The Salem Witch trials was a chaotic mess, with corrupt officials and vengeful citizens insinuating lies about people that blossomed into truth because of their love for religion. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play, based on the chaos in the Salem witch trials. People were accusing others of worshiping and serving the Devil. The accusers in Salem wanted to believe that the accused were guilty because they could gain land or reputation from the turmoil.
Thomas Putnam eggs on accusations because he wants to buy all the land that the accused witches own. Giles Corey, a farmer who is accused with his wife, rightly exclaims, “My proof is there, if Jacobs hangs for witchcraft then he forfeit up his property - that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy such great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for land!”(p. 89). But Danforth responds by saying he needs proof of Jacobs’ innocence, not proof of an accuser lying. Putnam is accusing Corey so he can buy his land. Even among the villagers Putnam is unpopular and despised because he only cares about money. He has a history of stealing people’s land and their resources. Even Miller describes Putnam as a selfish and vindictive man. It’s not just the accusers here that have something to gain.
Judge Danforth is only invested in the trials because he wants to boost his reputation. “And do you know that near to 400 are in jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?” (p.81). Francis Nurse tries to respond, but Danforth, who is on a roll, cuts him off saying that he has signed for 72 people’s deaths. He is only interested in what he has done, and he doesn’t really care what he is charging people for, in fact he takes pride that he has ruined and ended so many people's lives. He only stays in Salem so he can brag about his newest executions in Salem.
All the accusers stop at nothing to kill the people they hate. "But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary." (p.117). Reading this book in the modern era means that we know that witchcraft doesn’t exist. To see it happen in a story where people die because of religious dogma is really frustrating, it’s that the accusers want to take revenge on their enemies and are preying on peoples fear of the devil. Like when Abigail condemns Mary Warren because she tried to defend Elizabeth Proctor.
At the end of the madness a lot of the accusers gained property and money from the accused because that was their plan from the start. This is because the judge were only invested in preserving their own images and their names. A lot of the people who claim to be victims are really just trying to have the people their enemies condemned and killed. When people are scared of something they believe is true, like witchcraft, they are willing to do anything in their power to destroy it, even if they kill innocent people.
