what is reverend parris motivation during the course of the play

by Dr. Kane Quitzon 8 min read

What is Reverend Parris motivation in The Crucible? Reverend Parris was a religious leader in Salem during the witch trials. The Reverend’s motivation for supporting the trials were his hunger for power and position in the community, his determination to protect his image and reputation, and to protect his own self from persecution.

Full Answer

What was the motivation of Reverend Parris?

What does Parris want in The Crucible?

What is the Crucible about?

What was the selfish side of Parris?

What does Hale want to do in the Witch Trials?

What are Thomas Putnam's motivations?

How does the Crucible affect the people of the town?

See 4 more

About this website

What was Reverend Parris motivated by?

Reverend Parris was a religious leader in Salem during the witch trials. The Reverend's motivation for supporting the trials were his hunger for power and position in the community, his determination to protect his image and reputation, and to protect his own self from persecution.

What does Rev Parris want in the crucible?

He wants to save John Proctor from the hangman's noose, but only because he worries that the town may rise against him and perhaps kill him in retaliation.

What do Reverend Parris comments and actions reveal about his motivations?

What do Reverend Parris's comments and actions in the first act reveal about his character? Reverend Paris's comments and actions shows that he cares and loves his reputation more than his daughter.

What does Reverend Parris do in the play?

He quarrels with his parishioners about his income and ownership of church property. Parris supports the witchcraft trials but becomes frightened when there is talk of civil unrest and rebellion as a consequence.

How does Reverend Parris change throughout the play?

Throughout the entirety of the play, Reverend Parris was a perplexed man. As the play moved along, he grew more introverted and we see his paranoia grow larger. He was also blaming every other person for every little mishap in Salem for his own benefit.

How does Reverend Parris abuse his power in The Crucible?

The Reverend gives weak justifications, but never denies any of the accusations. Some examples of Parris's greed include: quibbling over firewood, insisting on gratuitous golden candlesticks for the church, and demanding (against time-honored tradition) that he have the deed to the house he lives in.

What is Reverend Parris's biggest concern?

Reverend Parris is most concerned with being highly regarded and treated well.

What does Reverend Parris symbolize?

In Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, a man named Reverend Parris is a representation of all that is twisted and greedy in what is a seemingly positive religion. Parris is a foretold man of God, but realistically illustrates how a man in power wants to progress in his own selfish ideals.

What happens to Reverend Parris at the end of The Crucible?

What happens to Reverend Parris at the end of the play? His reputation has been destroyed, he is fired, he leaves Salem and was never heard of again.

Who is the actual villain in The Crucible?

Abigail WilliamsOf the major characters, Abigail is the least complex. She is clearly the villain of the play, more so than Parris or Danforth: she tells lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths.

Who is the evil character in The Crucible?

Abigail WilliamsAbigail Williams is the main antagonist of Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible. She is an intelligent and manipulative young woman from Salem during the seventeenth century, who single-handedly started the Salem witch trials as does her controversial real-life counterpart of the same name.

Why was Reverend Parris bad in The Crucible?

Parris was the corrupt reverend who reigned over the Puritan church. He was very greedy and self-absorbed, and as a result he was despised by all the inhabitants of Salem.

What does Samuel Parris want in Act 1?

Parris demands to know whether witchcraft was involved. He thinks that his reputation is shaky in town and that there's a group of people who would like to oust him from his position of power.

What does Parris fear in The Crucible?

Parris fears that his enemies will use the scandal to drive him out of his ministerial office. He asks Abigail if her name and reputation are truly unimpeachable.

What is Parris trying to learn from Abigail?

Parris questions Abigail to try and figure out what exactly the girls were doing in the forest the night before and how it led to his daughter's strange illness. He is so intent on getting a truthful response because he is suspicious of their actions.

What does Parris think some people in the town want for him?

Parris wants the deed to his house because he is worried that he will be fired or forced to leave. He claims that he is this town's third preacher in seven years, so he wants security that the town cannot just kick him out whenever they want.

Analysis Of Reverend Parris Motivations In Supporting The... | Cram

In the Crucible, by Arthur Miller saving one’s reputation is an important theme throughout the play. Reverend Parris, the leader of Salem, his niece Abigail Williams and John Proctor, who had an affair with Abigail, are concerned throughout the play about being accused of witchcraft.

Analyze Reverend Parris. What are his motivations in supporting the ...

Reverend Samuel Parris. A weak, paranoid and suspicious demagogue, Parris instigates the witchcraft panic when he finds his daughter and niece dancing in the woods with several other girls.

Character analysis of Reverend Parris from the novel "The ... - StudyMode

Reverend Parris is the minister of Salem’s church. Reverend Parris is a paranoid, power­hungry, self­pitying figure. Many of the people in the town,especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with building his position in the community yet he complains about not being treated right or getting enough wood for his contribution to the community as a reverend.

Reverend Parris Character Analysis in The Crucible | LitCharts

The minister of Salem, Betty 's father, and Abigail 's uncle. Tituba is his slave. As a minister, Parris delivers harsh fire and brimstone sermons that sometimes turn off his parishioners. As a father and master, he's inattentive and quick to anger.

Character Motivations in The Crucible Essay - 553 Words | Bartleby

Motivations In the play, The Crucible,by Arthur Miller.Many characters have desires that drive them to pursue certain things.This affects the plot in many ways.In this puritan society,people strongly cared what other people think of them and how their reputation stands in the village.They always strive to make sure their actions reflect wisely on their names.A major motivation John Proctor ...

Analyze Reverend Parris from The Crucible. What are his ... - eNotes

Get an answer for 'Analyze Reverend Parris from The Crucible. What are his motivations in supporting the witch trials?' and find homework help for other The Crucible questions at eNotes

Why were Parris and Danforth responsible for the witch trials?

Parris and Danforth were responsible for the witch trials because they had the opportunity to stop it but they chose not to. Parris is a reverend which means that he has power in the community. He is also a selfish man who would want his reputation to be good in the community and be surrounded by his wealth. He also didn’t intentionally want Betty to be affected by witchcraft because he feared that people would not like him if that happened. However he put complete faith in Hale when Hale said it was witchcraft.…

Why did Abigail Parris say "I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-neck?

Parris said this to his niece because he was angry that she had done unholy things and put his reputation and credibility at risk. This is worth mentioning because it shows how Parris really didn’t want the town to view him negatively and would do anything for them to respect him, which would eventually mean him supporting the trials. Additionally, at multiple points in the beginning of the play, Parris demonstrated his

What is the morality of the Salem witch trials?

American Horror Story: Salem There are people that will do whatever is expected of them no matter the consequences, and then there are those that will always stick to their ethical beliefs. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the Salem witch trials put morality to the test. Beginning from the falsehood of the trials in the first place to the internal struggles the characters face during the trials, all of the people involved have important decisions to make. Despite all of this, Reverend John Hale stays true to his beliefs. As he continues to stand up for what he believes is right, Reverend John Hale is not responsible for the mass hysteria that leads to the Salem witch trials.…

What is the theme of the Crucible?

In the Crucible, by Arthur Miller saving one’s reputation is an important theme throughout the play. Reverend Parris, the leader of Salem, his niece Abigail Williams and John Proctor, who had an affair with Abigail, are concerned throughout the play about being accused of witchcraft. After Abigail is accused of witchcraft, Parris started worrying about the rumors of his niece and how his town will respond. John Proctor sounded like the normal citizen in Salem but when asked to sign his name, Proctor refused to ruin his reputation and died instead of it. Additionally, Abigail started making up excuses so the rumors would stop spreading about her.…

What does Hale believe about the Devil?

While Hale is logical, he strongly believes in the existence of witchcraft and states that he will “crush [the Devil] utterly if he has shown his face” in Salem (37) . The intense dedication to his cause can be seen when he aggressively inquired Abigail and Tituba about Betty’s condition. His constant stream of accusations and questions placed Abigail and Tituba under pressure and frightened them. Like many people who have a strong sense of purpose, Hale is fuelled by the need for his services and appears to enjoy the attention he receives for doing his role as a ‘witch…

What does Reverend Hale want?

Reverend Hale brings up a good argument stating the devil goes for the innocent, loving people to prove power. Hale believes that anyone can be saved by the power of God and he wants to use all the tools he has been given to help Salem in its time of need. Throughout The Crucible, the readers are just as new to the situation with witchcraft in Salem than Hale is.…

Why was John Proctor hanging?

In act 4 of the play, John Proctor was being prepared for his hanging for the charge of not admitting to being involved in witchcraft with the devil. During this rising action of the play Reverend Hale and his wife were working to convince him to lie and admit that he was involved in witchcraft, in order to save his life. However, his wife, Elizabeth informed him that she would not judge no matter the decision that John made. The climax of the play began when John finally agreed to lie and claim he was a witch. However, he learned that in order to do this he would have to blame other innocent people for witchcraft and have his name hanging on the church forever as a witch.…

Why is Reverend Parris motivated?

Reverend Parris is motivated by his need to maintain credibility and authority in the community. At first, he fears that his enemies will ruin him with the knowledge that there is witchcraft, and in his own home. However, Mr. Putnam suggests, "Let you take hold of it here.

What is Reverend Parris's role in the play?

Reverend Parris is a character who cares much more about his own reputation and his own well-being than anyone else in the play, possibly even that of his own daughter. In the very first act, the audience can tell just how self-centered he is and how fearful he becomes of the possiblity that once word gets out that witchcraft has been found in his house that he will be ousted from his position as reverend in Salem village. When, in Act 1, Susanna Walcott returns to Parris with news from Dr. Briggs that he can not find anything wrong with Betty and that her affliction must be blamed on "unnatural causes" he is quick to tell her to tell the doctor that there is no witchcraft in his house and basically tells everyone else at that point not to spread around this information. Rev. Parris reacts similarly throughout the play as he constantly tries to "help" the judges by egging on the accusations. Even in Act 4 we can see how paranoid Parris is when he finds a dagger stabbed into his door. At this point in the play he tries to almost befriend his enemy John Proctor in order to get him to confess, therefore hopefully saving his own life from people who might riot against him.

What does Parris want?

Parris, on the other hand, demands to have the deed to his home. This is a power play as well, as he fears that the residents may cast him out of the town and, therefore, wants an official claim to his property.

What is Parris' concern in the play?

Parris’ Reputation. Throughout the play, one of Parris’ main concerns is for his reputation. When his own daughter falls ill, his main worries are not for her health but for what the town will think of him if they suspect there is witchcraft in his home.

Why did Parris preach about candlesticks?

Parris is also motivated by selfishness, though he camouflages his actions with a facade of holiness. For example, he once wanted his church to have gold candlesticks. Therefore, according to John Proctor, the reverend preached only about the candlesticks until he attained them.

Why does Parris want to save John Proctor?

He wants to save John Proctor from the hangman's noose, but only because he worries that the town may rise against him and perhaps kill him in retaliation.

What does Mary Warren testify about in Act 3?

In Act 3, when Mary Warren testifies that she and the girls were only ever pretending to be affected by witchcraft, Parris pushes her statement aside— he would rather continue the trials than deal with the scandal of his daughter and niece being known as liars.

Is Parris a real person?

Parris: The Character. In " The Crucible ," Parris is shown to be despicable in many ways, some of which are based on the real person. This town preacher believes himself to be a pious man, but in truth, he is motivated entirely by self-interest. Many of Parris' parishioners, including the Proctor family, have stopped attending church on ...

Who is Wade Bradford?

Wade Bradford, M.A., is an award-winning playwright and theater director. He wrote and directed seven productions for Yorba Linda Civic Light Opera's youth theater. our editorial process. Wade Bradford. Updated September 10, 2019. Like many of the events and characters in “The Crucible,” Reverend Parris is based on an actual person: Reverend Samuel ...

What was the motivation of Reverend Parris?

The Reverend’s motivation for supporting the trials were his hunger for power and position in the community, his determination to protect his image and reputation, and to protect his own self from persecution. Overall, Parris was a man of greed. This greed is his motivation for most of his actions. Hunger for power and position in the community was a huge motivation for the reverend. In act one Parris is complaining about not having enough fire wood. He is told by Reverend Hale that he receives sixty-six pounds and six of which goes towards firewood. This issue along with others was his way of asserting his greed through authority. Another example is wanting the deed to the parsonage this was a sign of him over asserting his powers because out of all the reverend he was the first to want the deed to the parsonage. Though this may be a minor thing to ask for it represents how he wasn’t happy with what he already had. Another example of this could be when Reverend Hale tells Parris to buy his own wood an Parris said that sixty pounds a year feels like he’s in poverty, however to most villagers this…show more content…

What does Parris want in The Crucible?

In The Crucible we all know that Parris is the reverend of Salem. All he wants is to be respected by the people there and be treated the way he wants to be . we know that in the beginning that Parris didn’t like the idea of word going around that witchcraft was in Salem. He was even opposed to Hale coming to Salem at first, clearly Parris changed his mind to where he supported the Witch trials. In the beginning of the book is shown that Parris is very concerned with his standing and status in the community of Salem, and being the one to find his own Niece and daughter dancing in the woods fears it could be used against him.

What is the Crucible about?

Reverend Parris is a kind of this person. “The Crucible” is about the Salem witch trials. Starting with several young girls claim to be afflicted by witchcraft and then accuse people in the town of witchcraft. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shapes Parris’s character as a very selfish person, and everything he did was to keep his good reputation in the village and to get rid of anyone against him, which drives him mad.

What was the selfish side of Parris?

At this point this shows the selfish side of Parris, After finding out that there was the possibility of witchcraft Parris wanted everyone to keep it a secret so the outbreak wouldn’t spread throughout the village an reckon his name. For someone that has the position of being a Reverend and having a child or family member convicted of witchcraft was a big deal that could result in mass rumors and even the loss of the position. For someone who was conceided an valued there name and position this was a big deal. This was exactly the person Parris was he only cared about his name and his position and not as much about his family and especially his

What does Hale want to do in the Witch Trials?

Since he no longer believes in the witch trials, he tries to get the accused to lie. Hale wants Goody Proctor to convince John Proctor to lie and save his own life. Something else he loses faith in, is the law.

What are Thomas Putnam's motivations?

In The Crucible Thomas Putnam’s main motivations are greed and selfishness. He shows this throughout the book, by accusing people of witchcraft. Thomas Putnam’s brother in law was prevented from being elected the office of minister. “Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and honor of his family had been smirched by the village, and he meant to right matters however he could” (Miller1221). To right his name and honor from being smirched he accused many

How does the Crucible affect the people of the town?

This affects the people of the town on how anyone can be killed no matter the power and that death isn’t for sport. John Proctor is a well-known name in the town of Salem, and when he confesses to witch craft it doesn’t sit right with him. He comes to realize that “it is my name” and he only gets one during his lifetime.