Reverend Parris's Power In The Crucible

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The Crucible, a play written by mid-twentieth century author Arthur Miller, revolves around the events that took place in Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692. Within the play, the character Reverend Parris takes advantage of the Puritan people’s belief in God and Parris’s own authority to assert his power over them. Reverend Parris’s concerns and motives revolve around his desire for material gain rather than spiritual gain, which takes a significant toll on the townspeople-- eventually resulting in many of their deaths.. Reverend Parris’s motives are entirely formed by his desire for high stature and wealth, rather than a desire for spiritual growth for him and his congregation. At first, he seems to be concerned with the health of his daughter, Betty, and wants to “put out all thoughts of unnatural causes” (Miller 9), but soon the reader sees that Parris is actually afraid that “[his] enemies will… drive [him] from [his] pulpit” (10) once they hear about the happenings in his house. Parris’s desire for power over the people of Salem goes hand in hand with his desire for material objects. He is more concerned about his “salary [of] sixty-six pounds”, which he believes is “little enough” (29), when in fact, this salary is…show more content…
During the play, he seems concerned with keeping his reputation, claiming that “every defense [of the accused witches to be] an attack on the court” (94). He lets people
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