The Crucible Essay Characters were willing to do almost anything in order to protect their reputation. “And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out… why she done it herself (Miller 71.) People were prepared to commit many sins in order to keep theur reputation clean. If they were accused of witchcraft, their reputation would be destroyed. In effors to save their reputation, characters would go to great lengths to frame others. “I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parush, you compromise my very character (Miller 11). Reverend Paris is high up in the town and if fearful of being accused of witchcraft because it could cause him to loose his position in the town. He is more concerned with his standing in the town than his own daughter and nieces lives being at stake. Humans all have certain behaviors and feelings that cause these types of actions. …show more content…
“I will fall like an ocean on that court” (Miller 73). John Putnum is willing to do anything to protect his wife Elizebeth’s life. This shows that people are willing to kill others out of love for another (“An Analysiss of Human Nature in The Crucible by Author Miller.”). People are willing to do many things in their power in order to survive or help loved ones survive. What ever it took for them to not get killed, they were willing to do. “And there is none but Putnum with the win to by so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land (Miller 89). Putnum is using his daughter for his own advantage. He wants her to give out names of people to get accused of witchcraft for his own power. Putnum is using mass hysteria to gain more land in Salem. The more property, the more
In the book “The Crucible” By Arthur Miller, some characters would rather lie to save their reputation than tell the truth. If Abigail Williams one of the main characters would have acted out a lot of people would be saved. John Procter committed adultery. Parris is a reverend of the church. All these characters have reputations which they try to save.
Throughout Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the characters are constantly faced with many compelling influences. The protagonist in The Crucible, John Proctor, is faced with the conflicting decision of pleading guilty along with countless others in being a witch or being hung as a guilt-free Christian. The thirteen people, of whom before Proctor had been accused as a witch, had began to accept the penalty of not saying they are a witch. Because of their decision to not be persuaded by the accusing children, these people strongly persuaded Proctor to accompanying the others of his community. But with the strong persuasion to stay silent, many of the accused people were being prompted into pleading guilty and being allowed to stay alive.
Mob Mentality: That escalated quickly… The website Investopedia defined mob mentality as “a form mentality characterized by a lack of individual decision-making or thoughtfulness, causing people to think and act in the same way as the majority of those around them”(Investopedia). Mob mentality usage was prominent in the world's history and is still being used today. In this essay mob mentality will be shown to you in a form of steps.
The town of Salem was in a hysterical state. Citizens, gullible to the word of a young girl of seventeen, were in a panic. Like the citizens of the town, the court clutched to any word stated from any individual in the town. It was the word of witchcraft. The court picked off innocent people like flies in the suspicion that they been involved with some evil satanic power, and in an attempt to save themselves, they confessed to a lie, that they have committed witchcraft and pacted with the devil.
In those times we don’t always think about the right thing because it takes a lot of courage and honesty that many don’t have. Arthur Miller in The Crucible uses courage, weakness and truth to allow the reader to better understand and relate to the characters in the book and the way of their society, during that time. Some examples to show are when John Proctor was tried for his lifeand his name, when Elizabeth Proctor was tested of her truth in the court, and when Giles Coery was pressed to death.
At the beginning of the play, Paris quickly blurts out how witchcraft could be taking over the town and calls Hale. This causes John to quickly respond, “Did you consult the wardens before you called the minister to look for the devils?” (Miller 1048). This evidence illustrates that Proctor has the bravery to question the reverend of what he has done. The reverend is the leader of Salem and he has the power to do what he wants in the town.
“Don’t touch me - don’t touch me! [...] You’re the Devil's man! [...] I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God. [...]
In most cases, protecting oneself has and always will be most people’s reasons for the decisions they make behind their false reasons. People would rather others suffer than themselves. In Arthur Miller’s tragic play, The Crucible, several young girls, led by another named Abigail, try to save themselves: the girl's selfish decisions ultimately affect the whole town in Salem and results in many innocent people killed. Most of the characters in Arthur’s play are only there to help themselves in one way or another. The primary motivation behind the tragic events in The Crucible is Self-Preservation; this is revealed by the characters' lust for power, their need to maintain a good reputation, and their willingness to set blame on others.
Throughout Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, there are few examples of characters that choose to uphold their own integrity rather than save their life, such as John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse. However, there are many characters, such as Mary Warren, who choose to sacrifice their honesty and integrity in order to save their own life. Overall, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible speaks for both types of people in this situation: those that are honourable, and those that are dishonourable in their actions. Both types of characters draw upon different aspects of human nature. For example, self preservation is evident in those that chose to accuse rather than be accused themselves as well as those that lied and made false confessions in order to save their life.
Amidst times of chaos when fear and uncertainty is abundant, many individuals prioritize their own survival above all else. Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible, is an examination of this instinct in the framework of the Salem witch trials. Through his use of literary devices, specifically dialogue, Miller delves into complex themes of self-preservation, mass hysteria, and truth. In The Crucible, Miller employs character dialogue to illustrate the unfortunate reality that during the witch trials, self-preservation often held more value than moral principles and honesty. By exploring the different characters and their motivations, Miller reveals the dangerous consequences of prioritizing self-preservation above fundamental beliefs.
The Moral Growth of John and Friends The play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller is aptly named; the characters are pushed to their emotional limit, and their morals as a whole are changed. However, some characters morals are more drastically affected than others. Reverend Parris is walking on thin ice in the town of Salem. Much of the congregation resents him for his greed and sermons filled with talk of fire and brimstone.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John showcases his goodness, by having a strong conscience, and firm principled beliefs. Although, John demonstrates great moral character, there are very few people in present-day society that showcase his great valour and bravery. In modern society, people are constantly made conscious of their wealth and status as a measure of their nobility and goodness. However, many societies do not realize that goodness can only come from within, when an individual is willing to face their truths and
Throughout history the fear of corruption and change has compelled people to go to drastic measures to prevent it. The Crucible, a play by arthur Miller, is set in an environment of religious citizens who fear that the devil and witchcraft will corrupt their society. Much like The Crucible, McCarthyism caused the citizens in America to fear corruption of the government by communism. Arthur Miller used his play the crucible as a direct response to McCarthyism and through this play Miller writes about the Salem witch trials during the McCarthy period to comment on how history repeats itself. The social and political factors in The Crucible resemble those in America during the red scare and McCarthyism.
Reverend Parris was one of those people. At the start of The Crucible, he found girls, including his daughter and niece, dancing in the forest. He was horrified and constantly worried about his reputation if word got out that his own family was performing witchcraft. After gaining attention from the town through Abigail, his niece, admitting and blaming others of witchcraft, Reverend Parris’ views changed. He then started promoting the arrest of witches in the town and supported the hanging of these innocent people.
When push comes to shove, everyone makes a tough decision, but in the end the decision was either out of fear to protect themselves, or a strategy to gain a designated amount of authority. In today 's society, many of the decisions people make lead to riots in the streets and people getting hurt. Similarly, the Ferguson riot in Missouri years ago, where many civilians were injured because of decisions made by everyone involved. Whether it turned violent because they wanted to prove something or because they feared the police when they showed up. In the story, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the characters also illustrate the fact that it is human nature to defend oneself, to strive to survive despite the harm such actions can cause to