:
Tf^
SALEM WITCHCRAFT
IN
4
•
---l^Bi
AMERICAN DRAMA
CORRINNE MAGOTRA
B.A.,
Washburn University.
A
1976
REPORT
submitted in partial
fulfillment of the
requirements tor the degree
MASTER GF ARTS
College
of
Arts and Sciences
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan. Kansas
Approved by
Dr. Harold Nichols
Maior Frotessor
A112D7 3D3SMT
spew
VKi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paae
Acknowiedgements
1
Introduction
2
Chapter
1.
TheSalemStorv
2.
Giles Corey.
3.
Margaret
a.
The Witch
16
Salem
of
25>
55
5.
Tituba's Children
6.
The Gospel
7.
The Crucible
Conclusion
6
Yeoman
Witch
,
42
ii.9
62
73
Bibliography
75
Abstract
82
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I
Although words cannot but fail me,
wish to communicate my gratitude to the following:
Dr.
Harold Nichols,
ray
mentor
for his endless patience in nurturing this project;
Dr. Norman Fedder & Mr, Carl Hinrichs, my committee
for their abundant praise and encouragement to stay me
for the future;
Neeraj Magotra, my husband, friend & financier
for his tolerance, generosity & genuine commitment
to me and to our life;
Dr.
for
Amber & Corbett, my children
their gracious acceptance of me
and my ambitions;
and lastly, all my friends & relatives
who*ve endured my obsessions and absences
this past full year;
To all
of
you,
my deepest thanks.
SALEf'l
WITCHCRAFT
I
word
The
'wicca*.
listed
'witch'
nt
r
is
IN AMERICAN DRAMA
oduct on
i
derived
from
Anglo-Saxon
the
oldest reference for which i.circa
the
the Oxford Dictionary as meaning
in
practises
witchcraft
or
wizard."'
Wicca
also
can
890;
magic:
a
magician.
be
found
more
is
man
"a
who
sorcerer.
specificallv
defined as "a magician who weakens the power of evil."-- At
any
rate.
female
over
at
inception this was
its
derivative twiccej
for
male
a
the
term.
which did not appear
century later (circa 1000).
a
until
that time the
At
term
was redefined to exclude any personal
power and was
solely on supposition and coniecture:
"a woman supposed
hAwe
dealings
based
with the devil or evil spirits and
to
be
to
able by their co-operation to perform supernatural acts."'
In
one
short
denotation
century the etymology came
to
include
connotation
of
women
or
evil
and
a
a
as
instruments to be used.
As
to
its
modern
usage,
American
the
Heritage
Diet i onary defines the word 'witch' as:
"1.
2.
3.
a woman who practices sorcery or is believed
to have dealings with the devil.
an ugly, vicious old woman: a hag.
(Informal) a bewitching young woman or girl."*
This
description
feminine domain.
case
history.
in our
witchcraft
as
an
although this was
not
the
establishes
exclusively
Both male and female
witches
were
accused
and
condemned
Inquisition
by the
witchcraft trials in Salem.
and
Massachusetts,
it
is
at
the
also not
the case in our American drama.
Our drama depicts three kinds of witches.
is
folk witch.
the
creature
a
native only to the most isolated.
preserved
local
in
national
fame
Howard
Richardson
character
is
and
lore.
is
The
one
play
of
Dark of the
Moon
by
Berney.
the Witch Boy.
is
Endor,
the
of
A
full-length drama about her was written
Endor
.
not surprisingly.
No other full-length drama
American authorship exists which focuses on
witch.
She is,
borrowed
but
e.g.,
One such witch is the Witch
1916 by Robert Norwood and titled,
Witch
human
limits.
necromancer approached for counsel by Saul
a
Bible.
John.
the transcendent
character who exists as
clairvoyance, divination, etc.
central
Its
possesses occult powers that transcend our
of
first
notoriety,
under educated areas and
an even rarer type.
phenomenal
a
William
very much male:
The second.
witch.
legend and
exemplify this
to
The
regional
of
however,
from
foreign
to be
of
a
in
in
The
original
transcendent
found in plays translated or
sources.
We
sorely
these
lack
legends on our own.
But of
political
documented
perennial
the third sort there is no scarcity since the
witch
is
of
great interest to us
existence in our history.
due
to
her
This witch
is
the
victim of societies eager to maintain power
3
by
and condemning certain people as scapegoats.
branding
Crucib
The
by Arthur Miller would be the most ramous play of
I
this type,
set as
it
is
17th century Salem,
in
but several
others have been written sharing that same theme.
There
are
a total
Salem witchcraft theme as
Index
(
1909-1949
comprise
plays
of
six full-length plays
a
on
the
listed in the Cumu iated Dramatic
and the Play
J
Index
fascinating
treatments from conventional
to
t
spectrum
19^9-1982; .These
of
dramatic
melodramatic to Brechtian.
None of the six adheres strictly to the recorded facts
the
Salem trials.
chosen
deviations.
but the authors vary widely
It
is
the purpose of
this
in
of
their
paper
to
study those deviations as compared to the document ed story
of
Salem in 1692.
purpose
in
We shall
examine each author's plot and
relation to his/her alterations of
then evaluate the effectiveness of
those choices.
fact
and
Oxford English
(Walton Street.
Dictionary
Oxford: Oxford University Press,
Vol.
XII
1978J.
p.
205.
"''
-
Witchcraft in History tSecaucus, NJ
Ronald Holmes.
The Citadel
Press.
Oxford
,
p.
1977).
p.
"^
.
American Heritage Dictionary
Col lege
Edition (New York: American Heritage Publishing Co..
1975)
,
p.
1«70.
:
206.
206.
Inc..
CHAPTER
When
Christianity finally gained political power
European
the
THE SALEM STORY
-
1
Middle Ages.
demanded to
it
religion
in
Horned
the
praise of the Great Mother and
practitioners
passed
were
those accused,
but
the
as
time
By the beginning
1233 the penalties had
of
escalated
to
Females now comprised the maiority
of
in
torture and death.
consort,
first
At
only fined or flogged.
the contention grew fiercer.
Inquisition
the
the ancient
ner
was declared heretical.
God,
in
only
the
be
religion or state. So the practice ot 'wicca',
with "women being more licentious than men"
being the official attitude.^
Recorded history being as patchy as
documentation
full
practice of witchcraft
France,
Arras,
stake.
In
when
of
is
5
Elizabeth's
1645
given
1566 in
Witchcraft
1
the first
the
for
man were burned at the
the
1563.
small
The reign of James
I
Chelmsford
Queen
became
largest of which occurred
when 32 people were accused
by a group of
following
Chelmsford,
Act of
the rest were imprisoned.
death
is.
it
execution
one which occurred in la-59 in
women and
notorious for these trials,
in
an
of
England the first important witchcraft trial was
recorded until
not
have
we
children.
based
on
evidence
Nineteen were
hung:
--
broadened the application of the
penalty for crimes associated with
witchcraft.
so
after 1604 the situation worsened.
mass
executions
The greatest number of
were recorded in
i620's,
the
great
a
motivational factor for seekers ot freedom to try settling
in
the New World.
was
"
classification
passed in England which ended the
witchcraft as
capital crime.
''
Eng land.
in
the
1751.
of
even that didn't
However.
the execution of John and Rut hi Osborne
prevent
community
last such execution
by
their
recorded
in
persecution
in
™'
From
background of
this
religious
more than one company of determined
England,
filled
fled,
a
leeislation
1736 that
was not until
It
with strong ideals of personal
opposed
fiercely
authority.
to what
They were
later
they had known
to become
as
individuals
freedom
and
traditional
the seedbed
our
for
American democracy, but initially each company had to band
together
tightly
Plymouth
Rock had their Mayflower Compact,
the
survival.
While
the
community had their Covenant "to walk
Salem
moral
for
Pilgrims
those of
together
communion" with their church as their hub.'^
inherent
spirits
irony
of
aspiring to
unite
in
Somehow
pioneer
such
into an idealized homogeneous community
at
the
was
not
ev iden t
The Puritans were a hard-working.
with
rigid ways and absolute valued,
customs
were surprisingly
liberal
for
marriages were of the romantic variety,
no-nonsense group
but their
the
marriage
times.
that is,
Their
based on
":*
individual
preferences
relationship
husband
the
taking precedence over the
childrearing
importance
with
..i»-"7
aspects.
and expected to behave
and
secondary
in
were
Children
wife
and
procreation
like miniature
adults,
with very little liveliness ad even less indulgence.
It was.
in
via the children that the unity of
fact,
the Salem covenant was finally shattered,
position
as
increasing
the
Friends,
and survival
influx
the Quakers.
the accused were Quakers.
ploy
to procure power
church
and
steadily
with
Society
the
of
of
Predictably, when the great delusion
witchcraft took hold of Salem,
of
but the church's
the society's hub had slipped
the great maiority
of
The trials served as a political
over those too independent
an ironic repetition of
the
of
the
persecution
the
Puritans tied from in England.
The
it
available data of Salem's history indicate
was a troubled,
Their
1671.
resigned
Rev.
Bayley,
Rev.
Burroughs,
was
the pro-Bayley partisans that he
by
ever
It
preacher.
it
left
in
Rev.
his
Parrls.
Lawson,
favored Boston.
Then
entered
Coming from a background as
8
a
members.
without
1680
receiving the financial settlement he was
took the next preacher.
as
recorded,
turn so persecuted
in
promised.
only until
decide that harmony here was impossible,
to
is
due to conflicts with prominent church
His successor.
that
diverse community even as far back
and he
one
Rev.
1664 to
returned
Samuel
merchant trader
In
the West
at
pecuniary
His
1688.
Parris started haggling about his salary
Indies.
onset of his interviewing
the
did finally call
majority
church's
in
I^Jovember,
triends
back
him
but
the
April.
in
but finally he was ordained
More time elapsed.
1689.
process
ways won him tew
as
Salem*s minister at the year's end in 1689.
Rev.
Williams.
West
In
brought with him to Salem not only
Parris
but
Indies.
his
niece/ward.
Abigail
also his domestic slaves rrom the
Spanish
and his
Elizabeth.
young daughter.
Tltuba and her husband,
known as John Indian.
1691-92 when Betty Parris was
the winter of
nine
and
Abigail only eleven,
Tituba entertained regularly at Rev.
Parris's
faithful audience at
home.
Her
regular
these
gatherings included ten adolescent girls and three
before
whom she displayed her skills
ventriloquism, and sorcery.
legerdemain,
f
women,
or tune te
Abigail,
group of accusers,
the
manipulative
leading personality in the
later
1
ing,
tricks
offshoot
known as the afflicted ones.
afflicted ones were mas ter minded
adult
1
for all
showed a particular affinity for these
her youth,
and was to become the
That
at
seems evident when
one
some
by
reviews
the
order and sagacity of their choices of victims to
accuse.
First was Sarah Good and her
Dorcas.
5
year old daughter,
who had subsisted on community charity and handouts
being deserted several years earlier.
tired of their begging.
since
The whole town
Dorcas died in jail: Sarah was
9
had
orie
?^t^"
of
the 18 women and 4 men who were executed and the source
of
a
As Sarah was being
most interesting anecdote.
"As you take away my innocent
To him she said,
Noyes died of a violent internal
to
side.
may
life,
God give you blood to drink." Twenty-four years
is
led
Reverend Noyes was the minister at her
the gibbet.
later Rev.
The reverend
hemorrhage.
indeed recorded to have died choking on his own blood.''
Next to be accused of witchcraft was Sarah Osburn.
widow with two sons who later married her
to
him cause endless contention with her
have
squander away the resources of her farm.
in poor
jail
farmhand,
a
only
boys
and
By 1692 she
was
health and bordering on dementia;
she too died in
within the year.
third to be accused was Tituba
The
disarming
tactic
household.'^
incriminate
suspicion"
to dispel
confession
Ti tuba's
All
this was
her
husband*
s
and
iail
Parris and told
No
she
what
and shiortly thereafter
ignored,
"a
Parris
accuse
in
was sold for her prison fees to another owner.
was kept of
as
the
helped
but after a few months
others,
testified she'd been beaten by Rev.
to say.
herself,
from
she
record
fate.
By this time there was momentum built up to carry the
masses
into mania,
Rebecca Nurse was
a
so the next accusation
cheerful,
along with her husband,
Francis,
pivotal,
had raised eight healthy
children to adulthood and accumulated
10
was
respected elderly woman who,
a
formidable
estate
them
for
Rebecca
Salem Village just
in
was
outspoken
woman
a
outside
envied
to be
was
appreciate the politics at
to
Salem
but
proper.
also
too
She
and
play.
Francis even refrained trom church attendance in Salem
a
protest against the credence given the afflicted
as
ones.
saying they preferred the convenience of celebrating their
worship with their neighbors and friends in Salem
so much closer
to the Rev.
Parris.
woman in Parris'
One
Village
This no doubt smacked of secession
to home.
Mr.
party.
Ann
Putnam,
had
grumbled against Rebecca as a negligent midwife.
had
stillbirths
several
survival
her daughter,
of
miscarriages
and
also named Ann.
twelve and also a part of Tituba's
retinue.
reportedly
Rebecca's
went into hysterics at
examination
prosecute,
out;
jail
Even
one
along with five others.
future trial.
of
in order
the governor
he
recalled
hanged.
the
then
Mrs.
Putnam
preliminary
to
but pressure from Judge Hathorne to proceed won
her
original
to save
issued
it.
a
accusers,
Jonathan
to
the end.
Putnam
tried to renege on his testimony;
face,
the Justices
reprieve,
Rebecca was
but her death
was committed
This was the beginning of
(brother-in-law of Ann),
but,
had
who was
when Judge Corwin showed an unwillingness
Rebecca.
for
long
Ann
before
ignored him.
Even
but due to a public outcry
eventually
condemned
and
left an indelible impression on the
trials.
11
elderly couple
Another
Martha
and
were
Corey.
of
comfortable
also accused
Giles
means,
the
by
Putnams.
variously recorded as the second or third wife to
Martha,
Giles,
was
reading,
a
deviant in that she greatly
social
and more than iust the Bible.
enjoyed
Giles himself had
been known as a "scandalous person in his former time"
community;
the
1691,
(Parris*,
but just the year before,
of
a
26,
Salem
feat for a man notorious for his
arrogant manner and quick temper.
In
fact,
involved in lawsuits of all
repeatedly
bv
April
course) and been received into the brethren.-'
This was no small
his adult
on
age 72 he had joined the First Church of
at
sorts for most
He was not a man to be cheated,
life.
cocky,
Giles had been
of
nor was he
man without enemies.
Martha
followed
was
accused
quickly
due
first.
to
behavior in the courtroom.
his
(.When
had no fear of being charged.
"1
Giles*
accusation
rebellious
asked by the judge
Martha's
without incident.
strategy.
condemnation and
he could not be convicted for
belongings
law.
execution
life,
the charges.
radical
In
he had entered no
This also meant his lands,
this
plea
monies and
could not be condemned but would instead
to his heirs undefiled.
he
proceeded
but Giles Corey formed his own
He refused to answer any of
as required by
if
Giles answered quite simply,
don't know that I've ever spoken that word in my
sir.'*)^'-'
way
but
belligerent,
pass
Such obdurate behavior could not,
12
of
course,
be condoned by any court.
was the French 'peine fort et dure',
under
his
rocks
The penalty for such
meaning to be pressed
heavy stones to force testimony.
death,
.
"
^
uttering
but
2
words
to
"More
last,
this time the accusations were spreading
Salem and certain Boston journalists,
Brattle,
were
persecuted.
bravely
Within
taking
one
accused and imprisoned.
neglected.
short
up
outside
most notably Thomas
cause
the
year
of
hundreds
hi
those
been
ad
homes and farms were impoverished
and entire families had fled
thie
area
in
An entire summer was struck from history as sundry
terror.
lives were held
Then
"they
the
"
By
and
Giles endured
at
came
in
suspension.
the sudden and complete
went too far ...
revolution
struck too high."^-- The
when
wife
of
Salem's most prominent merchant was accused and imprisoned
but she,
1
ike several
before her.
managed
Next to be accused was the Rev.
flee.
law
of
Judge
Corwin in
Boston.
afflicted ones fingered Mrs.
Beverly.
This
'Rebecca Nurse'.
time
Hale,
Then
in
convinced of the accusers'
1693 a new tribunal
pending
cases.
That
was
in session,
month 150 prisoners
of
the mother-in-
October
around
the
in
their
perjury.
By
reviewing all
were
under the signature of Governor William Fhipps,
13
and
Williaid
the minister's wire
the community rallied
January,
escape
to
Samuel
Boston's Old South Church and on his heels,
released
only to be
assessed
all
court,
jailor and prison
Many
were
both had
been
fees.
reduced to utter poverty.^-'
for Giles Corey and Rebecca Nurse,
As
excommunicated
was customary for
as
condemned
witches,
Giles being considered either that or a suicide.
than
were absolved,
given
the
remained
On March S.
cons i derat on.
"
i
devoid of natural
even quoted as saying
it
is
One of
Parris
legal
So
it
was
14
in
himself
"it was
-
a
was
we must have
action was taken
repercussions should befall
iustices themselves.
Corey
the young girls
was "only in sport
no
less
this
made of Martha being
Rev.
'»
sympathies saying.
"i-'
some sport."*'" Needless to say,
undesirable
both Nurse and
1712.
although no mention
same
mere difference of opinion,
lest
But
twenty years later the descendants of both had
stigma removed.
the
court
Salem in the year 1692.
:
Witchcraft in History
Ronald Holmes,
*
NJ
The Citadel Press.
1977).
Holmes,
p.
102.
^ Holmes,
p.
36-37.
^
p.
4A.
p.
117.
-
Holmes,
^ Ho mes
1
*•
1683:
,
Richard
Gildrie.
P.
University Press of Virginia.
^
D.R.
Castleton,
iSe caucus.
75.
Salem.
Community
Covenant
A
p.
[Jassachuse
1
1 s
1626-
(Charlottesville.
1975),
p.
Salem: A Tale of
Century (Franklin Square. NY: Harper
&i
VA:
173.
the Seventeenth
Brothers.
1874),
p.
122.
in
"
Castleton.
p.
-^
Richard
Pierce,
Salem,
Institute.
D.
123.
Massachusetts
1974),
p.
p.
Cast leton,
p.
102.
Castleton.
p.
332,
*- Castleton.
p.
333.
^^
Pierce,
219.
*^^
Castleton.
p.
335.
^^ Castleton,
p.
334.
^
^-'
p.
1629-1736
170.
"' Castleton,
'
The Records of
102,
15
the First Church
(Salem,
HA:
Essex
CHAPTER 2
Of
al
GILES COREY,
-
YEOMAN
those tried and executed at Salem in 1692
i
doubt Giles Corey was the most colorful character by
no
far.
Therefore it's small wonder that he was the first selected
for
glorification via dramatic art.
Giles Corey.
Yeoman by Mary
E.
Wilkins was written in
200 healing years after the Salem community's great
1893,
delusion
had
members
of
passed.
the Corey household
teasing each other.
eighty
The play itself opens
Nancy Fox
years in age but as se
the child
,
Phoebe Morse,
is
I
f
knitting,
with
and
over
-concerned and
ornery
orphaned niece of Martha
Corey's,
years old judging from her actions,
Coreys
comfort
in
and
as
whom she so enjoys taunting with
her witch stories and feigned witch screeches.
an
three
spinning
an elderly domestic,
security,
Phoebe
approximately
who now
is
5-7
lives with the
exhibiting
all
the
symptoms of being well-tended and willful.
The third lady
present
Martha
whose
is
Olive,
rationality
daughter of Giles and
and self-discipline provide
a
Corey,
strong
contrast to Nancy and Phoebe's horseplay.
Ann
looking
Hutchins,
Olive's
neighboring
friend,
quite spooked after her short jaunt
enters
through
adjoining grove on this blustery evening. Cryptically,
implies that Olive knows what just frightened her so,
to Olive's consternation.
the
Ann
much
Ann adds further confusion when
16
violently throws off
she
Olive
gives
explanation,
only
a
due to Olive's parlor
night
beautifully
a
before.
embroidered
Ann offers
her as a gift.
bit of babble about her
the
p.m.
9
uncanny
the
shine in Olive's eyes that wasn't there before.
Nancy,
in
teases Olive about those late hours being spent
mischief,
with her beau,
Paul
a former beau of
Bayley,
Ann's.
that Olive's responsiveness to Paul's
implied
sleep
lack of
light haunting her past
also makes reference to
She
cape
coherent
little
It
is
attentions
contrasts widely with Ann's chilly demeanor.
Corey
Giles
banshees,
a
then abruptly enters as
night.
He has attended that day's trial
Sarah Osborn in town and
and
chased
if
is
of
Sarah
he remarks fliply,
hasn 't
even
Good
deeply troubled that
cat and ox have behaved strangely that same day.
wife,
by
making dark reference to the evils about on such
his
His
own
cares not about the trials
and
the sense to stay at
perturbed to learn that she
is
home
tonight.
He
is
out on an errand and hasn't
returned even after dark.
at peace and unconcerned,
Then in breezes Martha,
striking contrast to those present.
the
others,
then proffers
incident mentioned.
of
faith
Frustrated,
to
bed,
in
Martha
She listens a bit
logical explanations for
is
a
in
to
each
rational woman whose lack
the witch trials baffles her
poor
husband.
Giles mumbles a feeble threat as he
retreats
adding that Martha never did like the cat anyway.
17
the handsome Paul
hJext
troubled
Ann to beg
Bay ey arrives,
prompting the
1
With hesitant
leave.
chivalry
Paul
offers to accompany her past the grove; but Martha quickly
volunteers,
[n
saying she needs a pattern from Ann's mother,
obvious endorsement of Paul and amid audible
Martha shoos
Alone,
bed.
Paul and Olive speak of
together for the future.
for
home
a
business.
protests,
petulant Nancy and a pouting Phoebe oft
a
must
but
Paul
their
has that day purchased
leave for
a
to
love and plans
week
Boston
in
land
on
Olive then pragmatically curtails his wooing and
shuffles him off, but not without a loving farewell.
The next act finds Ann's mother,
turning
Hathorne as evidence
Judge
confined
to
screams,
ot
of
witchcraft.
tortured by fever.
her bed,
intermittent fits
innocents
the
to wipe out
like Ann.
others'
and
been
and
Aroused by the
one or whom
is
Giles resolves to aid her
this menace that so
tortures
Guileless and gullible, Giles answers
questions
direction
has
nightmares
others come to inquire or help,
however he can,
Ann
hysterical screaming.
Giles Corey. Agitated as always,
ominous
the Widow Hutchins,
the embroidered cape over to Reverend Parris
carelessly
they are
without
leading.
The
sensing
trap
is
the
set;
Mar tha and Olive are arrested.
In Act
'afflicted'
111
we find Giles radically changed toward the
young girls.
His agitation now
rampant stupidity in the meeting house,
18
is
with
the
that anyone could
entertain the thought that Martha or Olive
he hears his own words
of
a witch.
is
twisted and misconstrued,
Mar tha quickly accepts
Phoebe and Nancy as well.
futility of disproving an invisible crime,
again with passion when her daughter
the
but she flares
brought in as
is
Yet
and those
the
sincerity,
Martha
alternately pleads with and then threatens Olive's
former
With the potent eloquence of
accused.
friends.
As her
grand coup de grace she adopts the
label
'witch'
as her own and promises vengeance should Olive
harmed.
This weakens Olive's accusers,
Martha
while
is
judges alike,
In
Act
IV Paul
and
Olive
chides
those
her
returns to find the
bordering
nightmarish
proof
that
restoring Olive to
father's
Paul
plaintiffs
on
Corey
and
Paul
still
gently
her
a
as
a
He suggests that Olive can be
mother
purpose.
is
no
witch,
thereby
Lastly he tells her of
rumored strategy to stand mute at his
his scorn and to save his property
from
trial
her
to
attainder.
then leaves to plead with the governor for a pardon.
By Act V Martha has been dead one month,
just
be
household
breakdown,
a
accusations.
for tarnishing her mother's reputation
goodly housewife and parent.
living
to
only to be accused of witchcraft himself.
wasting
repeating
be
set free,
This in turn infuriates Giles who
wages his own frontal attack on the
then
is
witch
declared a self-confessed
remanded for execution.
show
so she
and Gi les is
waking from a dream of her when Paul comes with
19
the
.
from the governor.
Paul
desperately to dissuade Giles trom his chosen
path
once again,
disappointing news,
tries
but Giles holds to the image of Martha on the gallows
and
Even Olive*s sudden appearance to
plead
with him to yet hope for acquittal cannot sway him.
Giles
exacts
their
with
their
stands resolute.
stalwartly
1
i
in
even
pleas and
their
resists
to marry
promise
three weeks and carry on
ves
Act
VI
controversy
field
nearby.
punishment
neighboring
just
finds Judge Corwin and his fellow
newly
so
the
field.
Now Paul and Olive
It
In
in
tfie
Giles'
to
the
approaching,
are
wed since this is three weeks,
sway her resolve.
the
to
day,
Olive's determination that she
is
but Paul
is
even now attempting
her anguish she states that
love any man but her
does not love Paul and cannot
takes
debate
men have moved their
should be near her father,
Paul
in
Corwin hadn't the stomach to watch
after their promise.
to
judges
occurring
the gruesome ordeal
over
no offense but only answers quietly
she
father.
that
Olive then cries with pain
he
and
understands
her
loyalty.
self-hatred
tor
feeling such pleasure on this
particular
day of her wedding and her father's execution.
Before she
can go to her father's side,
a
message comes to the judges
that Giles has died without pleading.
Gi les Corey.
Giles
Hfeis
won.
Yeoman was written as a heroic saga
emblazon Giles Corey as representing the power
20
of
the
to
one
against the many.
true
Ms.
Wilkins has kept the essence of the
adding her own ingredients ror her
story,
interpretation of Giles' motivation.
of
Shakespeare
among
those
interspersed comic relief
she has
of
tailored
format imitative
In a
intense
the most
Nancy
drama.
scenes
Fox
and
Phoebe Morse are her invented tools for these intermittent
wreak
respites when they practice their hoodoo rituals to
revenge
that
for any trivial
day.
persecutions,
slights they might have
dwells
Phoebe
they
comically clumsy since Nancy*
hiding
quickly.
senile,
selfish
Even
in
s
imagined
these
on
witches
as
attitude
foolish
This
dark irony while their attempts at
provides
the
most
Nancy must remind her that
so
can retaliate without fear.
suffered
stealth
rheumatism handicaps
the family's daikest
the
hour
Nancy manages to whine repeatedly
scarcity of sweet cakes and hard cider
are
their
about
allowed
This contrast to the main dark plot is masterful,
her.
the best
feature of the play.
Olive
requiring
Corey
is
also an invention
years to have a daughter
But
the
author
uses
Olive
to
personal
his
dependents
gives Giles an understandable
Creating
a
although in truth
21
advantage
great
preserving
his self-sacrifice,
Giles'
80
just approaching marriageability.
illustrate rather than narrate Giles'
estate.
Wilkins',
Ms.
of
Martha Corey to be far younger than
full
tfip
to
reasons for
house old
fi
motivation
Coreys'
of
tor
cl-iildren
Still,
raised and married by 1692.
were all
in
this play
the character Olive functions beautifully as the cherished
one
to be protected.
and
fuel
She Is also the damsel
the undercurrent
for
its
semi-
wise decision
since
bittersweet ending.
happy,
Changing Martha's age was also
it
distress
in
love story with
a
provides a more believable basis for
defense
Olive at the trial,
of
impassioned
her
although the
that
fact
Martha goes unsquelched in that scene could be viewed as
major flaw in this play.
reality Martha was Giles'
In
a
age
but that would not suit this play where it is Nancy who is
the
be
to
derived
from
the
infirmities,
aged*s
Though Giles
eccentricities and senility.
the
standard
played for all the
female ot eighty years,
humor
is
also eighty,
author avoids these stereotypical character! sties
endowing him with the irrepressible energy
old goat.
of
chooses to counter these prejudices by endowing
For Giles,
Giles with the energy of an irascible old goat.
surely
meant
to
provide
variety
among
personalities and their motivations. No mention
Martha
being
Giles'
accuracy in this play
The
Widow
second/third
is
Hutchins
wife
the
so this choice
writer's job of character contrast tougher,
was
made
and Nancy to be the same age would have
Martha
by
an irascible
the
is
made of
either,
since
really quite secondary.
is
no doubt modelled
Putnam in the actual story whose only daughter,
22
after
Ann
Ann,
was
part of the *crying out*.
stroke
deft
a
of
Making Mrs.
Hutchins
widow was
a
facilitating
caricature,
the
preconception that Ann would be maladjusted and clumsy
in
male-female relationships and even that the widow would be
envious
Martha's security.
of
But a caricature Is not a character,
limitations.
this play's
play
this
value,
inspirational
characterization to make
it
audience even witnessing
the
lies
hasn't
depth
the
ot
classic. The greatest change
a
protagonist happens between Acts
in our
so herein
Effective though it may be in its
it,
and
II
without
III
and therefore
Martha's
transformation from quiet acceptance of her fate to sudden
fury
as
problematically
mama lion becomes
a
is
far too weighty;
the play
thrown off balance.
is
unfortunate
this
is
It
climactic.
even temporarily,
Shifting such dramatic focus to Martha,
lack
balance
of
that
Wilkins
has
given absolutely no redeeming virtues to the Hutchins
nor
especially mars this play of absolutes.
to
characters.
other of her backdrop
any
Coreys have received any fleshing out.
the
more crucial
to perfection,
Still,
Giles
as
unenlightened,
household
as
only
the
That makes it
all
so
that Martha and Giles should be
crafted
but such is not the case.
Ms.
Corey
Ms.
Wilkins does do a decent job of depicting
mulish
and
a
but
confused
lovable,
if
whole is portrayed as an
23
courageous
not bumbling.
The
easily
but
Corey
likable
lot.
The fabricated family ties provide all
empathy
for
the audience
to
her new husband at the play's end.
enough
the necessary
grieve deeply with Olive
moments
without
Wilkins'
choices would have been better warranted
had
her
to
thorough
character
depth.
resulted in establishing greater credibility
characters'
development.
those that fol low,
and
This is a play of good
if
in
Ms.
they
all
This play compares favorably
as we shal
1
see,
not carry through far enough for honors.
but
its author
did
CHAPTER
In
Margaret
MARGARET OF SALEM
-
Margaret ot Salem
WG find our
,
written by Rita Benton in 1924.
first glorified hera (Greek feminine for hiero)
Scott,
previous
the
3
role counter par
in a
play.
Margaret
to Giles Corey
t
fabricated
is
as
in
first
a
cousin of Elizabeth Hubbard (one of the afflicted girls in
historyJ
and
likewise the orphaned niece of
Elizabeth's guardian also.
Still
Griggs,
Dr.
Margaret
teens.
her
in
has
just been sent to
live with the doctor and her
cousin
in
the harsh and repressive covenant community of
Salem.
It
is
a
To
joyless setting,
as Margaret soon discovers.
Benton's credit.
Ms.
began in history,
in
Act
I
begins where it
the Parris household,
Parris
being in heated debate with Rebecca Nurse and
sister
Mary Easty over the arrests of
and Osburn.
the Goodwives
The debate ends at a standoff,
front of his dependents and their several
safely
resumes.
stomped
from
Parris
Betty
Indian
domestic,
magic.
Betty
cousin,
on a more
her
Good
than
which Rev. Parris takes no pains to conceal
sour note,
has
all
Reverend
the
is
the
room.
pleads with
to entertain
guests.
conversation
the
Tituba,
them with her
but a wisp of a
Abigail Williams,
is
Mary
in
n
i
ne- year - o
her teens,
in
When he
1
d
their
West
tricks
and
while
her
as are Abby's
friends
Anne
present.
Mary is the oldest of the girls and longs for the
company
of
Putnam
and
her bosom friend
25
and
Walcott.
who
confidante,
are
also
Elizabeth
.
Hubbard,
Rowley.
continue to
girls
the
demonstrating her ventriloquism.
Hubbard
Margaret Scott of
who's gone to meet her cousin,
As
cajole
it
has also perfected this skill
Tituba
Mary
and that
Elizabeth deeply resent the ever-recurring adult
in
into
revealed that Miss
is
and
reproval
this community.
At
arriving
Elizabeth
point
this
a
witch,
them
a
have
seems
all
It
tantrum,
worried
to
be
temper and agitation
into
suspecting
co^lOrts,
seizes the
rather
her
aided by her
Elizabeth,
opportunity to accuse Rebecca Nurse,
nothing
forbidden frolic by
bit of
Griggs enters with the Reverend to
examine Betty, whose fits of
lately
a
song and dance.
harmless fun until Dr.
bewitchment.
seen
witch-crying
Margaret then falls in with the
pretense and even indulges in
teaching
a
Disconcerted at first by their
ruse to initiate Margaret.
addressing her as
are
Margaret
and
and so the girls decide to play
whom she harbors
for
but venom since Rebecca spoke
ill
of
her
to
the
eligible and illustrious Robert Calef of BostoTi. Elizabeth
is
imagined loss of a
out to avenge this
suitor.
Margaret
most
desirable
then senses the intrinsic daiiger in
outsider speaking up.
She holds back,
an
but her selt-disgust
grows as a cancer
Act
practice
Griggs
II
of
who
opens with a view of Cotton Mather in
his Sunday sermon.
entreats
Elizabeth and Margaret,
him
tor
to
He
examine
symptoms
pompous
interrupted by
is
of
his
two
Dr.
wards,
bewitch iiient.
His
limited aftection tor the feminine gender surfaces in
comment
r
i
"in so far as a woman may
on their goodness:
ghteous
.
Left alone with Mather Elizabeth employs
to
the
hilt,
most
a
disproporti ona te ego.
devil,
lectures
effective
be
pander
histrionics
Mather's
to
being far too reasonable
Margaret,
for such coquettishness,
Mather
his
^
pleads to be sent back to Rowley.
her on the futility of
flight
from
prompting Margaret's foreshadowing query,
the
"And must
one suffer then for doing good?"--"
Robert Calef then appears,
life
pledge
bearing a petition for the
Rebecca Nurse and appealing
of
his
support
for this
to
godly
Mr.
straight through Elizabeth's wiles since he's
the same before.
Margaret,
experienced
however,
her name,
relieved to have acted decisively
Mather
aghast at this and even more so
if
at
boldly pens
minimally.
Margaret's
assertion of her disbelief in any powers of darkness.
there
lies
be no devil,
the cruK of
to
sees
But no amount of reasoning can penetrate
Cotton Mather's blinders.
is
Mather
Caler
woman.
there is no God," he states.-
the problem,
"If
Herein
the immanent dichotomy,
the
inherent theme.
Calef,
Margaret's
on the other hand,
she answers portentously,
the
is
instantly enamoured with
courage and begs to see her
graveyard."'*
again,
whereupon
"the only free spot in Salem is
They agree to meet there at
three days.
27
sunset
in
Act
I
I
presents
I
someone approaching.
has
several
different Margaret,
a
lying prone on
but immediately upright at the sound of
the graveyard soil
Robert Calef come again as
is
It
but Margaret
times before,
with self-blame to bask in their mutual affections.
Rebecca Nurse and four others were hanged;
tolling
Margaret
still.
for never having strength enough
responsibility
Elizabeth's
Rebecca's
in open confrontation.
group
are
seems
of
defy
to
spoke
She
now her spirit
favor but once:
Today
the bells
unable to shake a feeling
Is
he
obsessed
too
is
in
broken,
burdened with despair. Calef seems nearly oblivious to her
intensity
as
Margaret's
to
tto
flighty
such
offers
but
solutions
absconding
Boston
to
fear now transmutes
itself to
but
all
Calef)
that she
already
It
from a similar fate.
is
her
an
beloved
Upon hearing others approach,
of
need
obvious
she's
knows
Margaret's insistence. Calef takes leave
and at
her for a week
travel on business to Boston and beyond.
Elizabeth
and
her
cronies
Margaret with an ultimatum.
accusing
herself.
her
selfless
a
and wishes only to protect
victim
frontiers.
the
protect Calef from association with her.
imminent
to
impractical
and
or
Calef
her
taunt
to
bewitcher or she
can
be
accused
Margaret refuses to identify Calef as having been
companion
vehemence.
as head,
as
emerge
now
She can rejoin their ranks by
in
and
the dark
defies
Then in comes a search party,
to arrest Margaret
for
28
trial
Elizabeth
with
with Dr. Griggs
as a witch.
Cold as
Griggs also offers Margaret a chance to
the grave,
against
When she refuses to speak,
Calef.
observes
she has "so fallen
that
influence,
it
Act
In
feature.
meet that thy body suffer.""'
IV
Ms.
Benton employs
discards
She
predictable court
the
substituting a crowd of constables,
an
interesting
most
a
Calef's
Robert
under
Is
swear
callously
he
scene,
crones and gossips in
artfully
This very
overflow outside the court doors.
presents
a
illustrates
the
facility
with which words can be interpreted to suit
any
multitude of viewpoints and
Sympathy,
fancy.
thing is evident:
times.
is
no common
Justice has now become
however,
Margaret,
state
one
but
these uncommon
in
nebulous matter.
become
quite
in
her
than
innocence and
her
a
law
She refuses to speak other
has
resolve before the judges.
to
and apathy abound,
antipathy
there
will
answer
set
no
questions
pertinent to her clandestine companion's identity.
Calef returns at this point but
Margaret
already
is
admissible.
Elizabeth
condemned,
is
allowed no access;
defense
no
so
can't resist this chance to
is
gloat
and even goes so far as to predict that Calef's trial will
follow
"Try
shortly.
it,
Margaret
is
With a deliberate laugh
mistress," and Elizabeth backs
is
then
led
Calef
from the courtroom just as Calef
trying to affirm that he was Margaret's
the graveyard,
this:
retorts,
away.'^*
not the devil.
Elizabeth
is
associate
in
overjoyed
at
she'd already planted the seeds of suspicion before
29
his arrival
and now he was confirming her story.
confession
is
Margaret
his
totally
But
his
not
upstaged.
as
goes wild in her own 'confession'
and denial
of
claim.
In a
Margaret
play,
negated,
it
manner ala Martha Corey in the
accepts
a
witch's
fate
previous
threatens
and
directly those 'afflicted' who accuse and those judges who
condemn.
With cryptic eloquence she states that they could
see the devi
maiden.
Now
g
i
in
1
the moon or the
f
lowers,
she alone knew the devil
but
a self-confessed witch,
in a
that
in
crone or
a
graveyard.
she is trundled off
to
the
bbet
The
for
last act opens with a crowd scene as al
the day's executions.
gather
1
Again the voices of the
paint contrasting attitudes.
crowd
easy consciences amid
i.e.,
questioning minds. The crowd grows increasingly divided as
Cotton
Mather and Robert Calef exchange
faction
even
with
already,
called
boldly
words,
enough
shouts that
eleven previously hanged.
have
and
Mather is
away to tend a problem up ahead so Calef
one
suffered
then
is
left
for another victim's
end,
with Margaret and the crowd.
As the bells begin to toll
Margaret
heart.
weeps in fear of dying with such hatred
She
can find no peace with God now
"forced me into league with the devil."
speak
of
God,
that
her
they've
that
Hearing
an old crone opines aloud
in
Margaret
a
witch
cannot pray so how can she? Calef grasps at this and urges
the
crowd
to test Margaret with
30
a
prayer,
the
Lord's
The vocal majority agrees:
Prayer.
at
so amid a pertect hush.
But her sincerity overpowers her
Margaret starts to pray.
line concerning the forgiveness
the
others.
of
She
alters the prayer to plead for nothing more than the power
to
but the sensationalist crowd
forgive,
disruption
hanging.
begs Calet
Margaret then softens,
ears only
to
This
element
comic
to
Margaret's uncle.
his
dark nature.
effective
as
a
his
to
while
'Amen*.
sustains a dark and somber tone
play
her
finish the
knees and recites the Lord's Prayer in its entirety,
the crowd acclaims
tl-ie
for
goes on to her death as Calef sinks
and
prayer,
hi
immediately roots
the prayer and
in
alleviate
Dr.
Griggs,
its
mood,
with
no
iust
as
displays no humor to freshen
Therefore,
mood
heavy
Margaret of Salem
depicting
piece
quite
is
joyless
that
environment the Puritans so diligently maintained.
Far more important to Ms.
be clear:
Benton
is
that her message
the only forces of darkness are fear,
ignorance, and this she stresses heavily.
to
die
spiritual
hanging.
light.
applauded
the
To her such a
has
lost
life would be worse
its
than
Rita Benton gives us a hera who opts to preserve
her sincerity,
As
than continue a life that
rather
hatred and
Margaret chooses
for
her soul.
historical value,
Ms.
adults involved in Tituba's entourage,
albeit
be
without
and with
afflicted girls so conveniently homogenized in
31
only
Benton can
for starting at the beginning,
age.
the
This
latter point proves to be a functional choice providing as
the preconceived notion that gossipy teens can
it does
and competitive without
catty
bratty.
little Betty Parris.
deviant.
is
limits.
be
(The
sent packing off
one
stay
to
relatives in the very first act.) With the girls
with
close
to
marriageable
a
vengeful manipulations ring
and
tactics
Elizabeth's
age,
well,
although
story
of
so
motivation,
and
true
work
there's an undying curiosity to know
'simple folly'
that
Rebecca
which
of
the
Nurse
supposedly spread such news. Benton's use of Rebecca Nurse
in
her story
lends a nice touch:
perfect
sets up the
it
time frame for the disparity in the crowds.
Benton
But
Margaret
is
strength
CQ r_ey„
Yeoman
She
.
Martha Corey's
is
passion
but not well-defined enough
we could know what broke her between Acts
reducing
her
Margaret also
to such
is
a
a
fearful,
bit sketchy,
could feasibly make it work.
climax
her
Giles
in
lj
admirable
refreshingly
II
despairing
although
a
i
ror
that
I
es
a
we
interesting
This drama would be far more
might know her.
if
and
character
feminine
building
in
fiction possibly derived from
bit of
a
Corey's
,
serious problems
has
none of whom bear any historical authenticity.
characters,
Ml,
and
creatuie.
dynamic actress
Depending on the actress,
outside the courtroom could be this play's
the
finest
moment or its weakest link.
Then
exhibits
there
is
Calef,
the worldly
unbelievable naivete in his
32
businessman
passionate
who
remarks
.
subsequent departure.
and
model
journalists
publicly
who
showdown
a
off,
when
opposed
inevitable.
is
in
a
it.
hers
why would
Elizabeth's
character with missing pieces.
brilliant piece of irony or the piece de
a
The prayer
when
tool
itself
is
problematic;
in
passed on to Ca lef
it
in
degenerates into
a
very
the dialogue as to why Margaret softens
forgiveness
Perhaps we're to
heart.
in
her
for
the bleating herd
her
poor,
dumb animals don't know sincerity from rote.
fails
to provide any
just
substantial
tie it all
end 1 ng
33
explanation,
up with
a
trite
find
to
pity
to
trite
assume
surrounding
it
but
We've no
feels
instead
pas.
device
for a saccharin ending without any purpose.
clue
may
faux
Margaret's hands
dramatic
as a potentially sensational
begins
to
iustifiable
The passionate Lord's Prayer to conclude the play
be
it
devil's
a
truly a formidable opponent,
he were
is
,
power equals
not press for Margaret's release and call
bluff? Calef
V
audacity
Calef's hand
when we've been given no
and keeps him safe,
If
1
But Elizabeth simply backs
we are to believe Calef's personal
reason.
Cotton
even gone so far as to rip and shred
She'd
forgery!
Yet
defeated
moments before she had the
only
the governor's permit
declare
and
a
merchant-
two
When he openly dares Elizabeth in Act
flattering.
seems
Moody,
Lyrin
But his character is too incomplete to be
Mather's group.
he
Caief can be interpreted as
Thomas Brattle or
of
;
she
the
B%n ton
choosing
Hollywood
*
Rita Benton.
Other Plays (New York:
1924).
p.
Benton,
p.
'
Benton,
p.
199.
-»
Benton,
p.
201.
= Benton,
p.
210.
Benton,
p.
218.
Benton,
p.
225.
^
I
The Writers Publishing Co.,
192.
•'
•'-
"Margaret of Salem" in Frank in
195.
34
and
Inc..
CHAPTER
The
ot
U
i
tch
4
THE WITCH
-
written in 19^3 by Flora Louise Hunn.
.
lighter content and construction
much
One might even
preceding plays.
Pauline
genre.
In
it
we
widow's daughter.
the hero,
Patience Whiting.
with the recently deceased Mr.
as
"no kin of mine,
Upon the scene comes
naively seeking employment
whom he describes
Whiting,
yet kinsman to my kinsmen."'
reminiscing
England
about
and
they
have struggled to eke out
death
the
financial
Whiting
Mr.
of
their
is
June,
living
doing
the
winter
It
governor
since
betore.
Their
insecurity has not escaped the notice of
Witherspoon,
wives.
their
work and candlemaking for the
seamstress
Mistress
hoping
permits arrive soon tor their passages back.
and
a
pompous old goat with
Witherspoon
lich
helpless
The play opens with Patience and her Mother.
Whiting,
two
stereotypical
the
lusting after the
Richard Richardson.
is
our
liken it to the Perils of
find
Robert Witherspoon.
villain,
than
is
a
powerfully rich.
Robert
penchant for young
a
widower with
house second only to the governor's mansion in their
a
fair
city of Boston; he gloats openly about the proper training
of
a
woman to serve him as a wife.
Whiting's
had
generation,
Though he
is
of
his deceased wife was only 22
borne him three sons in four years,
his glory in his estimation.
Judith,
35
another feat
the deceased,
is
Mrs.
and
to
said
to
have
deathly ill due to
fallen
rollowing her last delivery.
already
but
months,
lack
a
bedrest
of
She has been dead onlv three
Witherspoon has set his
sights
on
Patience as her replacement.
Then Richard Richardson arrives,
attraction with Patience
and his mutual
The widow
instantly evident.
is
explains she can offer him no gainful employment, only bed
and
board.
she refers him on to her
so
Witherspoon
he
late
this
With audacious pleasure,
however,
the
with
plans
Richard.
ladles welcome their
He has gotten a
new boarder upon his return.
handsome
He repeats his
and forbids further contact
Patience
husband*s
goes.
having noted
returns.
man's visit to the Whitings.
young
tor
and off
Governor Phipps.
friend.
now
iob and
promises all his spare energies to his newly found family.
In
demands
Act
11
Witherspoon presses
Patience's
hand
three months he'd mentioned earlier.
the banns will
more
three weeks
in
forcibly
instead
the
He tlatly states
that
be announced on the coming Sabbath
Patience approves or not:
her will
and
of
whether
can be broken just
as
Judith's was. While Mistress Whiting continues to pursue
graceful
becomes
Patience
mode of refusing.
openly
(a
This prompts
insulting.
misnomer
Witherspoon
threaten her with the prospect of Gallows Hill,
truly think myself bewitched.
wedding thee."=36
that
1
a
surely)
"For
to
I
do
should even think of
Witherspoon
community
His
then attempts to convince others of
that he is a victim of Patience's
to observe
gossip
town
the
arts.
Patience
appeal
for
and
his
set
be
will
plain God-tearing
in motion.
her mother now visit the
intercession:
must run their course.
Gov.
governor
they are told these
Still.
truth
the
Phipps does summon Witherspoon tor
explanation. Much to his credit,
an
the governor remarks that
these symptoms ot obsession and insomnia that
describes could be viewed as thwarted passion
Witherspoon
in
a
younger
With potent authority Phipps warns Witherspoon
man.
to
things
Phipps declares such a matter
out at his hands but assures them that
out.
a
has
white... red-lipped... blue-
eyed and slender-waisted to be a decent,
lass."'' The wheels are
Whiting
Miss
that the fair
always been "much too pink and
to
black
emotional outbursts and pained expressions inspire
best be able to prove this charge ot witchcraft or
he'd
surfer
grim consequences.
Patience
mother
then arrested and tried with neither
is
nor her beloved Richard at her
side.
show a definite presumption of her guilt,
of
Wi ther spoon' s
preposterous.
marriage proposal
Patience
both
expected
is
to
The
her
judges
finding the idea
ludicrous
counter
and
with
evidence proving her innocence,
but tor such an invisible
crime there
As she
the
is,
of
course,
none.
punishment for standing mute,
37
is
cautioned about
Witherspoon bites
his
viciously
arm
protfers
plead innocence,
The
refused to confess,
death
pain
continues
act finds Patience being brought from
final
her execution.
for
still
menacing
with
Patience
and
to
but she is sentenced to hang nonet l"ieless.
cell
her
then yowls
but covertly,
marks as evidence.
the
offers.
After months of torture she
has
and now she welcomes the release
speech is
Her
her
moving,
are
as
whispers in the crowd of suspicions now
the
turning
toward her mother.
But
the
lust as the cart of prisoners starts rolling
gallows,
messenger boy comes racing down the
a
demanding they stop by order
of
the
incredible fight he has
Richard has beaten
At
witnessed
iust
and
and
inlamous
This incites the crowd to action,
tar
to
road
He then tells
how
confession out of Robert Witherspoon.
and a governor's pardon for ail
Witherspoon.
ends
Phipps.
the
ensure that no other innocent life could be
error.
to
a
Gov.
that moment Richard arrives with the
confession
to
of
feather
pummeled
the
signed
prisoners
taken
in
and off they go
remains
Mr.
of
Overcome with relief and gratitude. Patience
the play saying,
"If
Richard had not come
should
1
have died."^'
Overall
this
predictability of
compare
with
it
play suffers from
a
melodrama.
in any way
to
so
it
the
its predecessors.
no perceptible purpose but to
characteristic
seems hardly fair to
It
entertain,
is
a
which
play
it
does.
makes no attempt to represent any complexities in
It
characters;
its
would only be superfluous
that
simplistic plot.
name-dropper,
historical
using
Stoughton as Chief Justice,
the trial.
avoids
All
Cor win
and Parris as the minister at
are merely names,
not characters.
really touching history at all except
The Witch
utilize
to
Hunn's credit,
Ms.
however,
location as Boston versus Salem,
direct links to Gov.
Phipps.
to have a friendship motivate
portrayed
friendship
stereotyped
is
characters.
as
is
choice
her
It
interesting
was an
the mass pardoning,
lacking
Gov.
depth
ir\
Phipps sounds as
the
as
the
lame
as
crucifixion,
he speaks with the Whiting
trial
seems farcically one-sided with Patience abused
at
unfathomable
that
cautioned
court,
convenience.
the governor would not at
Whiting
too,
Theri
It
least
tt"iG
and
is
have
treatment.
fair
and Richard are barred
from
the
leaving Patience's word against Witherspoon's.
Ms.
play
author's
the
the judges to assure Patience
Mistress
Yet,
ladies.
idea
but
when
defenseless
of
thereby creating numerous
Pilate exonerating himself from the
Pontius
when,
even that had tragic side effects.
truth,
To
an
Sheriff,
as
Governor Phipps' mass reprieve as its happy ending,
in
its
to
Hunn chooses instead to be only
Ms.
and
melodrama
Hunn is guilty of repeated contrivances in
should
it
is.
be scolded for
It
is
thiis
decidedly
39
were
contrived
it
not
that
this
the
when
Witherspoon
makes
his oppressive visits to
garden at the start of the play,
Whiting
the
there are no
passersby.
Yet when he decides to rant and rave over his bewitchment,
two elderly women are conveniently there to witness.
the
Using the convention ot a closed curtain to
indicate
passage of time also becomes laughable with
its
too
frequent use. Richard's returning from the governor with
job after
less
Witherspoon
encounter
b
1
atant
1
y
than two pages of dialogue and chancing
comi ca
Another
leaving
Whitings
the
strained device
via 'peine forte et dure'
is
story,
a
but
is
the dramatic
reading
The
to
plea
Giles
Corey
serves no purpose here.
ending
contrivance.
hier
should she choose to stand mute.
gory description straight from the
it
becomes
1
Patience of the detailed procedure tor extracting
It
a
to
to
this
Although
Ms.
play
another
is
Hunn avoids
the
rescue (they're not even to the gibbet yet;.
quick-tix
last-minute
the slapdash
summation of the action and Patience's simpering last line
are
dark,
more befitting a Pearl Pureheart episode than such
historical
theme.
In
short,
only the
can appreciate the value of this play;
the rest of us are
prone to criticize its content as shallow.
40
a
lighthearted
NOTES
^
Louise Hunn.
Flora
privately printed,
-~
Hunn,
p.
19.
*
Hunn,
p.
21.
* Hunn,
p.
40.
1943j,
p.
The
7.
W
i
tch
vNew
Haven,
CHAPTER
Williams.
5
TITUBA'S CHILDREN
-
Tituba's Chiildren by William
next play.
The
commissioned
was
be written
to
Carlos
1948
in
in
collaboration with Thomas Canning at the Eastman School
Music for the Gratwick touring opera company.
declined
saving,
use it even before its
to
*
i
had a savage bite
t
satire that we were after.
Salem
juxtaposed
trials
with
investigations,
plots /subplots.
incorporated
.
The company
completion
And savage it
no
against
the
attempt
made
using
is.
of
the
the
ot
McCarthv
modern
at
1950
in
kind
not the gay
.
approach of progressive images
sensational
more
"
.
oi
standaidired
Mood music and interpretive dance are also
for
thorough
a
subliminal,
theatrical
exper enoe
1
play
1
and
1
a
childish theme played
at the historically accurate ages of
The girls were
Sarah Good.
for Tituba's entertaining stories of
forbidden though they be.
are
baking
witches
children
has
witcl"! craft.
a
Abigail
Recent
given
and
rise
thie
to
longing
has even coerced Tituba
bratty
a2
behavior
speculative
children
and
witches and bogeymen,
special cake meant to reveal whether
locally.
and
11
overheard
whining like pampered pets and
respectively,
a
the
Williams then presents Abigail Williams
begins.
by the ragtag beggar,
into
in
before
frightening manner sets the mood
Betty Parris.
9
prelude of
musical
A
shri
rind
it
there
in
the
rumors
about
all
quite
it
So when Sarah Good now
even heady.
titillating,
place and offends the girls with sarcastic
her
forgets
comments,
follows easily that she is the first accused.
Tituba
longing
cold
is
here presented as
weather and these hard people ...
work.*'^"
and
However,
life's
because they find us young.
"
With
an
ourselves
absurdist
transported
to
the
much
but Mercy Lewis
"They torture us
--
lack
a
transition
of
modern
hostess.
is
producing
skit
on
the Salem witchcraft
lounge
Stella,
a
members.
skit for the club
trials
find
we
cocktail
where
Halloween
D.C.
a
cradles
already one of the
lament.
Washington,
on
is
it's not Abigail
who so simply states their
work.
golden baby who's
a
too young to understand that Abigail
hardest of all.
"this
work.
It's a touching picture when Tituba
little blond Betty and calls her
is
unfortunate
kindly
a
return to her homeland of sun awav from
to
The
certain
a
arid
in
club
customer. Mac,
finds that portentously ironic. He has been
summoned
questioning
for
activities.
a
matter
on
vagueness of the charges makes
them."'-*
his
on which he
it
reputed
un-American
comments,
"The
very
suicide for me to answer
Mac is getting seriously inebriated and shows
no
sign of heading home although his pregnant wife has called
the
club
company
five times.
It's obvious he
despite his domestic
prefers
responsibilities,
Stella's
but
stalwart Stella affectionately shoves him homeward.
43
the
milling
young
about
the floorshow space
with
headwaiter.
the
proceeds
there
emceeing
succession
a
from the trials of Sarah
vignettes
entering the club.
Sarah
As Mac
seen
and the show is over.
Stella
exuberant
warmly greet the refreshed and
Mac.
proudly announces the premature arrival of twin
who
that afternoon.
Suddenly there's
a
sons
among
buzz and scurry
the columnists about a State Department official
a
Good.
is
the chorus does a wild heckling number
around Stella as Sarah Good,
to
his
in
dramatized
of
Cioyce,
Elizabeth and John Proctor and Giles Cory.
rushes
about
commences
then
With a chorus of waitresses and Stella as
broken English.
narrator.
gossiping
and
The floorshow
Tony Proposito,
with
newspapermen
officials and
lobbyists.
Mac in his absence.
evening
that
scene shows the club
next
The
various senators.
found
in
swanky club with a blond hostess while his wire's in the
hospital having twins.
Act
II
Act
1
then closes.
begins with a 'skit'
approaching the
surreal.
The set pieces are those used in the club's floorshow,
but
Passages are read
in
no
feature of the club is present.
voice-overs
god-like
Massachusetts
time.
a
from
and Upham'
s
Starke y's
The
Salem Witchcraft
.
De v
i
1
At the
succession of those accused in 1692 approach
pulpit:
some
gentle.
All
innocence,
all
sarcastic.
appear
others
unafraid,
der lant and
self-assured
the more ironic to the audience.
^4
even
in
i_n
same
the
some
their
The next scene brings the same accused before a
elaborate court with the justice's bench
formidably
over the defendants with ominous
various testimonies and children's
the
court
gradually transforms,
from the D.C.
a
peopled now with
balladeer elucidates in song,
him with leading questions.
Greek
style
of
s
Amid
the
principals
Puritans the
last words heard from offstage as
He stands mute as Senator Yokel
a
clout.
accusations,
club comprising half the crowd.
With Giles Cory's
rest.
more
looming
raised,
Mac takes the
1
spotlight.
and his committee
badger
chorus now adopts
The musical
trophe/ant i strophe
muse
to
on
the
repetition of history and the morality of our progress.
Stella
then
takes the stand to face
a
barrage
of
foundless accusations borne of petty gossip concerning her
relationship with Mac.
Catholic,
a
idotator!"""^
When Stella professes to be
Puritan jumps up to
but
he
is
suppressed
removed
from
changed;
the system has not.
The
the stage.
situation
shout,
as
"A
inappropriate
The times and the
quickly
escalates
a
papist!
labels
until
Stella
finally accused of wishing to death Mac's twin sons.
is
news
to
revelation.
Stel la:
she faints from the
An
and
have
is
This
of
the
Mac then becomes instantly verbal,* only
now
he's facing a Salem judge.
Reverend Noyes,
familiarity with Russian people.
into
shock
good
a seizure,
In
questioning his
livid rage Noyes falls
choking grotesquely on his own blood
45
in
dramatic
enactment
Senator
Yoke
1
1
Good's
Sarah
of
legendary
then replaces Noyes again
and
curse.
play
the
within the play never stops but compounds. Mac's selective
results in indictment for contempt,
silence
while
being
artistically likened to Giles Cory's belligerent triumph.
Using
and fill,
comparison
speaking
recitations
choral
background
the already sentenced
with
liberalism
of
history
Salem
of
Williams underscores
as a
simple
despairingly
Mac
belief
children should be fed.""" The play then closes
as
it
started,
the
but this time
that
"all
musically,
it's the "Ballad
Giles
of
disbands
sung simply and solo as the session
Corey"
as
painful
this
and
darkens.
set
Williams makes no alteration of history for his play,
but
rather enfolds it as the leavening for his own
tidbits
of
Stella,
Senators
taction,
caricature:
bigoted
the
contribution
Gasser
is
casting
a
sexist columnist
and Pipeline
Senator
of
Yokell
aspersions
on
iii
tasty
lust
the
whose
other
for
oilmen's
major
people's
surnames and Senator Wise who embodies the concept of
the
mis nomer
The near -Brecht ian musical
format provides a perfect
medium for double-edged commentary and exposition
verbosity.
Also,
using gleeful dancing demons in
interaction with Abigail
in Act
11
in Scene
1
was a brilliant stroke of
46
without
staged
and with, power figures
symbolism.
This play masterfully enhances the most positive and
powerful
Its
connotations remaining to the word
integration
flexes
continuum.
time
the
historic detail with
ol:
'theatrical'.
creative
applying the
past
drama
present so that what was actual becomes allegorical.
becomes
modern
a
me,
in all
of
of
it's
is,
Williams
Carlos
themselves, and
in
is
not a conventional
play but
conventions would certainly be worthy
exploration.
conversations
Salem
us."^
Tltuba's Children
use
William
metaphor.
illustrates that "whatever it
the
to
The
character -revea
the crowd scenes,
t
i
of
excerpts
ng
the positing
its
further
of
of
the
afflicted children as peers to sniping columnists and
the
use
of
in
the immigrant headwaiter
interjections are all
in
Williams'
hands.
insignia of
His use of
simplified.
for
a
master.
potent
Less is
the chorus runs from
more
Las
Vegas style to classic Greek drama while his use of voice-
overs epitomizes
'
deus ex machina',
God manufactured.
these combine to make this an experience,
Although this play has never,
performance,
not
a
to my knowledge,
I've chosen to include it
in
ignore it would only compound that neglect.
All
mere play.
this paper.
seen
To
NOTES
'
William Carlos Williams,
"Tituba's
Many Loves and Other Plays (Norfolk,
Publishing,
Wi
1
1
3 Wi
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^
CT
Phelps,
Witch
The Gospel
Harvard University Press,
1955>,
48
p.
22.
(Cambridge,
HA:
CHAPTER
This
success
THE GOSPEL WITCH
-
was not published until
play
Crucible
The
ot
6
performance in 1952.
s
although
1955
first
its
The Gospel Witch bv Lvon Phelps is
curious treatment of the Salem theme starting in
to Thornton Wilder's Our Town
akin
the
'.alter
saw
it
narrator
The play's
.
a
format
a
introduces himself as a "clerk that year for a merchant in
Boston named Brattle."' His introduction sets an emotional
tone combining awe.
of
guilt and regret.
He reappears again much
leave.
the
often as a voice of
play.
scenes and courtrooms,
then he takes
his
popping in and out
m
conscience
crowd
only to be removed or squelched.
play itself begins wit
The
later.
Abigail Parris
hi
and
Putnam dressing cobs as dolls and gossiping like old
about
of
recent arrests for witchcraft and the confession
tfie
the
Parris'
conviction
slave.
bedridden mother.
heard tales of Mr.
of
Martha's,
aghast
Tituba.
also
which
the
voices
Mrs.
her
Putnam.
Abigail comments she
has
Putnam having once been an ardent beau
makes Ann
along with a neighbor.
at
Ann
that Martha Corey is tormenting
Ann's frail,
enters,
Ann
hens
'hoodoo'
dolls
livid.
Putnam
Mr.
Ezekiel Cheever.
Tituba
had
then
Both are
originally
designed and the display of tempers as well.
Abby is promptly sent home to her uncle,
Parris,
while
Ann
feigns
a
49
shuddering
the Reverend
trance
as
if
possessed.
Eager
describes
her
as
she's
that
Ironically,
question
blinded
and
swoons
Scene
Ann
faint.
a
to
various
due to
Now this has added
flames.
presents Giles and Martha
2
Instead.
and Putnam were already en route
Cheever
to Tom Putnam's
identify
to
into
Martha on behalf of the church,
suspicions already voiced against her.
fuel
Ann
Corey.
fails
Cheever.
Martha's apparel when asked by Mr.
wails
Martha
incriminate
to
her possessor but
Corey
bantering
domestically with Giles ever easy to rile and Martha quite
and accepting.
wise
extended
interplay
but
assertive
covers sundry
opportunistic son-in-law from Giles'
witches jailed in the village,
three
a
first
dramatic time.
marriage;
the
and the dangers
responds with a sad but knowing look
of
church
at
even
now
Giles warns Martha that
there's talk of a most devout lady being undei
Martha
Their
two-faced,
a
back from deeper involvement with the
hanging
such
nonetheless.
topics:
suspicion.
and
quietly
says a prayer
frustrated as always that
Giles then leaves.
he
unable to sway Martha's opinions or even understand
Martha
takes this opportunity to cheer herself a
singing
chest.
her
and
is
It
hair,
Putnam.
In
donning
in
a
few items of
this attire,
finery from
is
them.
bit
an
by
old
with gaily colored ribbons in
that Martha greets the unexpected Cheever
her straightforward way.
50
and
Martha guesses their
and predicts her major accusers but then asks
purpose
her current state of dress had been described,
oddness.
its
seemingly
Putnam
Cheever
and
mystic knowledge.
knowing
trickery.
blindness.
Martha
presume
to
cabbage?"
-^-
turn
as
she
must
then vents her exasperation.
lice
finds Giles desperately calling
3
already
been taken for questioning.
discover her sitting in the dark.
Giles notes the gay ribbons.
fear.
attire
special
announcement;
is
leaf
a
leave.
returning to their darkened home.
upon
you
"Do
you'd
as
of
hier
temporary
Ann's
of
her
bv
but then Tom accuses
over souls for
At this the men
Scene
shocked
are
if
considering
setting
for
Martha
for
Thinking she
has
overloyed
to
musing on the power
of
he
is
inquiring whether the
certain
a
special
but Martha smooths her skirt tightly across
her
flat
a
lovely moment
of
intimacy she tells Giles the tale of her
relationship
with
tummy and
laughingly says no.
In
Tom Putnam and his inability to love a woman of
strength and complexity.
questioned
about Martha's beliefs on witchcraft:
his answers were too ambiguous.
fears
resignation
but
will clear her
Scene
Boston*
a
now
Martha sighs
reassures Giles that her
own
he
with
innocence
in the examination.
depicts Martha's hearing,
(narrator) as a rational
hysterics.
her
Giles then admits to having been
Giles
is
with the 'Man from
voice amid the crowd
also present but in
51
a
of
belligerent,
contrary and uncooperative mood.
cognizant ot this fact,
and
I
Everything he says or has
turned against poor
appears
said
cannot help
Martha:
lamenting,
she
soon
is
against me
"Ye are all
Realizing her inevitable sentence.
it!"-''
Martha begs to be given leave to go to prayer, but this is
repeatedly denied.
Scene
returns to the Putnam home where Tom
5
daughter's
his
with
along
bedside
their
Mercy Lewis. Mercy appears to be almost routine
domestic,
cures Tituba once concocted.
All
this Putnam declines
the restless Mercy returns to the kitchen.
muse
another
on
man
murdering.
Ann
then
father's
Corey
had
She then feigns another
'Goodeil'
accused
been
affirms
fitting
resumes her whining for more
constant
presence to guard
1
acquitted
and
his death was
uneasy death as a
Giles'
the
asking
this time adopting the persona of Joe Goode
Giles
foretells
and
Ann then pretends to wake,
Martha Corey tortures him too.
trance,
so
leaving Tom to
Martha
younger
with a
time
vitality they'd known.
if
advocates
her suggestive offers of comfort to Tom and
in
at
is
flirtatious
murder
1
,
a
of
and
retribution.
candles
against
and
her
Corey
the
wi tches
In
father's
Scene
6
masonry
we find Giles Corey appraising
in the
Ipswich
jail,
number of stones his body could bear.
of
confining
a
witch and a wizard
52
his
estimating
Due to the
in
close
own
what
dangers
proximity,
Martha
news
held in Salem
is
about
jailor,
Martha
Peter
privately
.iail
so the hinted possibility
persuades Giles
Bunt.
speak
his
Judge Hathorne then arrives to
try
confession from Giles.
to pump a
of
with
to
offering
him
merciful consideration in exchange for his cooperation
solidifying the case against Martha.
After all,
in
points
he
the frequency of their quarrels and set-tos was well
out,
known throughout the community.
stony silence to roar,
At this Giles breaks
his
"..don't let me add murder to
wrong
I've done her!"" Hathorne misinterprets this
death
threat and in pompous cover for his hasty
the
as
a
retreat,
declares his intent to enforce the dreaded 'peine forte et
dure',
to press Giles
stones.
the
cooperation
wishes,
to testify under
At Hathorne's departure Giles
and
of
final
the weight of
great
immediately enlists
Bunt to produce and deliver his
correspondence to
various
will,
intimates.
Giles is intent that his predatory son-in-law should
no
profit
having colored his testimony
for
show
against
the
hapless Martha.
It
is
identified
Martha's
he
7
that
the
Boston
is
introduction
to
from
Man
hands a letter
of
jailor to gain access to her cell.
Lynn Moody,
of
Scene
in
when
a
historical
The
representative of Thomas Brattle,
significance for their
courageous
battle against Cotton Mather and his kind.
jailor grants Moody's request;
53
man
is
both men
public
Impressed,
the
but the sudden arrival
of
Parris and Mr. Cheever necessitates
Rev.
under
cover.
egotistical
innocence
Martha's
claim to equal
her
that
"I'm
he
one
could
Even
mentioned.
innocence.
but
you cannot keep in your
come to inform Martha
have
excommunications,
the
"God keep you,
wrong."-
summation,
life
Giles,
In
Martha
Martha,
of
knowing he
Coreys*
the
of
lack of God."-
pray for us all
It
ties.
Cheever takes his leave
then dismisses
"..loving God you lose
lose a
I
admitted,
kind
set
end of any hope or communal
With sympathy and painful acuity,
saying,
an
she
"™'
Parris
we're
more
not
Definitively
understand.
Cheever tires of this cat and mouse game,
and
warm
incites his
extracting
on
but not tor the crimes
is
states.
gives
Parris is taken aback by her sudden admission
guilt,
community.
Intent
pride.
confession,
amazing
temporary delay
a
still
but her pointed aversion to Parris
greetings,
of
Martha
Cheever,
To
a
is
love of
then
you find
if
Parris
with
that
her
loving
life,
Moody
bearing a greatly appreciated last letter
is
from
ending this scene on a bittersweet, endearing note.
Scene
6
Moody finds an inebriated
the corridor tor the duration of Giles'
Bunt
ordeal.
guarding
The
rare
but regular moans from within haunt and torture poor Bunt;
he
curses everything in this
"Yes.
and damn virtue too,
Giles soon expires,
living
nightmare.
saying,
damn everything but courage.
saying only,
54
"Pile on more rocks!"'
"'^^
Scene
married
have
such
Cheever
it?"^'-'
quiet
observing
Ann.
that
it
"too
is.
as
a
hymn
sotto
asking in
the crowd gathers beneath
birds
so
finally
praising
curtain
is
In
gibbet.
At
leave to
God for his gift
I
of
this
of
the
occasion.
the gal lows,
review
there
several
are
petty
and the
of
convenience perhaps but
points
of
First to appear is
the changing of Abigail's surname from Williams
matter
pardon
closed.
distraction so we'll begin with those.
a
no
pray,
Martha then prays
that she could hear singing on
There fol lows the ominous drumrol
a
to
the
since sentence has already been passed.
expansively,
with
building
carefully that this can constitute
explaining
his
"'-'=
and
voce
request Judge Hathorne gives her
Martha's
for
late
scene presents Martha's execution
final
beginning
crescendo
of
but we can have some human silence."'^ As
"Who are we hanging? Things unhinge.
The
chorus
telling
Putnam calls hercy to guard
scene closes Putnam falls to weeping,
anguish,
time
can that be
-
breathlessly
arrives.
then
Bitterly tired.
demise.
heavenly peace.
the
ever
apparently
This
"She does this to herself
Putnam questions,
and
bungler.
rustic
a
could
Ann to her nightmare ravings again but this
prompts
Giles'
solitary
finds Putnam again at Ann's bedside,
9
his misery and musing aloud on how Martha
in
to Parris,
irritating
to
an
educated reader. The reference to her 'Aunty' Parris seems
55
-^m'-'-
even more useless;
move to alter Rev.
No reason presents
it
seems
a
itself.
Neither
the author should insist on Abigail
rustic
versus calculated,
careless,
Parris trom being the widower he
dolls 'puppets*
is
and Ann calling
when the obvious reference
the archaic term 'poppet'
was.
discernible
it
why
their
is
to
and not to a marionette.
The character of Ann Putnam is a major flaw in this
drama.
Without even the wisdom or experience
(the girls being but eleven or
twelve),
of
teenager
a
we are to believe
Ann knows of her father's old flames and current
longings
interpreting Martha Corey as her
mother's
to
the point of
torment.
strategy
Ann's
seems too sophisticated
credible without an adult's assistance.
researching and devising of the Goods
no
such
mentor is shown.
resurrecting
the
Goodell
bearing whatever on Giles'
In
story is
trial
1
1
murder
ruse.
the whole
fact,
to
be
especially in the
of
has
no
lost since it
and appears
but
point
particularly
wasted on Putnam in its second occurrence.
It
is
also that change of heart in Putnam in Scene
that destroys the continuity of his characterization.
author
provides
loss of
faith in his actions;
of
no reasonable clue
Ann's differs from all
On
Putnam
the other hand,
as
Putnam's
sudden
we've no idea why this
fit
the others.
the author's fabrication of
Martha's ex-beau serves
Tom's continual
for
9
The
him
well.
struggles with his fond memories
56
Tom
Certainly
of
Martha
in
their
society.
Tom's
fending
It
off
interest
more
soliloquies
on
Martha's
than
foibles
the
of
longing for Martha's vitality while nursing
tending his hysterical daughter
lusty housemaid set his motivation
his
and
well.
easily understood why he should be more than willing
is
believe
reality
bewitchment
Putnam
Tom
generations,
is
hold far
bedridden wife,
his
to
youth
introspective
flowery,
one
of
to be
so this affair
the
were
malady.
in
play
this
In
different
two
of
has no basis in history but
features
few
private
his
and Martha
that
it
is
dramatically effective.
As
for
the Coreys,
The
with
years.
Martha
fertile and comely enough to haunt her former
still
real
Salem don't even bother to mention any
that only Giles'
absolution
perhaps due to the practical
name affected the properties.
also variously mention her as Giles'
Still.
hanged six days
ballads
later.
Other works
and legend have it that
On this
of
aspect
second or third wife,
her death is most often treated as having
first.
is
The published records of the First Church
her excommunication,
while
beau.
truth about Martha Corey is that her history
sadly neglected.
of
Phelps chose to portray them
Mr.
younger than their seventy-plus
far
occurred
she
last point The Gospel
was
Witch
may be the only play with accuracy.
Martha
sagacious
as
beyond
the
play's protagonist
the norm and morally
57
is
depicted
superior
in
as
her
attitude toward the witch trials,
obvious
these matters ...
in
saying,
"The course is
They who hoof it to
catch the disease."^-' So Martha remains aloof,
sociopolitical
destruction.
Her
summary
watch,
her own
to
Tituba's
of
situation also shows deep comprehension but sufters in its
later reflection:
clime.
"She must have had carriage in her
but here,
godly children she was bought to nurse!
to
not
fear,
foreign
but
God,
g
i
Tituba did
r
1
s
.
"
^
'
her failure to fear
better than Tituba's:
harms
girls
attempted
ignores
a potent
This appears
as welt.
her
Phelps'
message.
His
reality he has lust
lays claim to more safety in her
hers,
climax.
its
enhanced
impression
controlled,
ant i -c
Giles
1
by
the
;
i
mact i c.
Even
set;
from Martha fall
flair for words,
short.
Martha
but Giles's colorful
56
is
Giles'
uninhibited
iailor's
Phelp's attempts
to
unshakable
an
dismal
dank,
and the
will,
play
This is a scene that renders those
commentary.
as
individual
that truly brings this
moans
dying
in
position.
Phelps'
death in Scene 6 leaves
His
Martha
dramatized:
the triumph of Giles Corey's
one man's heroics,
this
Mr.
religion
of
faith than Tituba has
which is in no way supportive of Mr.
is
late
same
victims. There's an irony in that
yet both are equal
It
a
those
negate
to
advocacy
the
badly
Ironically
"
Martha's own faith and fear of her Lord serves her
no
own
they cry out against her.
heathen,
a
following
delineate
to
given
a
special
epithets and curses
seem
equally
eloquent.
seriously
This
weakens
potential foreshadowing in his warning to Martha,
always
shade too easy and quickly up with the words
a
they'll
the
"You're
have you for it,
irony to the
Giles's
...
it
does add an
later situation in the courtroom.
There it's
quick
discretion
too."'"- However,
temper,
eloquence,
heated
and
lack
ot
that prove to be Martha's undoing as
well
as
his own
It
is
would seem,
a play
end
fails to use its
it
narrator,
the
as
represented.
historical
of
in the overview,
that The Gospel Witch
sorely in need of an editor.
For
most
unifying
From beginning
interesting
element
role and impact,
curious hope for the play's theme.
It
Lyon Phelps'
is
dialogue
produces
that
then
he also
verbosity,
especially
becomes
character
a
needs
editing.
in
with
contrived
no
speaks so sagaciously,
in
themselves,
and
his
lovely,
Though
he
epigrammatic
soliloquies.
personal
It
and me,
59
power,
Martha
only
a
carries no weight when
"What
saying,
girls could be far more than winter,
it's
that
overshadows these with an excess of
penchant for prayer and sermon.
Martha
ray
a
Unfortunately
several picturesque metaphors
observations,
his
of
left to assumption.
preoccupation with
most
the
potentially
Moody initially offered
aspect was merely hinted at,
lyrical
he
educated enough to know
those
to
device,
in all
hurts
the
but whatever it
is,
of
us."'-'"
It's
a
superlative observation,
but it bears no strength without
Theatre functions
being given further illustration.
in
the showing,
Martha
herself
even
may
wisdom's
-
"'^''
action
found
be
to
Such
Giles.
in
her closing prayer when she says.
"Now
1
resignation
conviction,
can
in
passion,
phenomenal
His
totally upstages Martha's
determination
the
for
can only do what
"I
strengthens by contrast the
Martha
and
limited virtue.
a
apologizing
be
author's attitude when she says:
do
best
not the telling.
despite
impact,
would be reminded
1
Giles failed me that he might to the great community prove
"^"^
his final
worth.
perceive
of
colossal
willpower
Try as one might,
Giles
ordeal helped fuel
consuming heights,
as
a
it
failure with
on his part.
In
is
such
truth,
impossible to
show
a
his
the Brattle-Moody campaign to
of
chosen
all-
its
ultimately ending the witch trials and
treeing the hundreds still
incarcerated.
His lole in this
drama is equally impressive.
Therefore,
can only be concluded that this
it
has functionally missed
its mark.
Its
the
Salem theme serves no better than a balm on
and
gaping wound,
tried
purpose
itself.
to
treat.
a
wound Mr.
far
from
on
severe
heroic,
and his plot falls in
Things truly do unhinge.
60
a
Phelps should never
His heroine is
becomes his undoing,
play
religious slant
have
his
upon
NOTES
^
Lyon
Phelps,
The Gospel
Harvard University Press,
--
Phelps
p.
-
Phelps
p.
52.
*
Phelps
p.
69.
=
Phelps
p.
74.
="
Phelps
p.
74.
'
Phelps
p.
76.
"
Phelps
p.
79.
'
Phelps
p.
83.
"-'
Phelps
p.
86.
'
'
Phe ps
p.
87.
'
-
Phelps
p.
88.
^
'
Phelps
p.
15.
'•*
Phelps
p.
21.
>- Phelps
p.
15.
'•^
Phelps
p.
22.
'
Phe ps
'
I
1
"» Phe
I
ps
1955).
28.
p.
23.
p.
92.
61
p.
Witch
4.
(Cambridge,
HA:
CHAPTER
The
Arthur
Betty,
-
THE CRUCIBLE
last play on the Salem theme
published in 1953.
Miller,
Parris
Rev.
7
having
recently
and his niece/ward,
The Crucible
is
This play opens
discovered
daughter,
his
Abigail Williams,
as part ot
group in the woods (some in the nude; dancing to
West Indian rhythms and chants.
calculating,
at
is
wound
shown here as
Elizabeth
affair
that
Proctor,
wintry man.
When
woods,
ended and quite
as
Proctor.
questioned
f
John
says
then
accept
not,
John
to
Vou
...
are
no
of
about the forbidden
rites
the
in
leading
of
in
and Tituba in turn decries other unsavory
being
as
ecstatically
of
rightly
heat,
audaciously accuses Tituba
this corruption,
contagion
for
and will
'* ^
Abigail
misfits
a sense
have
*M
She cannot.
a
blood
Abigail once worked in the Proctor household and was
lover to John Proctor.
a
Tituba's
vengeful seventeen year-old who drank
ritual as a charm to
this
Abigail
by
with
Devil's
the
own.
There
hysteria with Abigail and all
accusing
a
follows
her
individuals in a
litany of
a
'klatch'
prime
ense-as -defense maneuver.
Act
II
introduces
conversation
with
strain
but
here
Unfortunately,
Elizabeth
her husband.
also
each
a
mutual
It
Proctor
is
in
obvious
longing
tor
domestic
there
appears judgmental to the other
62
is
accord.
and
both
react defensively.
There
neither can bridge.
but
torm
whereupon Mrs.
with
ranks
Proctor
Rebecca
Martha Corey and
chosen
Warren,
method
is
the saintly,
By
then
domestic.
their
He is all
Mary
Mary
when
John is then also arrested,
his conscience in solitude.
a
the
John
Nurse.
and the others.
his own character flaws to feel
the
as
vindictive fraud, but
necessary and turns on John
threaten her.
been
a
coerce
to
to repudiate Abigail
mettle
the
regret
in
arrested and joins
is
realizes he must expose Abigail as
his
distance both
Abigail's accusing ^and framing; Elizabeth
of
witch.
a
is
Tragedy strikes shortly
lacks
girls
the
now to
battle
too keenly aware of
identified
he can be
with
guileless ones already charged.
act months have passed,
the final
accused,
crops
farm
hundreds
have
children
rotting,
are
livestock alike wander without caretakers.
and
afflicted
The
girls are now losing some of their fervor and credibility.
In
Abigail
fact,
robbing Rev.
nervous
breakdown.
retain
of
Hale,
a
of
the church as well
desperately
condemned,
after
to
elicit
peer to Parris in
nonetheless
most notably
as
a
the
having now no
change,
striving
some semblance of security,
preservation
tries
Rev.
description but
any
away
run
leaving him on the narrow edge of
has also undergone radical
trials,
faith
and Mercy Lewis have
Parrls.
human
confessions
lives.
from
to
the
in
He
those
hoping to tfiereby save them from the gibbet and
63
save face tor his church.
presiding
judge,
"1
He himself
says to Lantorth,
come to do the Devil's work
counsel Christians they should belie themselves.
blood on my head
!
forthcoming:
has even undergone his historical
Corey
as a consequence
ordeal
dure'
withstand
Elizabeth
trial.
pregnant
'peine
remaining
of
Proctor
Giles
forte
proven
has
et
mute
with her third child so her execution
to
be
to
been
has
now asked to persuade John to confess
stayed.
She
save his
life as well.
is
to
There is
"-
far no confession has been
Thus
the
...
to
Though she refrains from agreeing,
she does grasp this chance to see her husband after months
of
imprisonment.
In
misguided way Elizabeth and
their touchy.
again
try
reach
to
each other
but
ever
fail
John
shoit.
Elizabeth tries in vain to share her heart with John.
rebukes
he
There
John
is
any thought of her being as fallible
no confession that can provide
needs for his own self-esteem.
says repeatedly.
is
"Let Rebecca go
fraud!"-' He would prefer
the judges'
him
to their motive.
the
others.
death
it
be in
death
As Elizabeth tearfully
have his goodness now."*
64
for me
his
writing
Rather than be a tool to
John finds he can accept
with honor.
he.
absolution
am no saint."
"1
like a saint:
to confess and save
insistence that
but
the
but
as
he
it
skin,
alerts
discredit
readily,
observes,
a
"He
I
The Cruc ib
n
recorded
the
Arthur Miller has preserved more
1
story
than any
prologue he proudly states,
who did not play a similar
same
to
to
date.
"there is no one in the drama
and in some cases exactly the
-
role in history."-^ Miller's research and
-
known
their
behavior"'^" results
experience
comprehensive
nature.
struggle
in
a
power ful.
more
the
all
potent
complex
tor
its
representation of all aspects of our
human
Miller has crafted a whole world, our world.
Mr.
this play,
facades.
a
world without innocence and overrun
Li ght y- ve
1
i
1
with
ed resentments escalate to murderous
accusations with but a little fanning of the flames.
a
ot
his
In
understand and model his characters "in conformity with
theatrical
in
author
fragile environment with each vulnerable
It's
character
in
precarious balance with the others.
But
the
to credit Mr.
Salem
Crucib
1
Miller with having
community of 1692 would be
is
endeavor.
economical to waste its
too
Instead
this
figures into one;
as a composite of
reconstructed
falsehood.
The
time
in
that
play combines elements
ot
some
Judge Hathorne functions instrumental
such as Rev.
and the infamous Cotton Mather.
over
a
Martha Corey,
Noyes.
Justice
ly
Stoughton
Miller also opts to brush
as history appears to have
done.
to
preserve the streamline of his vehicle.
Miller
to
has essentially rationed himself with
characters,
with
each representing a
65
facet
regard
of
our
existence.
Great drama demands great characters so Mil ler
has devoted his all
the
light.
written
devotion,
frequent
to bevelling
the edges
presentation in
His
as
it
is
print
near-novella
in
inserts of narrative and
based on original
records and
character
journals.
play with distinct personalities,
accessory characters for
since
the
Williams
ones still
the whole delusion.
and
was
doubt
lies
a
is
year-old
11
afflicted
clean,
having first
extracted
well-crafted play.
Miller's
one
Abigail as
leader
of
the
crux
of
The fact that she eventually ran away
in
this characterization of her
does to couch her will
in
trying
divine proclamation.
egocentric hedonist
in
Boston
and
Miller's Abigail
unadulterated selfishness,
of
deviation
major
the
remains the unconscionable
Miller's improvised plot.
willful,
explication
He has peopled his
later rumored to be a prostitute
inspired
embodiment
this
with
form
and embellished them with but the barest of
their essence,
Abigail
to better catch
reinforces
us all,
no
herein
is
the
as
she
She is the
set on having her
pleasure no matter at whose expense.
As
for Rev.
least until
symptoms
of
Parris,
he's broken.
paranoia,
he represents
power mania,
and a
transferring
blame as when he whines,
preacher
7
in
the
egotist,
at
At the onset Parris shows sickly
years,,.!
"I
penchant
am
your
left a thrifty business
Barbados to serve the Lord... why am
66
1
for
third
In
the
persecuted here?..,
often wondered
have
the Devil
ir
be
in
somewhere:
it
understand you people otherwise."" Such
cannot
precludes any sensitivity in the man,
I
arrogance
yet when confronted
with the distraught and desperate Parris in the last
act.
any compassionate being finds it difficult to keep a stony
heart in the wake of such pathos.
Ar thur Mi
1
1
For such is the art
of
er
Giles Corey,
on the other hand,
provides an almost
humorous complement as the ultimate pragmatist. He thrives
on
any bone of contention,
squabbles
of
others.
terms of practical
no small
action.
especial
For Giles all
consequence;
presented without any edge
his
death given any real
only
a
poignant,
the property
in
therefore a man
of
is
of
cruelty but neither
dramatic emphasis in this
pointed reference.
to be "the most comical
age
years,
close keeping with
in
a
hero of
his
is
play,
Miller himself termed
hero in the
history"'-^
depicts him with a strength far beyond foolhardy,
an
line
stubbornness and iron will
His tenacity,
are
Giles
he
ly
truth is measured
factual
and
but
at
seventy-odd
the old school.
And again we meet the Putnams.
Thomas and Ann,
this
time presented as the elitists that lecords would suggest.
Their
animosity
history,
when
Tom
province.
is
toward
instrumental
asserts.
And yet
Rebecca
in
Nurse.
"The Putnam seed
I
extracted
from
derining their characters, as
have but one child
have
peopled
left of eight
this
and
w^Fiwgf"--
now
shrivels!"^" Likewise Ann cries,
she
God's work you should never
either, and
lose a child,
bury all but one?"^'-'
I
in
the Putnams are an envious.
records,
continually
frustrated
in
their
think
"You
this play,
as
the
in
power-hungry
attempts
it
grandchild
nor
pair.
influence
to
affairs.
local
Meanwhile the gentle Rebecca Nurse and her
the respect and admiration of
enjoy
Francis.
neighbors.
Rebecca,
elderly and wise,
the humanist,
husband,
all
t^lelr
represents the moral
illustrated
superiority
of
observation,
"There is prodigious danger in the seeking ot
best
loose spirits. ..Let us rather blame ourselves."'^
is
already conscious of the kinship in all
vividly
and
aware that no one
is
so pure
her
in
Rebecca
human
nature
heart
in
that
he/she can afford to throw the first stone.
But poor John Proctor hasn't the comfort of Rebecca's
inner
sinner.
awareness
group or sphere,
the idealist
ritual
and still
John reacts as
for
in a
a
labels
himself
separatist,
but as the play progresses
triumph all his own.
the washing away of
thoroughly
always outside
Yie
personifies
His culture has no
sin and he can not overcome
his conviction that man is worthless until
redeemed.
neither can he see redemption lying in the hands of
or
a
the
Yet
fools
hypocr i tes
John's
Elizabeth,
dire
need
to
confess
but with regret he comments
68
once
led
him
to
later that he "must
have mistaken you for God that day.
let you remember
himself.
which
respond.
"The
But you're not ...
It's a point John tends to
it!"^-
prompts
the more rational
Elizabeth
magistrate sits in your heart that
you."'"- Elizabeth
is
a
and
forget
to
judges
realist,
Elizabeth's character also progresses in the course of
due in part to her confinement with Rebecca.
the play,
veneer
cool
warms to translucence for when
Proctors'
encounter
Elizabeth
who now shows a deeper se
with
shares
certainty
be one's
John
were
did. ..It
in
that
a cold
the
final
act,
f
1
"Suspicion
house
I
Ue are all
for
no one
is
kissed
you
when
the
deepest
"I
I
can
hieaven
your better or your
John Proctor cannot relate.
cannot
Conversely,
she
kept."'-' With
not
lesser.
die
he agrees
with
those
lust
to confess
deems
he
to save
his
too
He is alt
more for his hesitance in exposing Abigail.
and
is
-awareness when
sure that he has been especially damned,
but
the
it
alone in this together.
Vet still
not
where
she now knows that none other under
judge.
Her
see
we
tor
lust
He
will
superior.
saying,
life,
think it is honest...! am no saint. ..it is evil and
1
do it!"^^
But John reneges when he realizes the public
the
credibility he'd be giving the executions.
triumph
of
mind
and soul
over body
conquers his instinct for survival.
69
when
impact,
It
his
He deries the
is
a
idealism
judges'
ettorts
use him and chooses to die
to
example to his three children,
the names of his triends.
outside
see
fellowship who says to his wife,
in
in
It
for now
John Proctor.
Within
play
1
do think
is
a
"You have made
see some shred of
1
microcosm
others
Proctor's
his/her
inner
life alone.
we become aware of
inevitable
unity
Miller
sudden.
your
goodness
conventional
figure
conflict
the
Upon opening ourselves to
our personal
impact and
of
and camaraderie as uplifting as
it
has
in
represents
limited perspective when preoccupied with
of
the
"^•^'
the conservative structure of a
Proctor.
everyone's
now can
ot
John Proctor
Arthur Miller has created an allegorical
JohtT
he
view
a
an
as
blacken
not
Suddenly enlightened,
personal concerns with
his
fragile network interlocking us all.
magic now.
hionorabty
a man who did
dramatized a truth and he
owes
an
is
the
richness of his drama to his comprehension of its source.
Special
dramatic
kudos
images that
belong
from any good production of
in
to
the
Miller
for
this play.
artful
hia
indelible
impression
The stark contrast
the appearances of Reverends Hale and Parris from act
11
serve to illustrate this but
tfie
potent wave of hysteria reenacted
recorded
a
to
leave such an
the 'crying-out'
it,
minimum
of
just as
at the close of
words Miller chills our
witness the snowballing accusations.
70
prime
spines
example
I
is
historians
Act
I.
while
With
we
still,
character
the
in
mastery
real
but
a
strokes.
sensualist in Tituba's simple view.
Barbados.
in
no
longer
in
separatist
admired friend,
in you
be no Hell
conscience,
Francis Nurse,
"I
as
when
"''^'
or with
revealed
is
to
is
John
his
wish you had some evil
that you might know me."^'^
what makes The Cruc i b
1
Parris,
for
and the Putnams.
This
the epitome of
classic great work overall.
that
even
never without empathy for its characters,
such antagonists as Abigail.
a
'*We
mixed
evil
But the most remarkable feature of this play is
it
in
him be
Judge Dantorth.
the dusky afternoon
itself with good and befuddled the world,
Proctor's
it
the
Barbados."^' Contrast that with the
equally simple view of the moralist,
live
"Oh,
ot
find
We
him be pleasureman in Barbados,
Devil,
and dancin*
singin'
delineation
in his
is
bold
few
Salem plays
and
NOTES
1
Arthur Miller.
Eight
Plays
1981;,
p,
NY:
229.
321.
2 Ml
1
ler
3 Mi
1
ler.
P-
327.
4 Mi
1
ler.
P-
333.
,
P-
5
Mi
1
ler.
P-
212.
6
Mi
1
ler.
P-
212.
7 Mi
1
ler.
P-
235.
8 Mi
1
ler.
P-
244.
9 Ml
I
ler.
P-
233.
10 Mi
1
ler.
P-
23«.
Mi
1
ler.
P-
233.
12 Mi
I
1
er
,
P-
258.
13 Mi
1
ler.
P-
258.
14 Mi
1
ler.
P-
326.
15 Mi
I
ler.
P-
327.
16 Mi
1
ler,
P-
332.
11
"The Crucible",
(Garden City,
17 Mi
I
ler.
P-
314.
18 Mi
1
ler,
P-
289.
19 Mi
1
ler.
P-
304.
72
Nelson
in Arthur
Doubleday
Miller:
Inc.,
SALEM WITCHCRAFT
IN
AMERICAN DRAMA
Cone us i on
1
Just
as
number
there
magnifying
are
mirrors,
ways
ot
potential
theatre
for control
of
reflect
can
perspective
world.
The
limitless:
with
our
is
arrangements we may even see infinity.
some
carnival
makeup mirrors and Mylar mirrors so do we find a
mirrors.
But
Nowhere
themselves.
stage
can
we
in
find
alternative religion
it
represented
play depicts a witch as priestess,
a
poorly
represented,
the
playwrights
Our
often
even
and
The female
then their dramas comprise no feminine domain.
is
the
celebrant of feminine
focus instead on the political witch
to
for
as
Only one full-length American
is.
sexuality as she was in ancient culture.
prefer
limited
literature written
our
witchcraft
the
in
depiction of witchcraft American playwrights have
never
and
ill-defined,
depicted as a plausible protagonist.
In
the study of
these six plays,
same slice of our past,
ot
styles,
standard
All
all
a
interpreting the
there are no witches,
of
human
ignorant ot any other way to
bearing
vengeance.
relationships;
we
each
a
appear
live.
This is the schematic for the basic Salem theme,
aspect
the
only dark human
someone's
six plays hinge on
byproduct
variety
remarkable
plots and perspectives but each
same basic message:
nature.
we've found
play attempts to dramatize.
73
With
the
the
same
Biblical,
sexual
lilting language,
theme as undertone.
Bayley,
loss of Paul
Robert
review we have Ann Hutchins*
Elizabeth Hubbard's thwarted plan tor
Witherspoon's
Robert
Calef,
these plays deal always with a
In
Whiting,
Mac's
Putnam's
longing tor Martha Corey and
obsession
for
lust
extramarital attraction
with John Proctor.
Stella.
Though
These are the seeds
these plays contain good seed,
all
Only one.
plays are good.
The Cr uci b
needed
has attained classic status:
epitome
for over thirty years without serious
because of Mr.
it
Miller's se
1
f
not
all
Arthur
by
I
Miller,
Is
Tom
Williams*
Abigail
the dark plots to grow.
these
all
Patience
tor
to
has stood as
it
an
challenge.
-pr oc a imed fidelity to
I
the recorded facts save one?
give Mr.
To
chosen the plot
requiring
the
least deviation
ot
distilling
was
served him we
But
their
value?
1
Are
discouraged
its
tlow.
Miller's
history
witfi
a
minimal
praiseworthy effort and
has
it
1
what
lack
indeed
have
to
storyline
tor
from
creating
a
least resistance,
strategy
distortion
he does seem
Miller his due.
of
of
of
the other plays we've
adherence to fact
deviations
without
from
exception?
that
history
Or
studied?
to
can
it
their
patently
be
we
discern
consistent set of criteria for altering details to
depict historical essence?
Is
diminishes
a
better
Yeoman
Giles Corey.
is
an awe-inspiring heroic
of
an individual's strength against the
of
an entire community.
addition of the several
saga
ignorance and fear
This theme is strengthened by
tYie
fictitious characters to the Corey
household to establish filial ties. Using Phoebe and Olive
as
innocent dependents serves to
lustrate
i
its complementary characterizations.
the Coreys are
only
No depth is
effectively
Margaret
recorded
of
data.
is
into melodrama.
dichotomous
drama
a
slips
Even in its one historical
link.
character detail
the author conveniently
conflict pits the light of
to
to evoke
purpose.
preconceived
competitive pubescent girls.
about catty,
any
to
tfiat
a
homogenizes their ages but for no thematic
hate,
depicted,
Salem bears little resemblance
and
Elizabeth Hubbard and her clique,
merely
in
given the
neglecting the deeper dimension Miller added.
thereby
nearly
than
well-focused on its purpose but weak
impressive play,
antagonists;
rather
reasons for his stoic endurance. This is an
narrate Giles'
It's
notions
Then too.
love against the dark force
its
of
but with too much vivid contrast in its caricatures
blend well,
so the play
cheats on explanations,
climactic
loses plausibility.
It
even
leaving significant characters and
moments flatly underdeveloped.
This
play
not
only gives incomplete depictions but omits major pieces of
motivation.
It
simply does not hang together.
75
Uitch
T^le
stereotypes,
ending
to
is
artlictions
the
entails.
that
predictable. Here again there
is
signature
the
happy ending.
powerful material
all
are
and its
little relation
is
data but tor the use ot
as
of
suffering
characters
Its
its plot progressions are contrived,
historical
example
the ultimate melodrama,
Governor
This play
Phipps'
synthesized into
prime
a
is
cheap.
a
discount product.
Children
Tituba's
the
on
.
other
hand,
deserves
special commendation for the potent message it wields,
unique
juxtapositions,
caustic medium,
material
make
feature,
and
its disarming use of music
and its original approach to
it
a
classic
in
from format to finale,
its
that we must condemn what we
Without
any conventional
a
reprocessed
Every
right.
was selected to underscore
accent the play's dramatic theme,
attitude
own
its
as
plot or
to
challenge
can't
character
the
understand.
development,
Williams effects his purpose with remarkable impact.
The Gospel Witch primarily survives in anthologies of
religious
toward
pastiche
that
dramas,
moral
of
as
lecture.
well
It
it
should with
its
not a good play but
is
leanings
more
sermon selections supposedly bound by a
lacks a feasible premise.
a
plot
With its storyline pivoting
on the Putnam child as such an incredible strategist,
this
play's multiple alterations of history were simply to suit
its story.
Its message never
stood a chance.
76
Crucible this same problem was averted by
In The
evidence
controMed the children who
that adults
manipulated
leader
older and more aware ot
Miller
takes
human
frailty.
forth
in
and
truly
is
1
of
come
convenience.
or
Miller
selected and processed only those elements needed
has
to
a church,
and
community struggling against their worst natures.
would seem,
It
these
plays
cohesion
in
then,
that the major difference among
not adherence to
is
each
play
effective deviations from history,
their
respective
basic
tenet
governed
Hence,
and all
accuracy,
ideas.
playwrighting:
of
character
detail,
central
by its theme;
directive.
over
fact
Those
itself.
per
se;
plays
we
all
only essence,
any good
play
details must adhere
motivation
these over plot.
a
more
intended to strengthen
This follows
find a hierarchy of
motivation.
is
it
showing
purpose overall alsoevidence the wiser and
unified
to
men.
heavyweight
a
achieve an enlightened perception of a man.
a
on
varieties
with no details added
and uncluttered,
merely for the author's
subtracted
group
complexities
situational
the
The Cruc i b
flow.
a
clean
drama.
she had
the pull
precious care to display all
turn
in
Miller simply made the
the community.
the
Abigail's age. La eking hard
play's only major alteration:
the
must
to
most
be
that
theme/ pur pose
over
character
Theatre can never depict
so plays excel
when they stay true
history's meaning iits theme; with one unified purpose.
Therefore.
deviations,
motivation
be
conciuded
like details,
purpose.
author's
may
it
.iust
support
must
same
that
this
story alone:
Witch
that
The
.
Changes
theme.
unless
too become assets to strengthen the unifying
In
.
The W i t_c h
,
other three were more intent on
has made all
the
difference.
Giles
an
in
they
idea.
study we have found three plays
Margaret of Salem
to
character's
Choices made to enhance a
details are of questionable value
character
historical
that
must be tailored
built
for
and The Gosp el
purpose
Corey,
and
Yeoman
approaches this ideal with its well-crafted characters and
clear
and
motivation in the Corey family;
The
Cruci b
t
e
both attain
strength.
78
it.
Tituba's
In
unity
Children
there
is
Bib iography
t
Benton.
"Margaret of Salem."
Rita.
P lavs
1924.
Salem: A Tale of the Seventeenth Century
D.R.
Franklin Square. NY: Harper & Brothers,
Richard
Giidrie,
Press of Virginia,
P
I
ays
.
The Wi tch
Secaucus,
New Haven,
.
"The Crucible."
209-333.
Norwood,
Robert.
Doran Co.
,
NJ
:
The
CT
:
privately
In
Arthur Miller:
Lyon.
The Witch of Endor
.
Eight
Inc.,
1981,
New York: George
H.
1916.
The Gospel
University Press,
Pierce,
.
Garden City. NY: Nelson Doubleday.
pp.
Phelps,
A
19*^3.
Arthur.
Milter,
,
University
1977.
Flora Louise.
pr inted,
1626-1663:
VA:
1975.
Witchcraft in History
Ronald.
Citadel Press.
Hunn,
Charlottesville.
.
.
1874.
Massachusetts
Salem,
P.
Covenant Comm u nl ty
Holmes.
Inc..
179-229,
pp.
Castleton.
Franklin and Other
In
The Writers Publishing Co.,
New York:
.
Witch
.
Cambridge,
MA:
Harvard
1955.
Richard D.. ed. The Records of the First Church in
Sa jeni
j
Massachusetts
Institute.
1974.
1629-1736
.
Salem,
MA:
Essex
Richardson,
and William Eerney.
Howard,
New York: Theatre Arts Books.
Wilkins,
Mary
E.
"Giles Corey,
Monthly Magazine
Williams.
William
.
Dec.
Carlos.
Loves and Other Plays
.
1893,
Dark of the Hoon
Yeoman."
pp.
In Har pe
80
r
*
s
New
20-40.
"Tituba's Children."
Norfolk.
PublishingCo.,1961.
.
1985.
CT
:
In
Many
New Directions
SALEM WITCHCRAFT
IN
AMERICAN DRAMA
by
CORRINNE MAGQTRA
B.A..
Washburn University,
1978
AN ABSTRACT OF A REPORT
submitted in partial fultlllraent
or
requirements tor the degree
MASTER OF ARTS
College of Arts and Sciences
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan, Kansas
1967
the
SALEM WITCHCRAFT IN AMERICAN DRAMA
witchcrart
paper presents a study of the Salem
This
trials as reflected in the six American full-length dramas
listed
P
1
ay
the Cumulated Dramatic
in
I
ndex
Giles Corey,
plays are:
of
Sa em by Rita Benton;
1
Index
With
theme.
W
i
tch by Flora Louise
by Arthur Miller.
1
others were compared
the
made The Cr uc i b
elementt.s)
no
and The Cruc i b
I
to
better
the
e
Hunn;
Gospel
The
Miller's play accepted as the classic
all
these
Yeoman by Mary Wilkins; Mar garet
The
Tituba's Children by William Carlos Williams:
Wi tch by Lyon Phelps:
and
<i909-i9i-9)
chronologically.
Listed
(.1949-1982).
on
this
identify
wfiat
play.
author adhered strictly to the facts as
Although
recorded.
it
was proposed that greater historical accuracy could be the
strengthening factor since Miller's play was designed more
in
keeping with Salem history.
This did not prove to
be
the case.
Instead,
was concluded that the weaknesses common
it
lesser plays were due to nothing other than
in the
Alterations
craftsmanship.
relation
while
assets.
best
in
facts with
the play's purpose were
to
details
those
strengthen
of
added
play's
the
or
unifying
no
detrimental,
most
directly
amended
theme
poor
distinct
were
to
landmark
The best in historical drama was found to be the
any
presented with
drama.
a
a
thorough,
distillation
of
an
well-fashioned focus.
82
essence