1. Fear of Losing His Status: Parris is deeply concerned about maintaining his position as the local minister and the respect and power that come with it. He worries about losing his influence, authority, and financial security if he fails to maintain the town's obedience and conformity to Puritan beliefs.
2. Personal Vendettas: Parris has personal conflicts with some members of the community, including John Proctor. These conflicts arise from issues such as land disputes and disagreements about religious practices. To strengthen his position and seek retribution, Parris uses the witchcraft accusations as a way to punish and undermine his opponents.
3. Insecurity and Guilt: Parris feels insecure about his role and his ability to control the community. He also carries a sense of guilt for his daughter, Abigail's, involvement in witchcraft and her affair with John Proctor. This guilt and insecurity may have contributed to his paranoia and readiness to see evil and deviance in others.
4. Religious Fervor: Parris's Puritan beliefs and his zealous pursuit of religious purity lead him to be particularly sensitive to any perceived threats to the moral order of the community. He genuinely believes that witchcraft is a real and dangerous phenomenon that must be rooted out.
5. Loss of Control: As the witch trials progress and escalate beyond his initial intentions, Parris finds himself increasingly losing control over the situation. He is torn between his desire to maintain order and his concern about becoming embroiled in a potentially self-destructive web of accusations.
Parris's problems become a catalyst for the play's central conflict and the tragic events that unfold in Salem. His actions exemplify the dangers of unchecked authority, religious extremism, and the devastating impact of fear and suspicion within a community.