The Crucible is a plot about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials written by playwrighter Arthur Miller in 1953. The play greatly demonstrates the importance of the individual conscience and is well known for its historically accurate, yet fictionalized content. It takes place in 1692, colonial Massachusetts. The Crucible depicts many issues that the citizens in Salem had to face. Every character had a motivation to accuse one another of witchcraft. Whether it was greed, jealousy, lust, revenge or saving their own lives, almost every accused person was innocent. John Proctor was one of the many innocent accused of witchcraft. Proctor was accused by Mary Warren, a girl that was involved in the conjuring ritual that caused this tragedy. …show more content…
No matter what her consequence is she will refuse admitting to witchcraft. Nurse is a religiously devout woman in her seventies. Nurse’s reputation in all of Salem was so clear, that even John Hale (also known as Reverend Hale) was confused. Nurse states: “If so he is, then let us go to God for the cause of it. There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and—”. Rebecca Nurse is suggesting that the court investigates themselves rather than blaming the situation on supernatural powers. This was a direct suggestion towards Ann Putnam, who is looking for vengance on Nurse for “killing” her babies with black magic. Rebecca Nurse states: “No, you cannot break charity with your minister. You are another kind, John. Clasp his hand, make your peace”. This is said towards John Proctor to avoid another altercation between him and Parris. Nurse is stating that everyone should stay true to their religion, but John is not close to the church. Nurse wants John to pray and find some sort of peace because she does not like violence. Rebecca Nurse is seen as an example of strength and resolve in the community of Salem. She takes her consequence with dignity, peace and ease, which makes her a saint after her
When Reverend Hale first Appeared in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, he was very different from the person shown at the end of the play ... At first Hale believed that he was to be helpful and that he was doing the right thing, but by the end of the play he was stuck trying to fix his horrifying mistake, weighed down by the guilt from the lives of those killed. When Hale first appears in Act I, he is on his way to Salem in order to see Reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty. Abigail began accusing many people of witchcraft, which then led Betty to “wake” and join her in the accusations. this strengthened hale’s belief that he was doing good for the town of salem, encouraging him to stay in town and further the trials at hand.
When Reverend Hale first enters the story he is depicted as someone with great knowledge and authority. Proctor tells Hale on page 185, “I’ve heard you were a sensible man, Mister Hale - I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem.” Hale is well known to people around Salem and he is known for possessing great knowledge. The people will listen to what Hale has to say, but know that his presence means that there is suspicion of witchcraft.
Because reputation in the Puritan society was highly valuable, change in tolerating viewpoints other than their own was unlikely. Change, however, demonstrates character development. Characters such as John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Mary Warren show development throughout the play in which Hale acknowledges his mistakes, Proctor sacrifices his reputation and honor, and Mary deteriorates into a weaker character. Reverend Hale enters the play in Act I as a well-respected witch hunter from Beverly who investigates the supernatural occurrences in Salem.
In his book, “A Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft (1702),” clergyman John Hale comes forth to confront the recent events going on at the time. Initially, Hale alludes to the questionable actions and activities of the townspeople being accused of witchcrafts, and being imprisoned as punishment. In addition, he discloses how everyone suspicious will be accused, not even young children are safe from the hands of this fate. Hale’s purpose of publishing this book was to describe the incident of the Witch Trials, and to reveal his experience of the trials, since his own wife was accused. By employing a didactic tone, Hale relays the actions of the past that targeted the Puritans and those wrongly accused of witchcrafts, so this occurrence
Hysteria in Salem The Crucible is a play written by American author, Arthur Miller, in 1953. It is a somewhat fictional play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote it as an allegory to the Red Scare, the promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism. Miller himself was blacklisted for refusing to testify in front of the HUAC, a committee that was created to investigate any person who might be a communist.
¶“A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is . . . She thinks to dance with me on my wife 's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat.
Proctor says “ You are the high court, your word is good enough! tell them i confessed myself; say proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman, but my name cannot!”. In the quote John Proctor does not want written proof that he was a witch because he wants to protect his friends and not throw them under the bus. This means he cares for his friends and is truly a good man. Proctor says; “ let them that near dead now take their souls, it is pretence to me.”
Abigail and a group of girls went to court and blame 200 people. Abigail went to court, and told them that Elizabeth Proctor was practicing witchcraft, and got her arrested. When John Proctor went to court, the girls pretended that he was the devil. Giles tries to explain to the court how Abigail is pure evil, and trying to get revenge: “Aye, how she is solemn and goes to hang people!” (3.1.875).
This magnanimous, sensible woman refuses to follow the hysteria even to save her own life. Nurse,s charity becomes apparent in Act one when reverand John Hale comments on her reputation outside Salem. Nurse's magnanimous personality is emphasised even more in act 3 when Hale says "If Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothings left to stop the whole green world from burning". This quote marks the point in the play where Hale realizes that innocent people are being accused of witchcraft. Rebecca Nurs refuses to abandon her moral code, even when facing death.
The well-respected Rebecca Nurse is visiting the Parris household and calms her. Prophetically, Rebecca warns Parris that identifying witchcraft as the cause of
Rebecca was a 71-year-old woman, the wife of Francis Nurse who was a wealthy farmer and landlord in the Salem village, and had many children and grandchildren (Hill 87). She was very pious and everyone in the Salem village thought of her as an “exemplary piety” in the Puritan community (Linder). Rebecca had a very strong faith in God and told her friends on her sickbed that she recognized more God’s presence in her sickness than any other time in her life (Hill 88). Rebecca was a very respectable woman and supported by most of Salem villagers who believed in her innocence. After she was arrested and prosecuted because of the false accusations made by the “afflicted” women and girls’ against her, thirty-nine notable members of the community came forward, signed and submitted a petition to assure her innocence and piety (Hill 100).
The witches are on the hunt for the innocent souls of Salem with Hale stating, “The Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points” (Miller 1251). Hale is determined to use God’s mighty hand against the “evil witches”. This shows that Hale is faithful to Abigail’s accusations against the common people of Salem. At first, Reverend Hale is eager to prosecute, but as more innocent people are condemned, his compliance turns into distaste. His dissatisfaction eventually turns into rage when Hale shouts, “I denounce these proceedings!”
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is about real life events that has been changed a bit by the author. The play is set back in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, were the Salem Witchcraft Trials were going on. The Witchcraft Trials were trials that mostly girls, but some men got accused of seeing the devil and doing work for him. If you were accused of being a witch you were to admit to seeing the devil, accuse other people, or you would get hung. Some people wouldn 't admit to being a witch just to save their life because of their faith in Jesus.
Rebecca Nurse will not confess to this witchery, because she is a righteous woman in which she has morals in that she will not collapse to all this dishonesty. The dishonesty roots have been traced, and followed. The roots are placed right at the feet of Abigail Williams. Not these beloved people of our town that have been pulverized because of her so called good deeds. You all may be thinking you are ridding the town of evildoers, but in the end you are just giving young Abigail Williams, what she has schemed for all
Rebecca is accused for murdering the seven children of Ann Putnam who have died long before any questioning arose. Following this accusation, which is one of many that are false, Rebecca would go through the court process of either admitting to her actions as a witch or