Witches symbolize the need to believe in something greater than the world verified by the senses and understood by the intellect. For a contemporary audience for whom witches are largely harmless Halloween costumes, the novel reminds us that witchcraft is a potent and dark element of religion. The belief in witches dates back to pre-Christianity when certain people in a community, most often angry misfits, non-conformists, or the mentally ill, were held to possess the power to hurt others to cause havoc. With their black magic and allegiance to Satan’s dark powers, witches were to be feared. Their presence in a community was a threat, and they were to be shunned and even killed for the sake of the community. When Indian John witnesses the hanging of old lady Glover, he shares with Tituba his fears over the hysteria that drives otherwise rational people into believing this crazy, homeless woman possessed powers sufficient to make the children of her neighbors sick and even die.

In the novel, witchcraft symbolizes the need to explain bad luck and misfortune and avoid responsibility for bad judgments. However, the villagers turn to the power of witchcraft to heal the sick, tend to wounds, and predict the future.