Dangers Of Dancing In The Woods In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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What is the worst that dancing in the woods can lead to? In 1692, the town of Salem, Massachusetts, is finding out exactly that. In The Crucible, author Arthur Miller shows how a seemingly innocent group of girls dancing in the woods can lead to a witch hunt. Abigail Williams, Betty, and other girls were dancing in the woods when Betty’s father, Reverend Parris, caught them. The group of girls doesn’t want to be punished for the dancing. However, at that time in Salem, people believe dancing is a sign of conjuring and witchcraft. This leads the girls to start blaming other people in the town like Tituba, Reverend Parris’ slave. Throughout the story, John Proctor, who previously had an affair with Abigail, struggles with his position in the witch hunt because of his own sins. Throughout the …show more content…
As the accusations of witchcraft increase, it becomes evident that they are based on the fear of being convicted. As a result, it becomes important to blame someone else. Abigail is worried that she will be whipped, or hung, so she states, “[Tituba] made me do it… She makes me drink blood!”(43). Even though Abigail previously denied drinking blood, she now admits it because Parris reveals his suspicions of her. Even though drinking blood is a sign of conjuring, Abigail takes the risk because she is scared of being punished. She is able to avoid being punished for conjuring because she claims Tituba had forced her to do it. Abigail does not have anything against Tituba, but Abigail needs someone to take the blame. Because Tituba is a black slave, it is easy for the blame to

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