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Examples Of Fear In The Crucible

Decent Essays

Fear drives the actions of the people in Salem including, Betty Parris, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams. Each character's actions are influenced by their fear of getting in trouble. This fear of getting in trouble causes people to create false stories trying to save themselves. That is why fear is the most destructive force in The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. Betty Parris is a strong example of fear being a motive behind the actions of a character. In the morning the following day after being caught dancing in the woods with her friends Betty Parris was suddenly unable to get out of bed and unresponsive. After getting caught, Betty fakes these ailments so her Father will think she is bewitched. Her father falls for Betty’s trick, “Rebecca, Rebecca, go to her, we’re lost. She suddenly can not bear to hear the Lord’s name”(Reverend Parris 1181). Reverend Parris does believe that Betty has been bewitched. To save herself from trouble, Betty fakes her ailments so her father will feel bad for her. Betty’s fear of being in trouble by her father motivates her to lie about being bewitched in order to save herself. …show more content…

She confesses to the court that all the speak of bewitchment is a lie made up by the girls because she is afraid to face the wrath of John Proctor. When Mary says “I cannot they’ll turn on me”(Mary Warren 1141) she is referring to the other girls saying they will make up lies so she will be accused of witchcraft. Mary fears getting in trouble with the court and she also fears getting in trouble with John Proctor. After confessing the truth, Mary Warren was turned on by her peers. Fear motivated every single thing Mary Warren did in The

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