Question

What ironic situation does Shapiro describe in paragraph 3?

Answer 1

This question is incomplete. Here's the complete question.

Read The Lessons of Salem, by Laura Shapiro

What ironic situation does Shapiro describe in paragraph 3?

Answer:  The irony of having those who “confessed” to witchcraft spared and those who defended their innocence being killed.  

Explanation:

The Puritan witch hunts of 1692 would get confessions by torturing the suspects to justify the hunt itself, and those who would refuse to confess would end up being hung to death. The irony lies in the fact that none of the suspects had anything to do with witchcraft, and the proceedings of the trials were especially prejudicial to those who were honest.