The Crucible

Reverend Parris is the minister of Salem, Massachusetts. He is a highly educated man and a former merchant who often complains that he does not get paid enough for his services. Parris does not appear to believe in witchcraft and expresses his disdain for rumors of witchcraft at the beginning of the play. The Putnams, however, convince Parris that “discovering” the presence of witches in Salem is the only way to gain the favor of his congregation (and thus maintain control over them). Because Parris is obsessed with maintaining control and preserving his reputation, he pretends to believe in witches.

During the witch trials, Parris becomes a prosecutor. As a prosecutor, he convicts and executes many members of Salem’s community. By the end of the play, when Parris learns of a potential uprising, he begins to feel anxious about his role in these executions.

Tituba is Parris’s slave. Parris brought Tituba to Salem when he moved from Barbados, where he used to work as a merchant. Tituba has an extensive knowledge of herbs and folk medicine. She makes love potions for the girls in Salem and led a seance for Ann Putnam (who tried to conjure the souls of her dead babies).