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In his article, Why I Wrote The Crucible, Arthur Miller speaks of the 1950 s which nobody seems to remember clearly- a time of fearful insanity and unrest. Anyone could be accused. Showing excessive opposition ensured prosecution. Most shrunk back from disputing the McCarthy hearings for fear of their safety. Now, this period of panic is viewed as absurd. As Miller describes Hitler as being almost comical to his generation, the modern generation sees the Salem witch trials as foolish scuffles between ignorant people.
The actual events were much different as perceived. Just as a feud with a neighbor seems trivial to those not involved but of intense frustration to the embroiled, the trials were not silly and insignificant. The trials were more about personal issues between rivals than witchcraft itself- the witchcraft was a weapon for Salemites to obtain revenge on their enemies. A tool Miller uses to show the reader this emotion is Rebecca Nurse, seventy-year-old grandmother, wife, and respected member of Salem society. Miller modifies her character in his play.
Some facts remain true in the play, others are altered, and some have been neglected altogether. What did he change, and what did he regret to? Why did Miller take such liberties with Rebecca's character in his play? Rebecca Nurse and her husband, Francis, were both well-respected people in the town of Salem Miller describes. They owned about three hundred acres, and after a land dispute with the Putnam's, they broke away from Salem and founded Topsfield. Miller mentions that the founding of Topsfield upset the old Salemites.
This is true - aberration was resented in Puritan society. The essence of Puritanism is in the intensity of the Puritan's commitment to a morality, a form of worship, and a civil society strictly conforming to God's commandments. Certain Puritans were saved despite their sins, while the remainder of society led lives strictly following the saved clergy's interpretations of Gods will. Salem's minister, Mr.
Samuel Parris, was Gods man, as unfit for this title as he may have been. Like Proctor, Rebecca and her husband no longer hungered for religion when Parris became their minister. Their disgust for Mr. Parris cut down on their church appearances. In a judgmental, religious town as Salem was, even an unpleasant minister was no excuse to avoid church.
A few Salemites resented the Nurses for their rise in social status as their lands stretched through town. Miller gives these four pieces of background information for their persecution in his play. How accurate were they? Sources show that Rebecca and Francis were in fact greatly loved and admired by most. When Rebecca was first accused, over forty friends and neighbors signed a petition condemning her exemplary character. This is fairly accurate in the play, as the petition Proctor used as evidence for his friends wives defense held ninety-one signatures for Rebecca and Martha Corey as well.
Sources show many were shocked when Rebecca was accused, as the Proctors were in scene two, and were turned from the court. As for the issue with the Putnam's, there was speculation that it may have been a test for the family. If they could bring down such a highly respected, deeply religious, pious pillar of the community, then surely they'd have absolute freedom over those they'd bring charges against in the future. Miller describes the distaste the Nurses had for Parris correctly. Both were members of the church, and Francis was the leader of the anti-Parris committee.
Putnam led the pro-Parris committee, the latter another reason why the two families were at odds. The committee is briefly mentioned in the play: Parris- now hes out with it: There is a party in this church. I am not blind; there is a party and a faction. The information Miller provides on Rebecca and her husband in The Crucible is shortened, but almost entirely accurate. Arthur Millers depiction of Rebecca in The Crucible is limited. He touches only upon the events relevant to his story.
However, Rebecca's life is a story in itself. Rebecca was not born in New England, she moved there in 1640 with her family. She married Francis Nurse when she was twenty-three years old, in 1645. Francis was a tray maker who rented a great deal of land, and steadily bought it all as he profited from his business. Many years passed before the infamous witch-hunts. Rebecca was an active member of Salem society, regularly attending church and keeping herself occupied with volunteering in town and her eight children.
Aside from her disputes with the Putnam family and Parris, she had earned a virtuous name for herself by 1692, the year the Salem trials began. She was 71 years old when Edward and Thomas Putnam filed the first complaint against her. She was shocked, and said: I am innocent as the child unborn, but surely, what sin hath God found out in me unrepeated of that He should lay such an affliction on me in my old age. A warrant for her arrest was issued after the Putnam's complaint, and Rebecca was sent to court, where she was found guilty after the hysterical girls claimed she sent her spirit out to choke them.
Examinations followed her arrest, in which local women claimed there was a mark of the devil upon her skin. Rebecca was excommunicated, and on July 19 th, 1692, she and four other women were driven in a cart to Gallows Hill, where they were hanged for refusing to confess to witchcraft. She was buried hastily in a shallow grave, her hand above the earth. Her husband and her children pulled her from her common grave and buried her at their home.
Shortly after her death, Rebecca's sister, Mary Enter, was hanged. Miller touches upon a few of these events in The Crucible, enough to develop Rebecca as a saintly minor character who draws pity from the audience. In his opening notes, Miller informs the reader that the play was written more to convey the general fear a witch-hunt instills in members of a society than to tell the history of the Salem witch trials. It is for this reason that Miller did not include the vast wealth of information on Rebecca's life- such an account is for history books, not plays meant to entertain as well as prove a point. He wrote of Rebecca to produce a character the audience can feel sympathy for. Her overall air is kindly- her tolerance for Salem's inhabitants even during the witch-hunt, her love for her husband, even her description of children warms the heart: A childs spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back.
Her death is the nadir of the integrity of the courts; the murder of an innocent woman based on hearsay and slander. The audience cannot help but feel helpless rage for her. Miller wanted just this- he wanted to show audiences what a witch-hunt is. Rebecca's character is also a reflection of Millers own views.
She held fast when no one else would, refused to back down and confess lies. Miller refused to take part in the witch-hunts. When asked to change the antagonists in a screenplay to communists, he refused, and became a suspected spy. The actual facts Miller did use about Rebecca in The Crucible heightened its credibility by adding a sense of genuineness. While making the audience feel for Rebecca, the innocent victim of accusation, with heartfelt dialogue he created himself, Miller utilized the most relevant facts he researched to add authenticity. A gentle victim of witch hysteria, Rebecca Nurse draws more emotional reactions to the play than any other character.
The audience watches in compassion as the amiable woman they have grown attached to refuses to confess a sin she has not committed and ultimately gives her life for it. Miller set out to tell audiences a story that would show them the fear of a witch-hunt. The partiality they acquire for Rebecca Nurse provides a personal view of this horror. Through combining historical accuracy with his own touch, Miller was effective in his portrayal of this kind-hearted martyr.
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Research essay sample on Salem Witch Trials Witch Hunt
