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Reverend Parris is a selfish, power-hungry man who is chiefly concerned with authority and social status. He is also incredibly paranoid and "believed he was being persecuted wherever he went." He thinks there is a faction of the church determined to oust him from power, and that John Proctor belongs to that faction. According to Parris, Proctor has been "blackening" Parris's name ever since he arrived in Salem. Consequently, Parris views Proctor as a threat and joins in campaigns against Proctor and his wife.
Parris's paranoia derives from his obsession with reputation. When his daughter Betty falls ill after her escapade in the forest, Parris appears less concerned with his daughter's well-being and more concerned with the ways in which an association with witchcraft compromises his position. He laments that with his household at the "very center of some obscene practice," his enemies will undoubtedly use this scandal to ruin him.
Parris's fixation on reputation renders him unprincipled and amoral; he has no true convictions or beliefs. Everything he claims to believe in, including God and the church, merely disguise his attempts to attain power. Similarly, his crusade against witchcraft is driven not by piety but by a desire for authority. He sees witch hunts as an opportunity to consolidate power. During the trial, even though Mary Warren testifies that the girls never truly engaged in witchcraft, Parris accuses her of lying because he knows Mary's testimony could undermine the authority that the witch trials have brought him. Discrediting the accusations could also contribute to growing upheaval, which has the potential to challenge Parris's standing. At the end of the play, after Parris has endlessly campaigned for the execution of those associated with witchcraft, he abruptly changes his mind and argues for the postponement of Proctor's execution. Parris fears that the townspeople may revolt against him if he is involved in the hanging of a prominent, popular man in Salem, declaring, "You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me." This proves Parris's actions are not rooted in any authentic belief system; instead, he is motivated entirely by self-interest. His character offers a commentary as to how obsession with one's reputation and social status can dictate and compromise a person’s code of ethics.
