In Arthur Miller's play, women's roles evolve significantly, reflecting the societal norms and the hysteria of the Salem witch trials. Initially, women are portrayed as obedient caretakers subservient to their husbands, often treated as mere servants.
Anytime Abigail and the girls act as if they are being tortured (see highlighted portions in text)
Whenever the husband's are talking to their wives... as if they are servants... "See highlighted phrases inthe actual text.
Nurse
Speaks up on behalf of the women and says that the judges have been deceived
Danforth
Deputy Governor
Did not view the women as trustworthy when they were accused
Judge presiding over the trials
Mary
had power in the court because she could fake being
tormented by the accused on the stand
One of the girls that sat in the proceedings
Tituba
Ended up confessing to witchcraft
From Barbados
One of the first to be accused of Witchcraft
Servant to Abigail and her family
Proctor
His own wife allowed him to be hung (she had the power to save him, and she chose not to)
Got accused of Witchcraft
Treated women as objects (cheated on his wife with Abigail
Ann
Accused many of witchraft
Wife to Thomas Putnam
Paris
Reverend for the Church
The Role of Women (& its development through the play)
HOWEVER... Women who were accused of witchcraft had absolutely no power and were stripped of their image of humanity
The penultimate peak of the role of women in the play was the fact that the mere acting of girls in court could determine whether a person lives or dies
Later on though, they gained power when they could freely accuse others of wtichcraft
Initially, women were subservient followers of their husbands
almost sort of control the trials (again, see Abigail)
be obedient for the men
Take on jobs that involve caretaking
To be accused of witchcraft
To accuse other people of withcraft (see Abigail)
Culture
Power hungry, people only seem to care about advancing themselves
Women were only considered valid when they were accusing someone of bing a witch
