Changes

It is really interesting what Arthur Miller changed from the historical account to make this play really work. It seems to me that it would have gotten his message across just fine even if he hadn’t changed things, but this makes it more effective. For one, the entire Proctor/Abigail affair was added to truly involve Proctor in the witch trials and to give a motive to Abigail for accusing Goody Proctor. The real Abigail Williams was really 11 when all this took place, and being 11 did not have an affair with Proctor. But without this, Proctor would be more detached from the story. Goody Proctor was still accused and John Proctor would still argue in her defense, but he would have no inside information on the accusers (besides what Mary Warren says). He also changes the ethnicity of Tituba. She used to be a Native American, but Miller wrote that she came from Barbados. I imagine he did this to play on stereotype, because the rituals of Barbados would sound more devil-like to audiences than Native American rituals. Without the changes he made, the story would not be as effective as with his changes.