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In The Crucible, how do the characters manipulate each other? What do Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam, and Abigail Williams do?

Many characters manipulate each other in order to make personal gain. Reverend Parris, whom we first meet in Act I, seems to care more about his reputation than about the well-being of anyone in Salem, including his daughter, Betty. When the audience first hears that the girls were dancing in the woods, it is clear that Parris intends to manipulate the information to take any blame or suspicion away from himself. His first, most egregious act of manipulation is to essentially force his slave, Tituba, to confess to witchcraft (Act I) so that the blame is removed from his daughter and niece so that no one might suggest he allows such actions in his household.


While Parris is more concerned with damage control—that is, making sure that the events do not hurt his reputation—Thomas Putnam takes advantage of the situation and uses the accusations to take revenge on those he believes have wronged him. In Act I, Miller says that because of his “many grievances… it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam.” All Putnam has to do is point an accusing finger at those against whom he holds a grudge to get them arrested and, in many cases, condemned to death.


Most would agree that no character is as manipulative as Abigail Williams. Her actions—dancing in the woods and trying to put a curse on Elizabeth Proctor—set all of the events into motion, yet she is able to place blame on others and condemn many to death. A prime example of her manipulation is with her friend, Mary Warren. In Act II, Proctor manages to convince Mary that she needs to go to the court and tell the truth. When she attempts this in Act III, saying that the girls’ actions “were pretense,” Abigail turns on her, essentially accusing Mary of performing witchcraft. Throughout the scene, Abigail puts on an act as though Mary is putting her spirit on her and tormenting her. At one point, she screams, “Oh Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” and suggests that Mary has taken the form of a bird coming to claw at her. The accusation leaves Mary Warren with little choice but to go back on her earlier statement and make it seem that Proctor forced her to lie in court. This is just one of the many examples of Abigail's manipulation.

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