Skip to main content

In which act of Arthur Miller's The Crucible does Reverend Parris care about his name?

I probably could make the argument that Reverend Parris cares about his name and his name's reputation throughout the entire play.  But if I had to pick one act that shows Parris very worried about his name and reputation, I would pick Act One.  


There is a sequence early on in Act One where Parris and Abigail Williams are discussing what is wrong with Betty.  Abigail tells Parris that the girls were dancing and...

I probably could make the argument that Reverend Parris cares about his name and his name's reputation throughout the entire play.  But if I had to pick one act that shows Parris very worried about his name and reputation, I would pick Act One.  


There is a sequence early on in Act One where Parris and Abigail Williams are discussing what is wrong with Betty.  Abigail tells Parris that the girls were dancing and nothing more.  Parris isn't convinced though, and really starts grilling Abigail about witchcraft and conjuring spirits.  


The reason that Parris is questioning Abigail so strongly is that he knows that there are people in Salem that don't want him to be minister anymore.  



Parris: There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?



Parris is worried that his enemies will use the girls' forest activity against him.  It might work, too, since Betty was there, and she is his daughter.  Plus, Abigail was there, and she is his niece.  The family association would blacken his name.  



Parris: Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. . . Now tell me true, Abigail. And I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry's at stake. . . Abigail, I have sought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu

How can I analyze Moon and Six Pence by Somerset Maugham?

In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of... In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of that society. His decision to e

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h