach were used as evidence against Elizabeth Proctor. This makes it seem as if Mary Warren is helping Abigail and is also out to get Elizabeth Proctor. Why would Mary Warren be after Elizabeth as well?
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Post by kaylaro116 on Sept 30, 2012 18:04:31 GMT -5
It is possible that Mary Warren might be after Elizabeth as well because after Abigail told Mary about her affair with Proctor, she could better understand Abigail's point of view and agree to help get rid of Elizabeth. In my opinion, even though Mary Warren dislikes the way the Proctors order her to do things, she does not have a better reason to go after Elizabeth. The only reason would be Abigail influencing Mary and telling her what to do in order to get Elizabeth out of the way.
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Post by sophiapa116 on Sept 30, 2012 19:39:09 GMT -5
In Act II, the two most moral characters in the play were accused of witchcraft, Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor. In Act I, Hale states he is honored to be in the presence of Nurse's good soul and had heard of her great charities in his own town. This reaction shows Nurse is a well-respected character and a kind soul. Therefore, the fact that she was accused of witchcraft shows the extreme actions the characters are already doing for their own self preservation. There is absolutely no way pious Rebecca Nurse is actually a witch, however Ann Putnam blames witchcraft to escape the possibility that she had done something to get on God’s bad side. As previously stated, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft because she wants to get her out of the picture so that she can continue her affair with John. This accusation is also an act of Abigail’s self-preservation, attempting to get Elizabeth hanged. Going back to the initial post, I believe nearly all of the accused witches are innocent because the accusations are being made merely out self-preservation, rather than concrete evidence. The accusations are just one vicious cycle feeding the frenzy of consensus.
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Post by idach116 on Sept 30, 2012 20:00:44 GMT -5
I find that it is peculiar that the most pious and pure characters of Act II are accused of witchcraft, which is an indication that people are giving into the perspective in society to protect themselves. Also, it is puzzling how Sarah Good is spared from execution when she confesses to witchcraft even though she knows that she has nothing to do with it. "Mary Warren: 'He sentenced [Goody Osburn]...But not Sarah Good. For Sarah Good confessed, y'see'" (Miller 56) ensures that lying about witchcraft is advertised as a relief from death whereas sincere denial costs someone of his or her life, such as Goody Osburn.
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Post by laurenno116 on Sept 30, 2012 20:04:48 GMT -5
I am not really sure that Mary Warren is working with Abigail. It seemed as though she did not know about the whole incident with the needle. Also she was very willing to share with everyone that she had given the poppet to Elizabeth. I think that if she was working with Abigail, she would not have been so open about it. She was also a little surprised when she found out there was a needle in the poppet, and even though yes she would be acting that way regardless of working with Abigail or not, I thought that it came off more like she is an unknowing pawn of Abigail's. Secondly, speaking of what was said about the accusations being one vicious cycle feeding the frenzy of consensus, i think that it is important to note that not only are the accusers feeding the frenzy but also the accused. Those accused of witchcraft admit to it because they can stay alive that way. They are willing to join the consensus despite it hurting them because they will stay alive. It plays into that same idea of self preservation mentioned.
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Post by bernadettela116 on Sept 30, 2012 20:22:10 GMT -5
I think Marry Warren isn't after Elizabeth, but simply is scared of Abigail. She thinks that if she corroborates Proctor's story, Abigail will get the other girls to accuse Mary of being a witch. She will not stop repeating, "I cannot!" which is most likely because she is just so frightened of what the accusation of witchcraft would do to her. Most people are unwilling to admit to witchcraft because you don't want to be shunned even though the alternative is death.
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Post by jingyanxi116 on Sept 30, 2012 20:42:50 GMT -5
I agree with Sophia; most, if not all, of the accusations being made are made out of self preservation. On page 52, Proctor's wife Elizabeth says "The Deputy Governor promise hangin' if they'll not confess...". If a person is accused of being a witch, that person can either die denying it or confess and be ostracized. It would be more convenient and more safe to accuse others of being witches so that others wouldn't be able to accuse said person, who, by accusing others, demonstrates that "God is with him", of being a witch.
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Post by leiade116 on Sept 30, 2012 21:55:25 GMT -5
I agree with everything that has been said. For most people in the play, it is a lose-lose situation. You can either confess to witchcraft and be punished for it, or you can deny the accusations and be killed. This is why most people are pointing fingers at others, to buy themselves some more time. In addition there are accusations about events other than witchcraft. Elizabeth is still suspicious that there is more going on between Proctor and Abigail, so she too is throwing accusations at Proctor. It is clear that these accusations are going to play a substantial role in the witch trials.
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Post by elisabethne116 on Oct 1, 2012 7:21:36 GMT -5
I agree with Lauren's assertion of self preservation in determining who is accusing who; however, I also think that there is an underlying issue of social tension between the older married women and the younger single females that are envious of the former. This is illustrated at the beginning of Act II when Elizabeth tells John that, "(Abligail) thinks to kill (her) then to take (her) place," (61).
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Post by sandych116 on Oct 1, 2012 18:54:34 GMT -5
I agree with Elisabeth. I also think that there might be a power struggle with the younger single girls because one of the few ways to get power during that time was through marriage. For some girls, getting rid of the older married women might be their ticket into the consensus circle. This goes along with what everyone else has been saying, people accuse for self preservation and to gain from the witch trials. It was also accuse or be accused, which is why Tituba and Abigail began listing names when they were about to be accused for witchcraft, so that the blame goes on other people.
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Post by samso116 on Oct 2, 2012 21:13:35 GMT -5
There are definitely ulterior motives for the various accusations made during the Salem witch trials. Historically, the first to get accused were older women and the outcasts of society. Likewise, the accusations were cut off as soon people in the upper class, in this case someone like per say, Parris, would be accused. As much as one would like to believe that everyone completely bought into Puritanism and its anti-witch ideology (like Hale), it is impossible that Puritans didn't have secular motives as well (we discussed this in class). Also, the manner of testing to see if someone was indeed a witch, would be by drowning them or burning them; if they survived, they were a witch. Thus, it was very easy to accuse someone whose property you want knowing that regardless if they were a witch or not, they would be removed from the picture. Even when several people died, proving that they weren't witches, this process continued. Additionally, the accusers didn't really have anything at risk b/c even if their accusation was untrue, they were looking out for the good of the community and thus it was justified. This very theory is questioned by Proctor at one point as he asks Hale why the accusers are never at fault (when his wife Elizabeth is accused). However, his questions were to no avail (so far).
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