The Salem witch trials of the 1690's were a series of controversial events fueled by religious beliefs. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, displays the events which took place during these unjust trials. Power and personal rivalries had a very dominant role in the unjust trials due to the fact that young girls finally had an influence on society, accusing someone of committing witchcraft was used as revenge, and the court system was powerful and strictly followed Puritan beliefs.
Firstly, Power and personal rivalries affected these trials in the sense that young girls finally had an influence on society. Miller writes in his story The Crucible, "Abigail were stabbed tonight; a needle were stuck in her belly." (Miller 501). This quote is significant because it's an example of the fact that no one questioned whether or not these girls were faking it. This events which no one sought to be faked led to more and more people being accused of witchcraft. …show more content…
Characters from the Crucible realize this idea and display their concerns when Miller writes, "If Jacobs hangs for a witch he'll forfeit up his property." (Miller 512). This quote is significant because it's a prim example of these accusations being used as revenge. In this case for a family to take their rivals neighboring land. The goal of using these accusations as revenge infringed on characters personal levels when love is an influential factor. Miller writes, "This warrants vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!" (Miller 501). This quote relates to Abigail Williams accusing Elizabeth Proctor in an attempt to get back at John Proctor for breaking her heart. Even though characters in the story presented evidence in court, the court system would not take them seriously. They would not accept the idea of the young girls