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Role Sheet Tituba .ROLE SHEET TITUBA CONFESSED WITCH Include this information in your testimony: You and your husband John are slaves in the household of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village. You were originally from Barbados where you learned stories about the Devil, black magic, and voodoo. You told these stories to a group of young girls from Salem. You have been accused of witchcraft, one of the most serious crimes in Puritan society. You realize that if you are found guilty of being an unconfessed witch, you could suffer death by hanging. You will testify to the following: 1. You told stories of witchcraft, voodoo, black magic, and meetings with the Devil to the afflicted girls Ann Putnam, Jr., Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Parris, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Mercy Lewis. Be prepared to relate some of these stories to the court. Do some additional research on this subject and use your imagination. 2. You will deny hurting the afflicted girls, blaming the other accused witches Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. You think Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey were there as well, but you are not completely sure. 3. You will confess to riding through the night on a stick or pole with Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne behind you. 4. You will say that Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne told you to kill Ann Putnam with a knife but you refused. 5. You will confess to attending witches' meetings in the night with the accused Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. If in doubt confess to anything the Magistrates want to hear. You realize that admitting to witchcraft and asking for repentance will be your only salvation from the gallows. ROLE SHEET SARAH GOOD ACCUSED WITCH Include this information in your testimony: You were born in 1653 in Wenham, Massachusetts, the daughter of Elizabeth and John Solart. Your father died under suspicious circumstances, probably suicide, in 1672. Your mother remarried and her new husband refused to care for you. Your first marriage was to a penniless indentured servant named Daniel Poole who died leaving you with a pile of debts. Your second husband, William Good, was not much of an improvement. He was often unemployed. You are the mother of a four year-old girl, Dorcas, and an infant boy. Your family is so poor that much of your time Salem was spent begging for food and shelter. You never attended Church services "for lack of proper clothes." You often muttered under your breath when refused food. Residents usually interpreted these sounds as curses. At the trial be prepared to say the following: 1. Deny any association with the Devil or other witches. 2. Deny tormenting or afflicting any of the young girls who accuse you of witchcraft by their actions or words. 3. Deny any evil acts like placing curses, attending witches' meetings, worshipping the Devil, or sending your spirit to torment anyone. You have been accused of witchcraft one of the most serious crimes in Puritan society. You realize that if you are found guilty of being a witch you must either confess or suffer the death penalty by hanging. You know that you are not guilty of this crime and to confess would be against your religious beliefs. You must try to convince the Magistrates at your trial that you are not a witch will be difficult because there will be a lot of evidence against you and the Magistrate probably already consider you guilty. ROLE SHEET SARAH OSBORNE ACCUSED WITCH Include this information in your testimony: You were born in 1643, the daughter of Margaret and John Warren of Watertown. In 1662 you married Robert Prince of Salem Village. He owned a large farm and was considered a wealthy man. He died in 1675, leaving you with two small children and the farm. Two years later you married Alexander Osborne, a young Irish immigrant. Your current husband does not like your children from the previous marriage so there is much tension in the family. To make matters worse, you are gravely ill and have been accused by some Salem teenagers of afflicting them. At your trial you must be prepared to say the following: 1. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any association with the Devil. 2. Tell the Magistrates that you deny tormenting or afflicting any of the girls who accuse you of witchcraft either by their actions or words. 3. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any evil acts like placing curses, calling on the Devil, or sending your spirit to inflict any of these so called evil acts. 4. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any association with any other witches or wizards. Try to find out what stories the witnesses or girls might be making up about you so that you can either deny or discredit them. You know that witchcraft is one of the most serious crimes in Puritan society. You realize that if you are found guilty of being a witch, you must either confess or suffer the death penalty by hanging. You know that you are not guilty of witchcraft and to confess would be against your religious beliefs. You must try to convince the Magistrates at your trial that you are not a witch. It will be difficult since there will be a lot of evidence against you and the Magistrates will not be fair by the standards of modern legal systems-they probably already consider you guilty. Additionally, anything that happens during the trial can be used as an indication of your guilt. ROLE SHEET REBECCA NURSE ACCUSED WITCH Include this information in your testimony: You and your friend Martha Corey are both Salem Church members. You are 70 years old, hard of hearing, and so ill that you are often bedridden. In early March, after the arrest and accusation of Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba, the afflicted girls in Salem began making accusations against you saying that you sent your "vengeful specter to torment them." On March 24 you were arrested. At your trial you will say the following: 1. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any association with the Devil or witches. 2. Tell the Magistrates that you deny tormenting or afflicting any of the girls who accuse you of witchcraft either by their actions or words. 3. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any evil acts like placing curses, calling on the Devil, or sending your spirit to inflict any of these so called evil acts. Try to find out what stories the witnesses or girls might be making up about you so that you can either deny or discredit them. You know that witchcraft is one of the most serious crimes in Puritan society. You realize that if you are found guilty of being a witch, you must either confess or suffer the death penalty by hanging. You know that you are not guilty of witchcraft and to confess would be against your religious beliefs. You must try to convince the Magistrates at your trial that you are not a witch. It will be difficult since there will be a lot of evidence against you and the Magistrates will not be fair by the standards of modern legal systems-they probably already consider you guilty. Additionally, anything that happens during the trial can be used as an indication of your guilt. ROLE SHEET MARTHA COREY ACCUSED WITCH Include this information in your testimony: You are an old woman with a reputation for piety. You are a member of the Salem Village Church and usually attend every service. Shortly after the accusation and arrest of Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, the afflicted girls began accusing you of witchcraft. When you were asked about the three accused witches in jail, you said that you did "not think they were witches. If they were, we could not blame the Devil for making witches of them, for they were idle slothful persons and minded nothing that was good. But you have no reason to think so of me, for I have rejoiced to go and hear the word of God." At your trial you should say the following: 1. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any association with the Devil and witches. 2. Tell the Magistrates that you deny tormenting or afflicting any of the young girls who accuse you of witchcraft by their actions or words. 3. Tell the Magistrates that you deny any evil acts like placing curses, calling on the Devil, or sending your spirit to inflict any of these so-called evil acts. Try to find out what stories the witnesses o r girls might be making up about you so that you can either deny or discredit them. You know that witchcraft is one of the most serious crimes in Puritan society. You realize that if you are found guilty of being a witch, you must either confess or suffer the death penalty by hanging. You know that you are not guilty of witchcraft and to confess would be against your religious beliefs. You must try to convince the Magistrates at your trial that you are not a witch. It will be difficult since there will be a lot of evidence against you and the Magistrates will not be fair by the standards of modern legal systems-they probably already consider you guilty. Additionally, anything that happens during the trial can be used as an indication of your guilt. ROLE SHEET ANN PUTNAM,JR AFFLICTED GIRL Include this information in your testimony: You were born in 1680 and are the eldest daughter of Thomas Putnam and his wife Ann.
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