Intolerance is important in The Crucible because it demonstrates how fast people’s attitudes and beliefs can change due to an event taking place in their town. Judges Hathorne and Danforth exhibit intolerance towards the people being trialed. If somebody spoke of another person performing witchcraft, the judges would not tolerate it and had that person thrown in jail even if there was no evidence to back up the statement. They were definitely substituting a role of unjustifiable reasoning. Miller uses intolerance to show that the people of Salem, especially the judges, were narrow minded and wanted everything to go their way.
Reverend Parris, worried for his own job, explains to Abigail that her “punishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.” Even the idea of witchcraft in Reverend Parris’s house could ruin his reputation in the town and therefore risk his job. By Betty being ‘afflicted’, she is holding power over her own father and his position in the town. She knows that the longer she is asleep, the more desperate her father is going to be blame someone for the witchcraft who is not her.
Abigail Williams accused lots of people in Salem, even people with a good reputation and good souls; she wanted to save herself so she did wrong things. In act III, she pretend that she was possessed by Mary Warren, repeating everything Mary said. How we can see, she was not a sane woman; after being the good niece from Reverend Parris to being a horrible and pitiless woman. She started the rumors of witchcraft in the whole Salem just to stay with John, doing impossible things to keep herself saved and to keep John. Also, Abigail was one rebel, she confronted God with all her acts; people in Salem fear of doing certain things like that.
I have often wondered if the Devil be in it somewhere; I cannot understand you people otherwise.” (Miller, 30) His dislike influenced other people of the village to question Parris’s authority such as Giles Corey. His death had the most influential impact on the village because when he passed away, Parris and the trials are overthrown which may signify his impact on the society. This frees the next generations of the corrupt minister and the unjust
Hanging all of these victims will cause attention to him, and cause people to believe that he should he honored for saving Salem. In conclusion to reading The Crucible, through Act 3, we learn that Danforth has his own ways of doing his job. To the extent of not being fair, law-abiding, and being indifferent to what the people have to say. The qualities that he lacks to demonstrate shows that he is not an effective judge by any means.
Dramatic irony is created in the text through Danforth asking “Why did you dismiss Abigail Williams?”, and Elizabeth responding “She - dissatisfied me”(Miller. III.18.). This is an example of Dramatic Irony because the reader already knows that John has confessed to adultery, but Elizabeth doesn't so she lies in hopes of protecting his reputation. Elizabeth's attempt in maintaining John’s Power caused her and John to both have bad reputations, and resulted in John being out on death row. from this, more chaos in the community is created because of more deaths of significant characters, leaving the town to run with orphans and rotting from lack of order.
This would explain why so many people were accused. “In conclusion, the residents of Salem Village usually accused their neighbors of witchcraft because it was very common to have a history of conflict or tension with your neighbor at the time”(Teenink.com). Even if no one can prove that these were the main reasons for the Salem Witch Trials and there are still many other theories, these three give the best explanation. These three theories show that the girls only did i because they were ill or believed that it was right because someone they looked up to told them to do it.
Hale’s confusion gets the best of him, but shows that he does not agree with the girls’ beliefs anymore that the devil has scouted the accused. He realizes that the court is corrupt and what they are doing is unfair, in the sense that believing the girls was wrong. Quitting the court ends Hale’s confidence and shows he is doubting the validity of his own conclusions that he had made initially. The morning that was set for John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey to be hung; Reverend Hale was at the jail trying to get the accused to confess to witchcraft. Hale begs to Danforth, “If you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are striving for their confessions, that speak mercy on your part” (1223).
The Salem witch trials were a time period when any individual could be accused of witchcraft for numerous reasons. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller focuses on the deviation of the trials and how the town’s most religious and honest members of the community are tried with witchcraft. John Proctor, the town’s most honest man, is accused of being a witch and must decide if he should confess or not. Proctor’s confession will cease the town from rebelling and uphold the reputations of Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris. Hale also wishes for Proctor’s confession so he does not have to feel responsible if Proctor were to be hanged for his witchcraft accusations.
Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!
In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller many characters turn on each other accusing them of witchcraft. Many people are getting hung by these false accusations, and the town is chaotic due to this. In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows that characters are motivated and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Miller shows this through the accusations made by Thomas Putnam, Judge Danforth, and Mary Warren.
We examined and hesitated because of their confidence in their evidence. Excellency, are you condemning these innocent souls to death because you believe in your heart that this is the correct thing to do or are you condemning them because if you announce they are indeed innocent the court’s and your reputation and credibility will be ruined? Do you beguile yourself with lies because twelve are already executed (Act 4, p103)? Postponement does not speak a
While he himself is a Puritan, he would want to strive for helping others instead of just helping himself. He was asked to bring witches to trial lawfully and with proof, but alas he just profited from the many accusations of his. In the truth the irony of this whole situation is that during these events the holy Puritans threw their beliefs out the metaphorical window. And in doing so turned their civilized village to and savage society. Option B
Meanwhile apprehension grips Parris’s mind that it also compels him arbitrarily to allege many townspeople. Parris blames others to divert attention away from himself. He worries that if the townspeople learn that his daughter and niece have fiddled with witchcraft, his position as pastor could be expelled. Yet at the same time, in the beginning of the play, because Parris placed the title witch on the heads of even the most pious members of his community, he converts into an overly insecure character. All in all, Parris horrors the loss of his job, others finding fault in him, and
The Reason Behind John Proctor's Downfall In The Crucible, John Proctor is considered to be a tragic hero because he lets his pride get the best of him. He is faced with two difficult decisions and a sinful past that has come back to haunt him. While he yearns to make the right decision, he knows that the consequences could greatly affect him for the rest of his life. In the end, John possesses a tragic flaw of extreme pride, that will ultimately lead to his destruction.