The Crucible Salem Witch Trials

Tituba was then taken into custody and question for her involvement in witchcraft, not wanting to die, she made a confession of signing with the devil. With this confession, the girls began to yell to the people of who was with the devil in Salem. The girls were mostly naming those that they have Prejudice with, one being Sarah Good, a homeless lady. Those who were highly seen in the church, were as well named, these two people being Rebecca nurse and Martha

Seeing this, Abigail and the rest of the girls join Tituba in calling out names to make themselves free from the devil. The girls

Just before Reverend Hale gets Tituba to confess to witchcraft, she says, “Oh, God, protect Tituba”(49)! Salem’s strict religious beliefs are displayed when Tituba prays to God to help protect her. The hysteria has gotten to Hale as well, which makes him interrogate Tituba until she confesses. It also motivates Tituba to admit to conspiring with the Devil. Tituba knows that the punishment for a slave who participates in witchcraft would be very harsh, so when she confesses she gives accuses some people in town hoping to escape from punishment.

One of the first things he learns, is the dance in the woods that Tituba conducted. When Hale is convinced he has saved Tituba from the devil, that is when Abby’s long chain of lies begins. Hale believes that Tituba has been taken by the devil, but her confession will lead her to god. This is when Abigail realizes she can save herself by lying. Unfortunately, Hale has no idea he has been manipulated by Abigail and all of the girls.

The girls accused many innocent people whom they disliked for revenge, and the court had complete disregard for the truth. After Tituba was whipped and labeled a witch she saved herself with this statement “Mister Reverend I do believe somebody else be witchin these children!” (miller 45). This was the first major lie that spun out of control, leading to the accusation of the innocent residents of Salem. This highlights to them just how easy it was to deceive them into thinking whatever they wanted.

Abby forced the girl to not tell anyone what happen that night of the incident because if they told she was going to kill whoever. “She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” (Miller 156). Abigail deceitful words had a horrible impact on Titubu falsely conjuring spirits. Abigail thrown all the guilt on Titubu because she doesn’t have no say of what anybody thinks of her.

Now Abigail acts like she was a worker of the devil and wants to “come back to god”. Betty hearing this, wakes up screaming and they think everything is fine now. Hale asked who Abby say with the devil and she says Tituba. They go to Tituba’s shack and drag her out and start whipping her, and her not wanting to be whipped to death fake admits to doing it. (Miller 8-48) Tituba and all the girls have now admitted to seeing the devil and are naming off a bunch of names of people who they have “seen with the devil.”

When the leader of the group, Abigail Williams, gets asked about why they were dancing, she immediately points the finger on Tituba, who points the finger on others and a lot of people become at fault for the witch craft within the town. Judge Danforth takes on the trials of witch craft and determines if one is guilty or innocent. People start to blame others which they had past troubles with, just to get

Tituba called him!’” (Miller 42). Readers will find that, this section of the play is very tense with the rise of a newly formed conflict. The conflict is clearly depicted, Abigail is lying to resolve the pressure of questions from both Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale about the events that occurred that night with the dancing. Abigail trying to resolve this conflict led to Abigail ‘confessing’ or lying to ensure her own life and not be hung for witchcraft.

"Reverend Parris says that he saw Abigail and Betty dancing "like heathens," Tituba moving back and forth over a fire while mumbling unintelligibly, and an unidentified female running naked through the forest"(The Crucible act l). This shows the girls are corrupt because they are disobedient to their belief system. This also says they are reckless, since they knew what they were doing was wrong, but did it anyways. Abigail leads Tituba, and Betty to make accusations on innocent people. She does this to get herself out of trouble because she doesn't know how to take ownership for her actions (Miller, Arthur.

To begin, Tituba is being whipped by Mr. Parris for dancing and drinking blood until she finally confesses that she was with the devil. Rev. Hale states, “You have confessed yourself to witchcraft and that speaks a wish to come to heavenś side. And we will bless you tituba¨(Miller 161). Here, tituba comes out and admits that the devil has come from below and has taken her. Tituba’s ignorance gets carried away a little carried away when she says the number of people that was with the devil that night.

When the first thought of witchcraft enters the town Abigail goes on accusing Tituba to Mr. Hale, “She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer! … Sometimes I wake and find myself standing in the open doorway and not a stitch on my body! I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Barbados songs and tempting me with-”(Miller 44).

Tituba is a woman from Barbados who practices what the Puritans view as, “black magic.” Of course, she mainly implements this because the conniving Abigail Williams who manipulates her into summoning it. But when Reverend Hale finds out all that Tituba knows, he relies on her to speak the truth. “Hale, with rising exaltation: You are God’s instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil’s agents among us. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us cleanse our village.

To begin, it is a popular belief that Tituba, a slave in the story, was justified in her confession to witchcraft in order to save her own life. After the girls of Salem peg Tituba as the culprit for corrupting their souls and torturing them, she is interrogated and accused by characters such as the esteemed Reverend Hale and town’s Reverend, Mr. Parris. Finally, Parris exclaims, “ You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!” (1.941-942). Tituba instantly confesses, and saves herself from a terrible death.

It is in this same intimidating mood that the girls follow her lead in beginning to call out the names of who they "saw" with the Devil at the end of Act I. Her dominance continues as the play advances and the girls are required to attend court and follow Abigail’s order. They all start pretending as if they have a special ability to identify those who are