In Arthur Miller's , the people of Salem try to cleanse their society of all wrong. In the town many strange and unexplained occurrences happen, and the townspeople search for a cause. The townspeople point at the devil using his witchcraft as the root of their problems. The people accuse innocent men and women of using witchcraft to do wrong against others. The town participates in a mass hysteria as neighbors accuse neighbors of witchcraft in search of an explanation for misfortunes. The townspeople attempt to cleanse their town of all evil, but in turn they hang innocent people. .
Ann Putnam is a good example of a townsperson in pursuit of the truth. She has lost seven of her babies and is in search of a reason for their deaths. She blames Goody Nurse, one of the town's noble women, for the murder of her babies. She says, " who else may surely tell us who murdered my babies"(page 1180). Ann Putnam feels that since Goody Nurse had been the mid-wife for her babies, she must be the one who has murdered them. Ann Putnam claims that Tituba had conjured up spirits in the woods, and that is what has caused Ruth's illness. She points to Tituba as an evil when in all truth it is Ann who has sent Ruth to Tituba to conjure up the babies. Ann Putnam is trying to cleanse the town of the evil that has caused the deaths of her children, and Goody Nurse dies as a result. .
Reverend Hale comes to Salem to cleanse the town of witchcraft. Shortly after his arrival in Salem, the witch-hunt turns into hysteria, and Hale quickly loses his authority in the investigation. He at first, believes that witches are present. He says, "The devil is alive in Salem, and we not dare to quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points"(1213-1214). However the courts jail Rebecca Nurse, He begins to find disbelief in all that has occurred. Hale starts out working to cleanse the town of evil but ends up believing all the accusations are nothing more than hysteria.