Puritans. The Puritans were English Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices. They argued that the Church of England had not been completely reformed and needed to become more Protestant. Unlike the way the Church of England had governed itself, the Puritans migrated to New England in hopes of being able to carry out their practices in peace. The Crucible takes place approximately 100 years later. The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. The play is a fictionalized version of the trials and tells the story of a group of young women in Salem who falsely accuse other villagers of witchcraft. The interesting part of this whole story is that if you confessed to your witchcraft, you would be saved. So many deaths could have been avoided. Why were these innocent people sentenced to death, simply because this group of women accused them? Why did so many people refuse to confess, even if it meant saving their lives? The Puritans were a very religious society. This means that if someone was accused of witchcraft, they would be tried and possibly sentenced to death. Could it be that the culture of their society was the main cause of the Salem tragedy? If so, what part of their culture destroyed them? Many factors have contributed to this, whether it be religion, traditions, or simply... people's emotions getting the better of them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The people of Salem were greatly influenced by their faith in their religion. They were so afraid of upsetting their God because if they did, they would go to hell instead of heaven. When someone was accused of witchcraft, it meant that they had sold their soul to the Devil. When this happens, they no longer possess the soul necessary to enter heaven or hell. Naturally, if someone were called a witch, the person in question would be terrified and would immediately say that they are not a witch. “But that’s exactly what a witch would say.” It is this saying that has killed so many people. In witch trials, the court accepted spectral evidence. This means they would accept supernatural events as proof. In The Crucible, there is a scene where a woman, named Elizabeth Proctor, had been accused of witchcraft because her puppet had a needle that pierced the vessel. Hours earlier, Abigail Williams, a young woman who led the accusing group, had a 2-inch needle sticking out of her stomach. With “evidence,” Elizabeth Proctor was taken and held in jail until her trial. John Proctor said it was all baseless evidence. In response to this statement, a man named Cheever said: “This is irrefutable proof! I find a doll here that Goody Proctor keeps. I found it, sir... In the doll's belly, a needle is stuck! Spiritual events were considered evidence. And as such, religion posed a problem for these people. Or maybe it's not the religion itself, but the people who lead the religious group. Reverend Parris was a Puritan priest who once lived in an urban area and he brought with him his daughter Betty Parris and his niece, Abigail Williams. John Proctor, a respected farmer, did not approve of the reverend living in Salem and becoming the new priest. Naturally, the Reverend didn't really like John either. Before their arrival.