Betty Parris
Elizabeth "Betty" Parris (November 28, 1682 – March 21, 1760) was one of the accusers during the Salem witch trials. In the winter of 1691–1692, Betty, the nine-year-old daughter[1] of the Salem, Massachusetts' Reverend Samuel Parris (1653–1720) and his wife Elizabeth,[2] was the first to claim illness due to being "bewitched". Her contortions, convulsions and outbursts of gibberish at first baffled everyone, especially when other girls began to show similar symptoms. Shortly after her illness the Salem witch trials began, with the girls accusing neighbors of witchcraft.[citation needed]
[edit] Appearances in fiction and films
Betty Parris appears in fiction in John Neal's historical novel, Rachel Dyer (1828). She remains Samuel Parris' daughter in the narrative.[3][better source needed]
Betty Parris is also a supporting character in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
In the book Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan, the main character, Sarah Zoltanne, realizes that she was Betty Parris in a former life after having several dreams and visions, viewed from Betty's perspective.[2][better source needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Upham, Charles. Salem Witchcraft, New York. Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.. pp. 3.
- ^ a b "Image of headstone for Elizabeth Parris". http://www.liako.gr/anexigito/images/stories/liako/images/mistiria/300609/elizabethparris.jpg. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
- ^ Neal, John (1828). Rachel Dyer: a North American Story. Shirley and Hyde. http://books.google.com/books?id=CnlTqTShF9wC&pg=PA21&dq=rachel+dyer#v=onepage&q&f=false.
 |
This article relating to the Salem witch trials is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
