Ignorance In The Crucible

The Downfall of Salem In this world there are many different types of people such as those who follow and those who lead. The Crucible by Arthur Miller has four different categories of people; the liars, the power-mongering, the rebellious and the ignorant. The play is used to display the conflicts of the Salem Witch Trials with these four factions constantly opposing each other. Only to discover who is in the confines of the Devil’s keep and who is under the will of God.

Is there any way to judge if people are good or not? In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, and perhaps in real life, one of the main problems is deciphering the goodness of people. One cannot tell a sinner from a saint apart, as every character either has excessive pride, sinful witchcraft, or terrible lies. However, the play heavily applies, however unnapparent by the reader, that certain people who commit sin are less guilty than others, especially those who don not understsand they are wrong. The theme that only people who fully understand the situation at hand can be morally judged is proven through Proctor’s fair moral outlook in the story and Parris’s who does wrong in contrast to Danforth who looks righteous in the story despite all the wrong he does, because he does not know, and .

Whenever people are caught in a dilemma, they always do what protects their reputation. The first thought that comes to mind is which decision will benefit them the most. However, ignoring the disadvantages presented by the dilemma could lead to further consequences. People do not commit to what they truly believe in, but rather make a decision based off of how everyone else would see them. This is seen in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

In the mist of February 1692, the small Puritan village, Salem, was anything but upbeat with trepidation on the rise. As girls whom knew not of the consequences that laid behind their actions, they repeatedly shouted out the names of people whom displeased them. This resulted in turmoil and one of the vital characters came to light. John Proctor, a mere farmer, had built himself up to be a man of honor through his family and friends. Little did they know, Proctor had a secret life which is simply the beginning of his selfish demonstrations of his own morality.

A Shattered Confidence Arthur Miller’s The Crucible tells the story of how the Salem witch trials created a huge uproar and showed the fear of evil in the Puritan town. Young girls who were fooling around with witchcraft were able to save their reputation by blaming other citizens for using their spirit to compel them to see hallucinations and become unconscious. Reverend John Hale was called to save one of the young girl’s from “the devil” and also to free Salem from witchcraft. Through Reverend John Hale’s change from a confident savior to a guilty bystander, Miller illustrates the dangers of ignorance. Reverend Hale is passionate about saving Salem from evil spirits, being that he is well-educated on the subject.

Arthur Miller’s inspiration for his play The Crucible resulted from his observation of the repetition of “witch trials" throughout history. All of these witch-hunts, especially the one that occurred in Salem, were bred from the political and social repression present in the communities. This communal repression influenced a hypocritical mindset, which then prompted some individuals to manipulate others’ fear in order to gain a breath of personal freedom. Through comparing the Red Scare to the trials of Salem and analyzing the repetitive nature of these horrific acts, Miller emphasizes the idea that it is human nature for people to turn to the manipulation of fear in order to liberate themselves from their present reality.

n The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the play involved various themes. A very popular theme in the play is lies and deceit. The small town of Salem was all fouled that witchery was happening by a group of girls. Many people got involved in the court cases, and some people had very bad consequences then just being blamed. Lying only leads to the truth being told and having worse consequences for the people committing the lies.

The dictionary defines a crucible as a place or occasion of severe tests or trials. During the late seventeenth century, many places around the world began to have an increased fear of the supernatural. Witch trials sparked by these fears brought great pressure upon all involved. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the people of Salem were placed under a lot of pressure as the witch trials were occurring. With pressure mounting, three men from the story each struggled in a different manner; Parris becoming fearful and cowardly, Hale undergoing a change in character, and Proctor taking a stand for what he believed to be right.

John Proctor, a well-respected farmer, has to make many difficult decisions that affect himself, his family, and the community of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The tragedy of Salem trials begins with John Proctor. He is a middle aged man, a farmer, a husband, and a father who also committed a truculent sin. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible demonstrates the effects of hidden sin on John Proctor's character, on his family, and on his community.

Arthur Miller in his article, “Why I Wrote The Crucible,” identifies his motives for creating The Crucible as a political allegory for the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism by making correspondences between the two time periods. Both the Salem witch trials and the Second Red Scare share similar factors and origins which developed each society into a place of hysteria. Mob mentalities rooted in fear gave the people reason to throw away their reason and follow public norms to put suspects on trial. The wrongfully convicted were urged to name others guilty of the same crime and continued false accusations which further perpetuated the trials. The absolutism of the courts caused many of the innocent to be assumed guilty by simple association or some false