trine can be entirely blamed for the tragic
             events of the play. The inflexible nature of Puritanism and the
             social climate of 1692 are key factors in the plot of Arthur
             MillerÕs The Crucible. The settingÕs effect on the plot most
             prominently manifests itself in the girlsÕ dancing, their
             reaction to their public exposure, the mass hysteria they endure,
             and John ProctorÕs dysfunctional marriage.
             The girlsÕ dancing in the woods is a consequence of the rigid
             Puritan laws. In Act One, Reverend Parris and his niece Abigail
             discuss the rumours spreading across the town caused by ParrisÕ
             having discovered Abigail and her friends dancing in the woods
             outside town. The people are saying that there was witchcraft
             involved. In fact, this play has no supernatural elements
             whatsoever. There are no witches in Salem. The girls dance naked
             in the woods as a spiritual outlet. Dancing was not looked upon
             "Dancing, especially "mixed" dancing, the Puritans condemned as
             frivolous, a waste of time, and immoral. So outraged were the
             Boston ministers when, in 1684, they discovered that many persons
             were indulging in this form of diversion, that they issued a
             pamphlet entitled, An Arrow against Profane and Promiscuous
             Dancing, drawn out of the Quiver of the Scriptures. (Wertenbaker
             These adolescent girls, who were suffering through puberty and
             sexual self-discovery in a self-repressive society that condemns
             ...