The Major Impact of Minor Characters The smallest things can have the greatest impact. In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller minor characters impact the plot of the play significantly. In situations of mass hysteria such as the Salem witch trials every word on the topic is believed to be the truth. Giles Corey says that he is worried because his wife is reading books everyone immediately assumes it is witchcraft. When Mary Warren is being set up to look like a witch and confesses that she works with the devil out of fear of being hanged she provides the judges with false information that Lucifer is in Salem. Tituba confesses that she works with the devil making anyone that is accused of being a witch that doesn’t confess seem guilty. These minor characters’ actions are the reason the Salem witch trials found so many innocent people guilty. …show more content…
His wife Martha is an avid reader which is uncommon for a woman during this time period. Her strange behavior makes him believe that she may be into witchcraft. In Act I on page 37 Giles Corey says, “Mr. Hale, I have always wanted to ask a learned man – what signifies the readin’ of strange books?” By saying those eighteen words Giles informs Mr. Hale amongst many other people present in the room that he has suspicions about his wife, Martha. This suspicion lead to the arrest of Martha Corey in Act II. This is not the only consequence as a result of what he says however. By saying that he thinks his wife is reading strange books he spreads the idea of witchcraft amongst the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts. When people in mass hysteria situations are scared they begin to doubt everything they know and when this happens they make false accusations just like Giles Corey does. By strengthening the rumor of witches in Salem it could be justified that Giles Corey is responsible for the high death rate of the Salem witch