Make Them Do It Essay, Research Paper
The Salem Witchcraft Trials: Did the Devil Make Them Do It?
One of the most devastating events in history was the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Due to a few hysterical girls’ accusations and the fear of a village, twenty people were executed and hundreds were put in jail. Now the question still asked today is, “Were the people accused really witches possessed by the devil?” The belief today is that no, they were not witches nor were they involved with the devil. In fact, the people who were at fault were really the accusers.
The Puritan people (the people involved with the trials) had endured many hardships and dangers, which they blamed on the devil. This helped fuel their very religious and superstitious ways. In fact, the minister’s sermons were often times more anti-devil than pro-Christ. In addition, being cheerful and playing were considered very non-religious activities to these people. Their entire lives were devoted to working, and the children were usually very bored. If a little girl was caught playing with a doll, she was sent to the minister for a long lecture, since even dolls were considered to play a part in witchery. When the girls first started acting disturbed, it was after hearing stories about children who had been tormented by witches. The girls would throw tantrums and have fits in which they would run around, screaming that they were being hurt. This kind of behavior was defined as being an act of the devil. But strangely enough, they never seemed to have these fits when there was not an audience around to see them. Therefore, the bewildered people asked the girls who harmed them, and the girls just started giving them names of fellow villagers.
This is when the actual court trials started. During the trials, the main source for prosecution was through relating evidence. People who had been affected by the devil supposedly had a “second sight” to see their tormentors. So anyone that they reported to have “seen” was automatically thought guilty.
There were also two tests used in the courtroom to “prove” that someone was a witch. The first test to see if a person was a witch was if they could say the Lord’s Prayer correctly. If they were indeed a witch, then they would say “hollowed” instead of “hallowed” and add phrases not in the King James version of the Bible. The second test was referred to as the “touch test”. When the accused person looked at the afflicted girls, the girls would fall on the floor. Then the accused would have to touch the affected person, as if they were removing their spell. However, if the accused person looked at any other person in the courtroom, those people were not affected.
Another piece of evidence proving there was fraud in the courtroom was that one of the accusers was reported to have been seen taking pins out of her dress, sticking herself and then screaming she was being tormented by witches. There was also a five-year old girl who was accused of witchcraft. However, she just agreed with whatever they said, because she was too young to understand. The worst proof that they used against the accused people was that if they pleaded innocent, then everyone thought that they were lying because of the influence of the devil. Many people would just say that they were guilty in order to be relieved of suspicion.
They were asked who else was guilty of being a witch, since they most likely had come in contact with other witches. Many innocent people were brought forth as witches in this way. Some of the accusers were thought to have been trying to get back at their enemies by accusing them of witchcraft. In one incident, the girls who were the main accusers were giggling as they said they would have Goody Proctor hang. When questioned about this, they declared that they “must have some sport”.
All of a sudden, the trials came to an abrupt halt. Everyone just stopped believing what the girls said. It was all too cruel and they started seeing how coincidental it all was. However, before the trials had come to a complete stop, 20 people had been executed and others had died in jail. The state of Massachusetts publicly asked for pardon, saying that they were “sadly deluded and mistaken”.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials lasted only a year, but they occupy an entire page of history. It is known throughout the world and had lasting effects on everyone hearing about it. It was best put when Marilyn Roach said to always remember “that all such tragedies begin with ordinary people–like us”.
Другие работы по теме:
The Crucible 10 Essay Research Paper Adultery
The Crucible 10 Essay, Research Paper Adultery: a possible cause of Salem Trials? Could Proctor & Abigail’s adultery be responsible for some acts that happened during the prosecutions in the Salem witchtrials? One might say not, while another could say it plays a great part in the story.
Crucible Essay Research Paper When we think
Crucible Essay, Research Paper When we think of the United States we think of equality and justice for all people no matter how far back you go back in our history. Sadly, this hasn’t always been the case, in this land of hope
Crucible Essay Research Paper The Crucible is
Crucible Essay, Research Paper The Crucible is a play about witchcraft. It all begins with a group of young women playing with witchcraft taught by Tituba and Abigail William?s. Reverend
The Crucible Act 4 Essay Research Paper
Act 4: Crucible It?s sad to see how the town is falling apart because of these trials. ?Cows are wandering loose, crops are rotting in the fields, and orphans are wandering without supervision.? People are either in jail or attending the trials or are just much too busy worrying about being accused of witchcraft to do much else.
Binary Thinking Essay Research Paper Binary thinking
Binary Thinking Essay, Research Paper Binary thinking related to Salem Witch Trials The Puritans were European settlers that established home in Salem Village in the 1630s. They believed that they were a dominant group because of their practices. They saw their religion as superior to any other religion.
The Crucible And The Mccarthy Era Essay
, Research Paper The Crucible and the McCarthy Era Arthur Miller s The Crucible, depicts the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 but is analogous to the McCarthy trials of the 1950s. In both situations, widespread hysteria occurs, stemming from existing fears of the people of that particular era. The Salem witchhunt trials parallel the McCarthy era in three major aspects: unfounded accusations, hostile interrogation of numerous innocent people and the ruination and death of various people s lives.
Crucible Essay Research Paper Does power corrupt
Crucible Essay, Research Paper Does power corrupt? In Arthur Miller s The Crucible, Miller takes his readers on a journey back to 1692 to revisit the Salem witchcraft trials. He cleverly portrays a small Puritan town and the disappearance of their commitment to each other and the truth. One of the main characters in Miller s play is Abigail Williams, who is a seventeen year old orphan with an endless capacity for dissembling .(p.8) She, along with an evil land owner, Thomas Putnam, and a distinguished judge, Danforth, is able to corrupt the town to get what they want.
Crucible Salem Episode Essay Research Paper The
Crucible Salem Episode Essay, Research Paper The Crucible The Salem witch-trials, are an historic event that occurred during the Puritan era. It was the witch-trials that decided the fate of so many of the
The Crucible Essay Research Paper ARTHUR MILLER 2
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper ARTHUR MILLER, SALEM AND COMMUNISM In this paper I am going to talk about the relations between the Salem witch trials and the Cold War. Covering this with evidence and facts about the theme. I think that this is a fair comparison and is very interesting what they have in common.
The Crucible 2 Essay Research Paper The
The Crucible 2 Essay, Research Paper The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller is a play that takes place in the late 17th century during the famous yet tragic witch trials. It is a story that contains the many struggles that came about as a result of the strict Puritan setting. Miller s depiction of the Salem witch trials deals with a community that starts out with a tightly knit and church loving fa ade.
Crucible Essay Research Paper In 1962 Massachusetts
Crucible Essay, Research Paper In 1962, Massachusetts was plagued by a witchcraft craze that would result in the hanging of at least 20 people and the jailing of at least 150 others. This event is considered one of the most tragic incidents in our American history. The witchcraft hysteria originated in the small village of Salem, where most of the people were poor, uneducated, but more importantly, superstitious.
Mccarthy Era And Salem Witch Trials Essay
, Research Paper The McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials The McCarthy era is very similar to the Salem Witch trials. They are both similar, because they both dealt with hysteria. Hysteria is an
The Devil
’s Shadow Essay, Research Paper The Devil’s Shadow Time Setting: The Devil’s Shadow by Clifford Lindsey Alderman took place in the late seventeenth century from 1692-1693. This is the time period that the Salem
Crucible Essay Research Paper Tragic Hero EssayThe
Crucible Essay, Research Paper Tragic Hero Essay The historic happenings of the Salem Witch Trials are told in the story of the Crucible. In the Crucible, the main character is John Proctor. John Proctor is a tragic hero who is a great man but has one single flaw, pride, which will lead to his destruction.
Witchcraft In The Colonies Essay Research Paper
Witchcraft in the ColoniesSalem, MassachusettsThesis-In Salem fear of the different led to mass hysteria and panic, people lashed out blindly and accused the innocent. I. CausesA. by late 1640’s witchcraft shifted dramatically1. began spinning out of control2. began rising in accusationsB. for many years people believed in witches1.
Violation Of Human Rights In The Crucible
Essay, Research Paper IB English Exam A2 Question #2 : Violations of the Declaration of Human Rights during the Salem Witch Trials During the Salem witch trials, many violations of today?s Universal Declaration of Human Rights occurred. Inclusively, some are still being done today. Upon having a victim under an acusation, many articles were not respected.
The Crucible Essay Research Paper The witch
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper The witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts in the early sixteen hundreds was a time of uneasiness and suspicion. Anyone could easily turn in his or her neighbor on the
Crucible 6 Essay Research Paper The Crucible
Crucible 6 Essay, Research Paper The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a play that deals with the Salem witch trials in the 1690s. The main character, John Proctor, goes through a crucible, or severe test of his own, as the witch trials are taking place. The witch trials occur because a group of girls from Salem accuse some of the townspeople of making pacts with the devil, or becoming witches.
Mass Hysteria In The Crucible Essay Research
Paper The Psychology of Mass Hysteria In 1692, the people of a small, religious village, Salem, Massachusetts, fell victim to an outbreak of mass hysteria caused by a fear of witchcraft. This fear of witchcraft was caused by a small group of girls who accused innocent people of the village of being under the influence of the devil and harming them with spells of witchcraft.
Three Sovereigns For Sarah Essay Research Paper
The movie, Three Soverighens for Sarah, takes place in Salem town during the trials of 1672. Three sisters, Sarah, Mary, and Rebecca were accused of witchcraft. Some young girls thought themselves to believe that the three sisters were bring all the witchcraft to them. The girls continuously did things to make the towns people believe that they were under a sort of spell caused by the sisters.
Salem Witch Trials Essay Research Paper Salem
Salem Witch Trials- Essay, Research Paper Salem Witch Trials- Superstition and witchcraft resulted in many being hanged or in prison. In the seventeenth century, a belief in witches and
Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay Research Paper Salem
Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay, Research Paper Salem Witchcraft Trials If one person believes something, all the rest will follow. Modern day people learned this in Salem, Massachusets during the witchcraft trials. Hysteria is a main cause
The Witchcraft Hysteria Essay Research Paper The
The Witchcraft Hysteria Essay, Research Paper The Witchcraft Hysteria In 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, the superstition of witches existed in a society of strong puritan beliefs. Anybody who acted out of the ordinary was accused of being a witch, and then the accused would actually be forgiven if they admitted it and told the court of anyone else that was with the devil.
Witchcraft And Wicca Essay Research Paper Witchcraft
Witchcraft And Wicca Essay, Research Paper Witchcraft and Wicca When you think of Witchcraft, and Wicca what comes to your mind. Historically people have associated Witchcraft with evil and regard people as using Witchcraft as harming others. The terms Wicca and Witchcraft can be used interchangeably, but there is a distinction.
Deterioration Of Salem During The Witch Trials
Essay, Research Paper Tragedy: The Deterioration of Salem During the Witch TrialsThe Crucible by Arthur MillerThe deterioration of Salem s social structure precipitated the murders of manyinnocent people. Arthur Miller s depiction of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible, dealswith a community that starts out looking like it is tightly knit and church loving.
Death Of The Innocent Essay Research Paper
Death of the Innocent In Arthur Miller s The Crucible, the shear madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. Historically, there are many theories on how the accusations were started such as moldy flower, resulting in the accidental taking of narcotics, or a simple break down in society.
The Crucible Essay Research Paper 2
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper The deterioration of Salem?s social structure precipitated the murders of many innocent people. Arthur Miller?s depiction of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible, deals with a community that starts out looking like it is tightly knit and church loving. It turns out that once Tituba starts pointing her finger at the witches, the community starts pointing their fingers at each other.
Crucible Essay Essay Research Paper The Crucible
Crucible Essay Essay, Research Paper The Crucible Essay The story The Crucible takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters with minds of their own to create a very realistic plot and conflict in this story.
The Crucible Essay Essay Research Paper During
The Crucible Essay Essay, Research Paper During the Salem witch trials of 1692, many innocent people die as a cause of being accused of witchcraft. In this time period where people believe the most obscure and inconsequential stories, it is common sense for them to believe in witchery. One author named Arthur Miller, docuemented these trials in a play called The Crucible.
The Crucible Reasons Innocent People Confessed To
Witchcraft Essay, Research Paper Living in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the Witchcraft Trials must had been an uncanny event to experience. The entire witchcraft hysteria started because people were
Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay Research Paper One
Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay, Research Paper One of the most devastating events in American events in American history was the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Due to a few hysterical girls’ accusations and the fear of a village, twenty people were executed and hundreds were put in jail. Now the question still asked today is, “Were the people accused really witches possessed by the devil?” No, they were not witches nor were they involved with the devil.
WITCHCRAFT Essay Research Paper Witchcraft is a
WITCHCRAFT Essay, Research Paper Witchcraft is a phenomenon that has captured the minds of millions since the beginning of history. These so-called witches have caused fear, hatred, interest, widespread panic, and a variety of other emotions in other people from all over the world. Every society and civilization on this planet have all some form of witchcraft in their history.