In the Crucible we have Reverend Samuel Parris who is the town minister and also the one everyone turns to for justice. Being firstly a member of a patriarchal society where men have authority over women and furthermore being a respected religious leader, Reverend Parris is one of the only authoritative figures we are introduced to at the very beginning of the play. In Act I, when they discover that something is tormenting the town's young girls and suspect witchcraft as the cause of their illness, the townspeople turn to Reverend Parris for answers. As the town's leading figure, they turn to his authority to expose the witches in their community and save the town from witchcraft. Without even any evidence to support his claims, Reverend Parris is simply asked to declare that there is witchcraft and only then will action be taken. Given his authority, only he had the authority to make such wild accusations and not be questioned about his claims. As Putnam simply explains to Parris that he doesn't have to worry about making wild accusations, because no one would question his credibility given his innate authority in the city. Without much evidence to support his claims, Parris could simply make speculative accusations, and given his power, his claims were taken seriously. Another leading figure who had significant power and authority throughout the play is Reverend Hale. As a recognized premier in witchcraft and witchcraft, Reverend Hale comes to Salem to help expose the witches who are poisoning the city's health. Thanks to the research he has done and the books he has read, he believes he has all the answers to save the town from its witch epidemic. There isn't much credentials to actually prove that Reverend Hale knew what he was doing, but middle of paper ...at his will, like his master Parris, and he is pardoned as "being possessed by the devil” (Holdt, 1975). I wouldn't necessarily say she abused her power like Abigail and Marry, but I feel like she adopted the role of witch to scare people in hopes of avoiding being hanged and to return to Barbados. The death of the innocent in The Crucible serves as a revelation about the issues surrounding power and how it is used. This will always be a detrimental factor in any society, because power will always be a part of human existence. People either have power like Reverend Parris and Hale, or they lose it like John Proctor, or they can even learn to take advantage of an opportunity and become more self-reliant like Abigail, Mary, and Tituba. However, the most important factor is to realize and evaluate the devastating consequences that could arise if power is abused...