In Act I of The Crucible, how does Reverend Parris' belief in the supernatural affect his response to his daughter' s illness? H
e seeks help from Reverend Hale. He believes Abigail's assertion that Betty was not bewitched. He refuses to send for a doctor. He professes his faith that God will heal her.
In 1692, the city of Salam in Massachusetts was run as a theocratic government, in which God through the religious leaders controlled the affairs of the state. Reverend Parris was a very committed religious leader whose job was at a stake because his daughter's illness was attributed to witchcraft. His daughter Betty was seen with Abigail and some other girls dancing in the forest and that led to rumors that Betty was likely a witch.
So, as Betty was lying unresponsive on her bed, Reverend Parris who believed in the supernatural, sought for Reverend Hale, in an attempt to seek a solution for his daughter's predicament. Reverend John Hale who lived in Beverly was known to have the special ability to dictate if a person was indeed bewitched.
