Fear, anger, and distrust are feelings that all humans face on a daily basis. In Arthur Miller’s book The Crucible, Abigail Williams’s actions opened Pandora's box in her small town. The story takes place in Salem, a puritan village, and it’s a tale of how a single person can bring havoc to the ones around them. The Crucible acts as a morality play by illustrating how manipulation and panic can cause false accusations that lead to death. Miller shows this through symbolism and characterization of good and evil. In The Crucible, Abigail is a representation of evil because she perpetuates the cycle of fear. When faced with opposition she threatens people around her. “... and mark this – let either of you breathe a word… and I’ll come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.”(19). She’s willing to kill her friends when she feels they're going to betray her, this exhibits a violent nature because a reasonable human wouldn't kill their …show more content…
Proctor thought that a way for stopping the trials was to make a document with statements of the townspeople that revealed that many of the accused were good puritans; however the judges did not care, “Mr. Cheever have warrants drawn for all of these – arrest for examination”(87). Danforth assured Proctor that if they were good people they would be fine, but as we’ve seen before, once you’re accused you're going to be condemned, either by death or jail. In fact, when Reverend Hale proposed the idea that “not everyone accused is part of it.”(91), Danforth said, "No uncorrupted man may fear this court, Mister Hale! None! Giles Corey, you are under arrest in contempt of this court.”(91). Corey’s actions were not viewed as “pure” so he was sent to jail. This confirms the idea that justice dispensed by prejudiced eyes/ears is not justice, it’s
Judge Danforth was told the truth by John Proctorbut rejected it. John Proctor says in act three, “They’re pretending!” This shows his honesty towards the judge and how the judge undermined his words. Along with Danforth, there are many others for whom the truth. Reverend Parris was also reluctant to the truth.
Do the concepts of good and evil exist? Many people would say yes. In late 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, these concepts were truly put to the test. In the Puritan culture that was descended from the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, the people of New England were expected to live a life that was strictly devoted to Biblical dictates and ideals. Unfortunately, the Puritan mindset of the time period evolved in such a way that a belief in the possibility of the devil's interference in people's lives, in evil spirits, witches and warlocks, became a part of everyday life.
With the Bad Comes the Good In The Crucible, a well-known play written by Arthur Miller, the city of Salem, Massachusetts faces a wave of hysteria, leading people to fear witchcraft during the late 17th century. The play is based on the Salem Witch Trials and portrays a concept similar to that of McCarthyism. When a group of young girls was found dancing in the forest, and the Puritan minister’s daughter, Betty, appears to fall into an unconscious slumber, the extremely religious city began to suspect witchcraft. Once the intimidated group of girls witnesses the reaction and attention that this incident brings them, the local minister’s niece, Abigail Williams, realizes that she can use it as an opportunity to get vengeance on her worst enemy
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the reader watches as a small Massachusetts village tears itself apart during the Salem Witch Trials. Friends and neighbors accuse each of in fear that they are consorting with the Devil. It is no surprise then, that alliances begin to form in Salem. Some people use the trials as an opportunity to exact their revenge or for their own personal gain.
The friction between evil and good ultimately ignites every battle, from the minutest of internal conflicts to some of the greatest battles. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, great evil has overtaken the town of Salem, Massachusetts. It is a battle between the sinister Abigail Williams and the innocent people of Salem. Innocent lives are being taken due to the fear that some of the people of Salem supposedly practice witchcraft and have sold their lives to the devil. This fear is augmented because of the fact that the people of this town are Puritans, meaning that their entire lives abide by the Bible.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller can often be misunderstood as just a play written to show the mass hysteria of the 17th century caused by the lack of good judgement made by the puritans. However, Miller was only using the past to show America the path they were following if they continued to persecute communist and also as a warning for the future generations of Americans, through the use of an allegory. If the reader does not see what Miller is trying to accomplish from writing this play then there is a potential danger of repeating the mistakes made by both Salem and the entire country. In order to avoid this it is important for the reader to understand the motivations behind the false accusations made and the unjust court proceedings that
The evidence John Proctor showed to the court ended up only getting more people accused, which is what leads many not to confess to witchcraft even if it would save their life as it would put others at risk. “Then you tell me that you sat in my court, callously lying, when you knew that people would hang by your evidence?”(Miller 1200), this is one of the judges arguing with John Proctor about his evidence of Mary Warren's new confession. It shows how they believed that there had been wrong doing up until that point and that they had no idea they were being used. Their reaction to this information is all to save their reputation, and not to actually bring justice to Salem. This shows how they are corrupt and how despite John's best intentions, he was always going to fail at his overall goal, and in doing so putting more at risk of hanging in the process because of the judges not wanting the town to find out they were wrong as that would cause them to be removed from
I may falter somewhat, Mister; I am no fool” (69). Reverend Hale and John Proctor both recognize that the justice of the court is not “just” if an accusation is equal proof of guilt, and the only way you can avoid punishment is by confessing. However, Hale has a hard time believing that someone would confess to a crime they did not commit, as Proctor did. Thus, liberty and justice are not attainable when a corrupt court system
During the late 17th century a total of 200 people were accused of participating in witchcraft, while 19 people lost their lives to the mass hysteria. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a group of girls start a huge uproar in Salem, Massachusetts when they start screeching about Salemites being associated with the Devil. Throughout the play write, it shows the consequences of mass hysteria and how it puts people's lives in danger. Abigail Williams causes a wave of mass hysteria and because of her trickery, innocent people have died by her and the other girl’s actions, for this Abigail is the most unforgivable character in The Crucible.
Shawn Jande Ms. Clancy American Literature B3 15 November 2015 The Crucible Analytical Essay Imagine, being accused of a crime you didn’t commit by your neighbors and friends out of jealousy, and desire. This is what many people in the town of Salem had to go through during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. People's motives such as: gaining and maintaining power, and aspirations for what other people had caused them to make irrational, and atrocious decisions. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, desire and power drive characters to create chaos in the community.
Humans have been referred to as some of the most psychologically complex beings. In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller ventures into a highly studied subject, how do humans and societies react in times of crisis and panic? Miller bases his story off of the Salem witch trials, in his dramatized version, A small puritan village is struck with mass hysteria after a girl accuses someone of witchcraft. The story of witch trials is added for entertainment, below the surface Miller gradually explores Human Vulnerability, hypocrisy, and vengeance as his story unfolds, using Humans for relatability and understanding. Creating a great example of how humans and societies can crumble, collapse and bottom out under pressure.
In The Crucible, Arthur Miller creates an indisputable connection between the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare, the fear and persecution of suspected communists in the USA between the 40s and 50s. The hysteria and paranoia that took America by storm during the Red Scare are effectively criticized through the use of characters and plot. Through the depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, Miller shows how patterns of investigation, accusation, and punishment are correspondent between the trials and the Red Scare. The common themes of fear, hysteria, and dangerous mob mentality are explored through the use of irony, symbolism, and characterization. Arthur Miller successfully creates an allegory of the Red Scare in The Crucible while showing
In the play “The Crucible”, Arthur Miller uses his writing as a way to inform readers of the dangers of conforming. He writes about the years of the Salem witch trials, while adding realistic fiction drama in
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a dramatic play that expresses a very important message and that is how far people would go to save themselves from the hands of death. There are many characters in the Crucible who are guilty of taking innocent lives, but there are three major characters who, without a doubt, are the most at blame. The play takes place in the city of Salem, a city filled with people that would do anything to keep their reputation clean. Throughout the play, Miller is introducing multiple characters that experience changes in their decisions and negatively influence more people eventually leading up to the witch trials. The main point that the story revolves around is that people would rather lie and blame someone else instead of confessing and accepting the punishment.
Humans by chance are dramatically different in personalities, and the actions people go through to overcome life. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Miller is described as a young girl who manipulates and lies her way out of consequences. In comparison, Rebecca Nurse is admired and trusted, in the judgment strict Puritan town of Salem. Abigail Williams and Rebecca Nurse’s differential traits display how honesty and following the rules will lead to good standing in a society.