Initially, Reverend Parris acts like any concerned parent would do if one of their children were sick: he calls for a doctor. But once it becomes clear that the doctor can't treat Betty, and he suggests that there might be dark factors at work, Parris starts acting like the cynical, selfish man he really is.
He immediately seizes on the doctor's hint of possible witchcraft as an opportunity to enhance his reputation in town. He also sees Betty's illness as a chance to deflect attention from the potentially damaging repercussions of what his daughter and the other girls were up to in the forest that night. Ever the politician, Parris is all too aware that if news of Betty and her friends' strange cavortings should ever get out then this reputation will be toast. So he cunningly turns the situation to his advantage, and begins to sow the seeds of the terrible witch-craze that will soon descend upon Salem, destroying dozens of lives in its wake.
At the beginning of the play, Reverend Parris's daughter, Betty, is lying on her bed incapacitated. The local doctors have no idea what is wrong with her and cannot heal Betty. Parris sends for Doctor Griggs, who tells Susanna Walcott that he cannot help Betty. Reverend Parris is extremely worried as Abigail informs him that rumors of witchcraft are beginning to spread throughout Salem. In addition to worrying about his daughter's health, Reverend Parris is also anxious about his position and title in the community. Reverend Parris fears that the citizens of Salem will remove him from his position of authority and desperately wishes to quell the rumors of witchcraft. Before Thomas Putnam and his wife visit Betty, Reverend Parris decides to send for Reverend Hale, who is supposed to be an expert in solving issues involving witches, demons, or other spiritual enemies. Reverend Parris hopes that Hale will confirm that no spiritual matters are the cause of Betty's illness.
No comments:
Post a Comment