You Can't Handle the Truth: Arthur Miller's The Crucible

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Ms. Scragg's Virtual Tour of Salem, Last Stop:

One of the most historic--and saddest--stops in Salem is The Old Burying Point. It's a very old cemetary, containing the bodies of many Puritans dating from the late 1600s.

The bodies of those who were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials are not buried here (it cannot be determined where their bodies are), but there is a memorial site for these individuals. Crucible readers should recognize many names.

The front of the Salem Witch Trials Memorial has words inscribed on the stone pavement, such as this utterance: "Oh Lord, Help me! I am wholly innocent!" These were the words of one of those who was hanged right before her death.

• This is not the grave of Rebecca Nurse, but a stone tablet engraved with her name and the date on which she was hanged.

The protagonist of The Crucible was one of the last to be hanged. The witch trials were halted in September of 1692.

Giles Corey has the unfortunate distinction of being the only person not hanged for witchery during the Salem Witch Trials. He was pressed to death: large, heavy stones were placed on top of his chest until he was crushed. The town leaders were hoping that he would give up a name to them, but Giles Corey kept his confidence, and died when the weight was too much for him to bear.

• THIS IS THE LAST STOP ON THE TOUR.
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