Sunday, September 2, 2012

In "The Crucible", why does Mrs. Putnam believe there are witches in Salem?

Mrs. Putnam is desperate to understand why seven of her babies died shortly after birth.  Her husband, Thomas, has insured her that his family, he is one of nine sons, are strong, and therefore, it is not he who has produced weak children.

Mrs. Putnam is at fault in some way for the death of these babies.  She, in her misery, wants to blame someone, or something else for their deaths. 

The Puritans had no knowledge of science or advanced knowledge of the body and how it works.  These babies could have died from crib death, or some other cause.  

The Putnams are very rich, and having only one living child left, has resulted in great despair.  They are both very satisfied to learn that witchcraft was responsible for the death of their children.  Each is relieved that the fault does not lie with him or her.    

No comments:

Post a Comment

In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet , the proof that Claudius is guilty...