He's afraid that if people think there's witchcraft in his household, he'll lose his position as minister of Salem: But then they'd quickly realize that Parris is just worried about his reputation.

At first the audience might feel bad for him. In the very first scene, we see him standing over his daughter's sick bed. Parris's repeated demonstrations of exceedingly selfish behavior don't help his case. Some examples of Parris's greed include: quibbling over firewood, insisting on gratuitous golden candlesticks for the church, and demanding (against time-honored tradition) that he have the deed to the house he lives in.

The Reverend gives weak justifications, but never denies any of the accusations. John Proctor accuses Parris of this several times in the play. As a result, he evidently felt no need to make his fictional version any better. Miller says in his notes that he found nothing redeemable about the historical Parris.

There is nothing we like about this dude. If Abigail is a magnetic, Saruman-like villain, Parris is more like Wormtongue. (Click the character infographic to download.) He's Such a Snake that He Should Live in Slytherin

Parris the crucible download