The Crucible
            
             The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins with a sense of
            
             witchcraft in the air, when we find out that Reverend Parris (the town minister) and the town are
            
             concerned about Betty, Parris' daughter, who has fallen "a victim of witchcraft." We find out that
            
             Betty, her cousin Abigail, Tituba, a slave, and other girls in the town had been cavorting and
            
             practicing witchcraft, naked in the woods, the night before. Since this occurred, Betty
            
             had been in a coma-like trance that was suspected to be caused by witchcraft. We soon
            
             find out that Abigail has control over the other girls and blackmails them into lying which
            
             eventually leads to unnecessary murders of innocent people throughout the book. We also find
            
             out that Abigail worked for John and Goody Proctor, but was fired after she had an affair with
            
             Mr. Proctor. Since then, Abigail has had it out for Goody and was attempting to kill her with
            
             witchcraft that night in the woods. Her devious and obviously insane state of mind makes the 'if
            
             she can't have him, no one can theory' come into effect, until it suddenly changes into if 'she
            
             can't have him, she'll make his and everyone else's lives miserable'. Also, a vicious circle of
            
             paranoia and self centeredness comes into action, which also leads to the many unnecessary
            
             deaths, when one by one, the innocent are accused, tried, and killed for being witches, even
            
             though there is no evidence to support any of the cases, except for the reactions of Abigail and the
            
             other girls in the courtroom. The play ends with John Proctor being tried and hung for suspicions
            
             of witchcraft, even though he is obviously not a witch. Their reasoning is that all of the others
            
             were unjustly killed, so he had to be killed also. It also says that Abigail leaves town and was
             ...