Essay/Term paper: The crucible: evil and greed in man

Essay, term paper, research paper:  The Crucible

The Crucible: Evil and Greed In Man

High personal, acquisitions, evil desires and massive greed took part in
shortening the fuse of the chaotic corruption of the Salem witch trials. Amidst
the quiet and peaceful period of the Puritan era in America, not everything
seemed as they were. Disorder and sin heightened the animosity and deteriorated
the very center of a solemn and strong virtuous society. The Puritan belief in
the basic evil of man is evident in Arthur Millers The Crucible through the
actions of Abigail Williams and Reverend Parris.

The main character who first brings forth this ruckus is Abigail Williams. Her
desire directs towards John Procter, a married man, and she does anything to win
his heart. She even tries to put a hex on his wife, Elizabeth Procter. When
Betty awakens and confronts Abigail, about the spell, "You did, you did! You
drank a charm to kill John Procters wife" (Miller 19). This quote allows the
reader to become aware of the severity of Abbys ruthlessness. Her loathing of
Mrs. Procter goes to such great lengths that she would go beyond the point of
extremities. An example of her demonic acts, is when she mutilates her stomach
with a sewing needle and claims it to be Elizabeth Procters voodoo spell. "and
struck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle outshe testify it
were your familiar spirit pushed it in." (Miller 71). From this, it can be
conceived that she would disastrously knock down any obstacle to get what she
wanted.

Another character who brings greed upon themselves is the Reverend Parris. He
uses his high social status as a priest as an excuse to obtain that of which he
considers is a requirement for such a prestigious man as he believes to be. In
an argument between Reverend Parris and Giles Cory, Giles disagrees on Parris
having ownership of the chapel house and the amount of money he gets for his
services. "Mr. Cory, you will look far for a man of my kind at sixty pound a
year!" (Miller 28). His selfish self-centered ways are so perverse that he would
take advantage of the Lord for his own prerogative. Reverend Parriss voracity
overtakes him so much that it consumes him into callow motives. In a quarrel
between John Procter and Reverend Parris, John brought up past preachings of
Reverend Parris repeatedly demanding things of small detail. "But Parris came,
and for twenty week he preachin nothin but golden candlesticks until he had
them." (Miller 62). This shows how arrogance can make a person stoop to petty
greediness.

Both characters, Abigail Williams and Reverend Parris best exemplifies the
sinister and basic evil of man. Their repulsive greediness was the root in
setting off the great explosion of the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch
trials was the epitome of the insanity and mass hysteria conjured up by a lie.
From this, Puritan society withered away almost to the extent of nothingness,
only alive as a reminder of how one thing can lead to another.