Nick Yon Mrs. Titus English III Honors 16 September 2016 Crucible Essay When reason fails, emotions control and result in the destruction of what is morally right or good. ‘The Crucible’ entailing drama, color, and suspense, materializes the sheer terror shown by the inhabitants of the small town of Salem during the terror christened the ‘Salem Witch Trials’. As the story develops and characters shift dramatically, and the best and worst of human nature is stripped bare.
The Crucible Throughout Miller’s play, The Crucible, the characters are faced with many different trials when the suspicion of witchcraft enters their town. These trials have forced the characters to change their opinions and develop their own sense of personal integrity. The impact of pressure on people has forced some of the characters to further from their own morals. Reverend Hale, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor already had strong opinions on witchcraft before it became such a major issue in their society. When Reverend Hale was first asked to come investigate Salem he was determined to discover witchcraft.
The Crucible The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a book/play that explains the witch trials that happened in Salem Massachusetts. Because we need a good reputation to have a good self- esteem, John Proctor struggles to decide what is the most important to him, life or reputation. In this book John has a conflict with himself on whether his life or his reputation is more important. In the book Proctor says “You are the high court, your word is good enough!
The goodness and honesty of a person is revealed when he or she faces a crucible. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a strict Puritan town by the name of Salem is overpowered by the lies and deceit of supposed witchcraft. Everyone is subject to affiliation with the Devil and no one is safe from allegation. Two righteous men – John Proctor and Reverend Hale – compliment and contrast each other in their search to uncover the truth. As the play proceeds, Proctor and Hale find themselves and follow their own moral values.
Miller uses irony to demonstrate the flaws, the corruption, within the court’s justice system. In this case, it’s emphasized when Giles is found guilty; even though, he did have evidence to prove his accusation. He states, “if Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeits up his property that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece”( Miller 89). In addition, he has a witness that heard Putnam thanking his daughter after she cried out on Jacobs.
The Preservation of One’s Reputation Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” A reputation is one of the most important things a person has. It measures one’s worth, honor, and integrity - something we all strive for.
Arthur Miller's The Crucible highlights a human frailty, arrogance, responsible for the witch hysteria in the 1690s. Each character portrays arrogance which make him abuse power. The play explores the human nature of being arrogant and the fear of tarnishing one's reputation, by acting unmorally. Through Hale's, Parris's, and Danforth's actions, Miller indicates that arrogance is the frailty most responsible for the witch hysteria.
Commitment V. Loyalty The Crucible is a play based on lies and deceit, but there are also moments where integrity is shown. The Crucible is written by Arthur Miller, this play depicts certain events that occurred during the Salem witch trials. In this play characters are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it leads to the downfall of others. Abigail’s horrendous lies are what causes most of the characters downfalls.
Integrity can mean different things for different people. Integrity can mean overcoming fears or it can mean doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason. Integrity can mean overcoming adversity when thrown at someone during crucial times. In the play, integrity meant doing the right things for the right reasons. There is a lot to be learned in the play about integrity.
Abigail Williams was the main cause of Salem witch trials because Abigail was the first person to start accusing innocent people of witchcraft. Due to young Abigail actions, 20 innocent people took the calling of death for her actions. how many People do you know willing to lie and cheat the rules to get anything they want .? The fact that twenty people died all because of Abigail craving attention and wanting her own personal gain from accusing others of having spoken with the devil or witchery is insane. I blame Abigail for anything that has happened during the witch trials of Salem.