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From the perspective of a character in "The Crucible", how would a letter to the Governor demanding an end or continuation of the Salem trials be written?
Quick answer:
Character: Giles Corey Date written: October 12, 1692 Purpose of letter: To persuade the Governor to halt or continue the trials.
There are several points to consider in deciding who might write such a letter. On the practical level, the writer would need to be literate, which was not a given in seventeenth-century New England. For a character who had little formal education, arrangements would need to be made for a scribe to write the letter for them. Another factor is the amount of information provided in the play to indicate whether a given character is for or against the trials. While there is ample information for the major characters, such as John Proctor, adopting the perspective of someone who is deeply involved but is not at the center might allow for more creativity. Giles Corey wants nothing to do with the proceedings; his strident objections go unheard. Perhaps he would have strengthened his case by publicizing his position against the trials. In contrast, Thomas Putnam seems heavily invested in seeing...
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them continue. Whether his motivation is actually to root out the devil or to profit at the expense of those who are killed, he might wish to persuade the powers that be to continue the discovery and prosecution.
This should be a fairly fun letter to write. I think that you can get some good insight here as you put it together. I think that the easiest way to approach this would be to write the letter from the point of view of one of the characters that would be demanding an end to the trials. The case for an immediate halt to the trials would be fairly direct to create once it becomes clear that Abigail has fled Salem with Parris' money. I think that the trajectory of the drama leads it to making a letter that calls for a halt to the trials much more a simpler task. From this, your letter could call to reject the sentences of death, and in doing so, a letter from Elizabeth or Francis Nurse would make much sense. For each of these characters, seeing their loved ones suffer under the sentence of death for a trial that is fraudulent could help to create a rather compelling letter. They could bring out how the charges against their beloveds were not valid and Abigail's disappearance as well as the rebellions in Andover all help to fill the narrative that the trials and their sentences must be halted in the name of justice and even in Christian goodness. I think that this might be an approach that could be taken. I think that taking this from the point of view of Francis Nurse in the hopes of saving his wife or Elizabeth in the hopes of saving her husband would help to make a very persuasive letter. Their motivations end up becoming the most logical feelings of the reader or audience towards the end of the drama.