The Relationship Between Fear and Faith
The Crucible
In the play,
The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the Puritans are very religious people who believe the sole purpose of government was to enforce God’s law. Their immense “faith” blinded them throughout the course of the Salem Witch Trials. This faith soon turned into fear as many of the high­standing people of the village were accused and sentenced to death by hanging. In
The Crucible
,
faith and fear relate very closely with the decisions that were made and the outcome of the Salem Witch
Trials.
The definition of faith is having complete trust or confidence in something or somebody. This insignificant, five letter word shaped the culture and life of the Puritan people. To them, faith wasn’t just a five letter word, it is a necessity. They put all their faith in God and look to him for every answer.
In Act Two of
The Crucible
, sweet Rebecca Nurse is accused of witchcraft. Her faith and belief that
God damns all liars keeps her from confessing; which leads to her hanging for a reason not worth her life (240). Rebecca Nurse is one of the few that chose to keep her faith, and not tell a lie to save her life and keep the ridiculous belief of witchcraft from growing. This faith, or lack there of, soon translated to the fear for the lives of many of the villages powerful people.
The emotion of fear was greatly associated with the faith of the just Puritan people. Many of the first people accused were homeless elderly woman who were not very visually appealing. The villagers were fine with their accusations and convictions and went on with their lives. As the number of indicted people of either moderate to high standing increased; the fear of being accused therefore grew. In Act Three of
The Crucible
, Giles Corey accuses Thomas Putnam of, “…killing his neighbors for their land!” (214). After being asked who gave him this information, Giles Corey responds by saying, “You know well why not! He’ll lay in jail if I give his