The crucible arthur miller
2006-11-12 10:47:05 · 11 answers · asked by martin 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
These girls faked that they were being cursed by witches. It also had to do with their maid, Tituba, and how she would supposedly caste spells with them. One of their fathers found out, and so they faked it. Some say that they continued on with it not just to cover what they did, but because it for power, because women back then did not have power. So if the whole town was listening to them as they called out people's names, they had power over who would live and who would die.
There was an economic rivalry between different sections of the community. Many of the girls got people that were enemies of their families hung, so that they could get hold of their land.
2006-11-12 10:50:20 · answer #1 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Puritans are very suspicous people. Women who are living alone (sometimes with a pet) who has knowledge of herbal medicine fell under suspicion. They are also targeted because in the Christian belief, Eve ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to Adam, which states that men are able to resist temptation better than women. That's why men are unlikely to be called "witches."
Puritans hunted these women who live by themselves and knows a lot about herbal stuff. Because they are accused of being a witch, the court has every right to torture the "witches" and no one can stop them.
You might ask, why didn't the high church officials stop them?
it's because the church officials are scared of the "witches" themselves. they're also scared of the mobs of people telling them to sentence the witches to death.
it just goes to show that when we experience hysteria(uncontrolled fear or excitement), nobody cares if they're doing the right or wrong thing. that's why people shouldn't be so judgemental, because you won't know what's the story unless you actually read it, know what i'm saying?
2006-11-12 10:59:57 · answer #2 · answered by - twiLa - 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well the Puritans are holier than thou Christians meaning they think anything outside of not going to chuch every Sunday is a sin. The Puritan witch hunts started when a group of young girls in Salem, MA startred dancing in the woods and instead of going home where they knew they'd be whipped for daring to "Sin" they came up with a stupid story about how the Devil was amoung the citizens of the town and was bewitching them into sinning. So they basically accused anyone they didn't like into being "witches" and the poor accused people couldn't defend themselves because whenever they tried the girls would fall on the floor and start making acts like the accused were cursing them. Now if you confessed to being a witch meaning you lied you were saved from hanging which was the punishment back than for witch crimes. Of course you had to sign a piece of paper admitting you had been a servant of the devil and after you signed it was read before the crowd which pretty much meant you were going to hell for lying and were considered "saved". Amoung the people to die were Sara Good and Rose Nurse. If you refused to "lie" and procalimed your innocence of not being a witch you were sentenced to hang. The total number of people who died were 20 people(14 women, 6 men) and the imprisonment of 150 more people. One person was stoned to death. His name was Giles Corry and he was slowly stoned to death by having stones placed upon his chest and died 2 days later.
2006-11-12 11:03:37 · answer #3 · answered by baddrose268 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was all about power, if someone was different or if you had a grudge against someone all you would need to do is accuse them of witch craft, then sit back and watch the evil in the name of religion begin.
2006-11-12 10:51:14 · answer #4 · answered by RoboTron5.0 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
fear of witches and demons is centuries old. in the witch hunts of 17-th century new England some children told stories of a ***** woman who practiced magic and got them possessed. a little interrogation, some torture, and voila, heretics everywhere. can't allow that. god would be mad.
2006-11-12 10:52:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was a good way to get more land, and wealth.
If you claim your neigbor was a witch than you get his/her farm and money.
Pretty greedy.
2006-11-12 10:51:12 · answer #6 · answered by Reload 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one girl decided to predict a few younger girls' futures. people started to get suspicious when they saw this and truly believed she could predict the future. That is where it first started ;)
2006-11-12 10:51:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This book helped the courts.
http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org/mmtoc.html
2006-11-12 10:56:35 · answer #8 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People drunk with power, community infighting.
2006-11-12 10:52:27 · answer #9 · answered by Black Dragon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They all got stoned on acid. Rotten rye wheat. Besides religon kills folk dead.
2006-11-12 10:49:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋