Crucible Post 1

In the Puritan society represented in the book, The Crucible, the power in the small town begins in the hands of Reverend Samuel Parris. The power lies with Parris because the town of Salem revolves around their religion, and with their strong beliefs in God and evil brings with it the loss of the townspeople’s common sense. Although the power seems to rely with Parris and his beliefs in the beginning of act one, it had actually shifted altogether by act two. Ironically, the power in their society shifted to those who had the least amount of actual rights, the children. With the adults heightened superstition, and the use of the children’s lies and playing, they had managed to convince the adults that witchcraft was real and living in their small town. Although they merely were playing with the townsfolk, these children managed to accuse and persecute different people of performing or harming them with witchcraft. The major shift of power over the townsfolk went from relying on Parris and his beliefs, to listening to the children and their stories.