Witchcraft has played an outstanding role in the history of America’s system of justice and has given us a representation that shared experiences and beliefs can lead to disastrous things. While the film, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, depicts the overall history of the Salem Witch Trials, it does have historical inaccuracies within the characters and their relationships that change the way we perceive history.
Witchcraft has been present since the Paleolithic period but it began to show up in colonial America in the middle of the 17th century. It became a capital offense as far back as 1642. Shortly after becoming a law, the first execution was made in Connecticut. This case was disturbing because it influenced everyone, in puritan societies, to believe that Satan was close at hand and physically able to act in the real world.. At the time, Salem was a Puritan community in which was built upon those who fled religious execution therefore the religious authority and the government was not separate. Those who would question local authority were blamed for questioning royal authority.
Eventually the hysteria spread to Massachusetts in 1692 after two young girls had been acting in alarming and been in physical pain. The physician concluded that the girls were not victims of a physical or mental illness but victims of witchcraft.2. These two girls were Abigail Williams and Betty Parris. Abigail Williams, who was 11 years of age, had a …show more content…
Since the play was written in the 1950’s during the anti-communist crusade6, Americans feared the encroachment

While The Crucible does depict the intensity and the overall consequences of the Salem Witch Trials, it cannot be relied to tell history only by watching the film. It gives insight and it catches the viewer’s attention, however if a person interested in learning more about the event, further research is