The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the corruption, lying, strict actions of the Salem witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts. Miller was inspired to write this play to relate to the era of McCarthyism during the 1950’s that he and American citizens were experiencing. In the 1950’s Joseph McCarthy starting accusing public figures of being guilty of treason by supporting the communist party (of Russia). But McCarthy had no physical proof or evidence that suggested his wild accusations. The accusations caused havoc in America, hundreds imprisoned, and thousands to lose their job. The Crucible is focused on the wrongful and unjust accusations on townspeople guilty of “witchcraft” by a young teenager Abigail. If guilty, the town holds a trial, which if the accused confesses to witchcraft the accused would live; if the accused will be hanged. The accusations and trials led to twenty deaths of innocent people. These deaths are the fault of court official Danforth, integrity of John Proctor, and the lies told by Abigail are the reason these people were hanged. The lies and deception throughout the play were big factors causing the hangings of the twenty innocent people. Early on, she realizes that she is in trouble about the witchcraft, but she recognizes that she is able to confess to her wrong doing, of committing acts of the devil, if she did not confess she would have been hanged. In effect she will accuses other people, but the name were mentioned by Thomas Putnam earlier, so she said what Putnam wanted to hear. Subsequently Abigail confessed, “I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go …show more content…
Nevertheless, the lies started by Abigail, the stern integrity of Proctor, and the decisions of Danforth all caused twenty people to be wrongfully hanged and caused chaos in
Click here to unlock this and over one million essays
Show MoreDue to paranoia, the once quiet town of Salem, Massachusetts has erupted with accusations, rumors, revenge, and in the end, death. The one thing that makes or breaks these characters is reputation. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, goes back to the year 1692 when witchcraft took over Salem. Neighbors are now seen as enemies and no one can be trusted. Over 15 people died in this true, American event because of false, witchcraft accusations.
The Crucible is a 1953 play written by Arthur Miller. It is amplified and somewhat novelized story of the Salem witch trials. Miller wrote the play as a parable to the McCarthyism persecution of communist sympathisers. In this play, a group of Puritan girls are found dancing and conjuring with the devil in the forest. Soon the whole village of Salem knows about the dancing and starts accusing people of witchcraft.
In history there have been many major events that have shaped the times we live in. Two of the major events of our time are the "witchunts" of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a drama and fictional story of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692-1693. Miller wrote the play as a parable for McCarthyism, when the United States government ostracized people for being communists.
Furthermore, throughout the entire story Abigail is starting stuff, she just continues to stir the pot and makes it worse in the town. She lies to her uncle’s face about what happened in the woods, too she lied about the needle in her stomach. Through the story do to the few lies she did tell started mass caos in the town. Everyone began lying to and about everyone to save themselves, innocent people died, everyone
One example these actions being brought to life is on of page 109 when John Proctor tells Elizabeth “ My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man”. This is quote has so much meaning because previous to this quote John had admitted to the court that he had had an affair with Abigail. By him admitting this he is putting himself in the state to be arrested for adultery, which would later lead to his death. Abigail had accused John's wife Elizabeth of being a witch in hopes that she would be hanged.
The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. It takes place during the Salem witch trials. Salem is an isolated town in the Boston area that is set up perfectly for witchcraft accusations. Abigail is being accused of witchcraft and she is a manipulative girl. Abigail has been accused of committing witchcraft in the woods and she plans to bring other people down with her.
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.
Hysteria in Salem The Crucible is a play written by American author, Arthur Miller, in 1953. It is a somewhat fictional play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote it as an allegory to the Red Scare, the promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism. Miller himself was blacklisted for refusing to testify in front of the HUAC, a committee that was created to investigate any person who might be a communist.
Abigail believed that Proctor actually loved her and she waited every night for him. She was brainwashed to think he would leave his wife for her. The witchcraft accusation came from the beginning of the story when Abigail and the girls were dancing naked in the woods and chanting. She made false accusations that people in the village were worshipping the devil to cover what she had done. Many lives were taken but Abigail had no empathy for anyone who was hanged.
Lying is the most committed sin. Everyday people lie whether small or big. Every human knows that lying should not be exercised, but sometimes, in certain situations, lying is necessary due to the consequences of telling the truth. In the Bible, James 3:8, quoted is “But no human being can tame the tongue, it is a relentless evil, full of deadly poison.”
In result of abigail bluffing all the time the town went into hysteria, this is a perfect example of the consequences of not owning up and taking responsibility because what she did saved herself from punishment although in doing so it killed 20 people and endangered many others. If abigail had used her hysterical lie where she confessed to god and said that she was free of the devil’s curse and didn’t blame anyone none of those people who were hang would have died and the witch trials could have been avoided all together. The other representation of taking responsibility, as I once said, would be john proctor because at the very end he refuses to lie to save himself and he takes responsibility by lying about him being possessed, then refusing to sign the confession and ripping it up; in doing so he made sure nobody else got killed and ended the killings of witch accusations because the town knew the judges had no right to accuse him because of his reputation, and the type of person he
Abigail finally sees the outturn of her lies she has made for what she wants. Proctor is hanged which she didn’t attend to do, but now pays the price. She also found out what lying can do “They’re pretending, Mr. Danforth... Mary, please don’t hurt me!.”(miller 120-121). Lying has made her corrupt and is used to persuade to make harm with.
“’She makes me drink blood”’ says Abigail (Miller 160). The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. The play takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, where many people were accused of witchcraft. The accused were either jailed or hanged. In the play many characters are blind to the truth and are changing the path of life.
If Abigail, John, and Elizabeth would have been honest to begin with then many innocent people would not have lost their lives and left the town in despair. Abigail Williams lied to many people a during the entire story. In Act 1, Abigail made Reverend Parris believe that she was dismissed from working for the Proctors was due to the fact that “She (Elizabeth) hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!” (Miller, 140).
Abigail Williams is not your typical teenage girl. She is a girl that will drink blood to kill someone, accuse people of witchcraft, and have a affair. By looking at The Crucible, one can see that Abigail Williams develops the theme of reputation, which is important because people who fear losing their reputation spread hysteria. Protecting her reputation motivates Abigail Williams to accuse others of being a witch.