The Role Of Power In The Crucible

Dying for a cause, it’s happened many times throughout history. It’s how the world has progressed through many wars, rebellions, and social movements. Reverand Hale in The Crucible by Arthur Miller says “no principle, however glorious” is worth dying for, which was said during the period of the witch trials. This was a logical statement in that particular situation, where it was a basis of false accusations and pride. However, in modern times this statement applied to the situation of the present-day can be refuted and rejected.

Imagine being an African American living down South during the 1930’s, when racial discrimination was a huge thing. Why were these African Americans so hated and discriminated? It was the way these people grew up in their setting, or even the way the setting raised them, to automatically view these colored people different and not equal towards them. The place in which people are raised in give them these characteristics and social beliefs, so they are not used to anything outside of their social norm. In the novel, “The Crucibles”, by Arthur Miller, the characters living there had a very vague and straight forward way of living life, and if anyone was seen to be doing something different or unusual, they would automatically be accused of witchcraft.

Arthur Miller, a prominent twentieth century playwright, is well-known for his play The Crucible. The play opens in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. The Puritan religion is against dancing and singing because the Puritans believe these are sensuous activities. The Puritans also believe that Satan tempts human beings to carry out his work. Fear and hysteria strike Salem over the belief that the devil is in the town because Parris’s niece, Abigail Williams, was found dancing in the forest with other girls and Parris’s servant; and soon after two young girls fall sick. The town suspects the girls of witchcraft; however, Parris does not want to believe witchcraft is the cause of the trouble in Salem; so he calls in Reverend

A group of girls were dancing in the woods with a black slave named Tituba. When the girls got caught dancing in the woods, they started blaming other people in the village of being involved with witchcraft. Soon enough, the whole village believed the devil exists and lives within the fear of each person. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores through the individuals vengeance, reputation, fear, and seeking for power with the drama of suspense and impact.

The Devil, a figure usually associated with fear, death, and sickness is placed within this play as an influential “character” based on his spiteful reputation. His name alone, when spoken, fills any room in Salem with terror and uncertainty. Especially in such a puritan society, such as Salem, the Devil is recognized as a malicious creature who is behind the “Witchcraft” and “sickness” taking place. As Mr. and Mrs. Putnam attempt to jump to conclusion that “there are hurtful, vengeful spirits layin hands on these children”(15), Mrs. Putnam justifies the

The Devil has returned putting children under his control is what many people believed in Salem village in 1962. In ¨ The Crucible¨ by Arthur Miller many people panicked from the witch hysteria which caused many to be accused of being witches, Judge Danforth decided what happens to the accused witches and is the most corrupted in Salem because his power of being a judge made him go overboard with his decisions on people. When he starts to realize he continues to avoid people from getting mad at him for putting innocent people in jail and killing them.

Power and influence in society have a huge impact on the way things happen and affects perception. A prime example is the power that presidents and prime ministers have. Given this power they can effectively influence and persuade others. Power and influence is often associated with gender, conflict and roles and relationships. The importance of the power and influence can be thoroughly examined using texts that demonstrate ideas presented as truths. Some of these texts include, The Crucible, Macbeth, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and many more. The text being examined is The Crucible by Arthur Miller, set in Salem during the 1692 witch trials. The theme of the importance of name will become apparent by studying John Proctor and Abigail

“’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. In The Crucible the characters who are blind to the truth, do not realize they are being deceived and they end up deceiving others, which is best illustrated by Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris, and Abigail Williams.

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. Putnam claims that “There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark. Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more” (16). Putnam is yet another powerful male figure in Salem Betty has taken a grip over in the town. He, in this quote, truly believes that the devil is among the town of Salem based on Betty’s current condition. Reverend Hale, encouraging Tituba to give more names of witches, tells her to look at Betty’s “god- given innocence; her soul is so tender; we must protect her; Tituba; the Devil is out and preying on her like a beast upon the flesh of a pure lamb. God will bless you for your help”. (47) Betty has convinced Reverend Hale and the others that she is the victim and has done nothing wrong. This innocence is used as guilt for Tituba to make up names, even though Reverend Hale, who came into Salem with such an abundance of power, now is completely lead astray with the fake witchcraft present in the town due to Betty’s control of the situation at hand. Betty, throughout the first act, displayed her manipulative and dominant nature by taking power from certain powerful figures in the

Everyone longs for success. They desire the acceptance and approval for following their moral compass, being rewarded, and being acknowledged. However, one cannot maintain success without a purposeful and achievable position of power. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the power of society is bound upon a pronounced hierarchy. Men naturally are deemed as having higher status than women in society. The status of women relies on affiliation by association, their religious status, children, and race, therefore obtaining power proves to be a challenge for many. While Tituba lacks power due to her gender, race, and indentured servitude, she ultimately achieves power by maintaining an alleged alliance with the devil and through pursuing accusations of witchcraft.

In order to save herself from extensive consequences when the society had found out about her eating of the chicken blood in the forest, she is forced to blame someone for her wrongdoing. With this, Tituba comes close to her death, as it is intolerable for any Puritan to take play in witchcraft or consult with the Devil. Abigail claims that Tituba always “comes to [her] while [she] sleep[s] [and that] she's always making [her] dream corruptions!” (44). Although this is untrue, the Devil is placed in a situation of crime, which raises his level of power, as he is the one who is known to force people into performing sinful acts when they are under his influence. In addition to causing the people to, it causes people’s personalities to parallel with the Devil. Giles Corey is a man known for having a court record, due to constant attempt to obtain the land of others. John Proctor claims that Giles “cannot say (...) good morning without [clapping] him for defamation”, because “it [is] the Devil’s fault” (31). The Devil claims power in this situation considering that the effect that he has on Giles is one that strips away his morals as a human being. Similarly, but in a contrasting locality, during this time period, it is known that the Devil’s abilities are able to convert even the purest and sinless people away from God. As written by Arthur Miller, “the Devil [works] again (...) just as he [works] within the Slav who is shocked at (...) a woman’s disrobing herself in a burlesque show. Our opposites are always robed in sexual sin, and it is from this unconscious conviction that demonology”. The Devil “gains both its attractive sensuality and its capacity to infuriate and frighten,” which displays the control he holds over the society in that he can lure in a pure soul, but frighten one as well

In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, passions turned into problems. Witchcraft in Salem Massachusetts became a remembered event since 1692. Three girls were said to have interactions with the devil. When they were confronted about it they denied every interaction the people who were convicted they would say they weren’t a witch and would bring someone else’s name into the equation. Those who would admit to being a witch would go to jail, but for those who denied having interaction with the devil would have been trialed and hung, so really, anyway you put it it’s a lose-lose situation. Things like politics, religion, imaginations, and fear of people were just some of the main factors of what aided people into believing that Satan was upon the town of Salem.

Throughout history, governments have abused their power over their people and created societies that suppressed people’s beliefs. They used their power to put an end to people’s beliefs that went against their own and persecuted them unfairly. This idea is evident in the book, The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In Salem, teenage girls were accusing a multitude of people for being witches and the penalty for this was death. The government and church felt threatened everywhere they went, and ended up finding innocent people guilty for that reason. The courts, where the trials were held, were very corrupted and did not provide fair trials. The leader of the courts is Judge Danforth, who was very arrogant and the only opinion he thought that mattered

In Salem, a person’s wealth directly correlates to how much land they own. Amidst the chaos of rumored witchcraft, Putnam picks a fight with John Proctor, telling him that where he gathered his wood “is in [his] bounds” and that the lumber is rightfully his (32). By emphasizing the sheer amount of land that he controls, Putnam emphasizes his societal power. Highlighting his wealth through conversation allows him to control others’ perception of him because he constructs it to have the most importance. Additionally, Putnam constantly asserts his power in disagreements in an effort to hide his reputation, as the person blamed cannot attack his persona because they have to disprove his allegations. Shortly after Betty and Ruth are found in a trance, Putnam comes over to Parris’ house. He immediately concludes that witchcraft caused the girls’ illness. Parris initially refutes this idea because he wants to keep his good reputation. However Putnam convinces him of it, because Putnam wants Parris to “let [his] enemies make of it what they will, [Parris] cannot blink it more” (16). To Parris, it seems as though Putnam seeks to aid him accept his daughter’s current predicament. However, Putnam really wants to have Parris hanged for witchcraft so he can purchase his land. Acquiring the land makes Putnam wealthier, and ultimately

Authority is the most important theme because throughout the play the judge is the chosen one as they believed because the way they think is that god chooses the right one, Judge Danforth is the protector of Salem he is the one that sentences and executes men,women, and kids. The way they do it in salem is corroborative because the judge is relied on what the victims says and they don’t always tell the truth so it’s bad on the behalf of the suspect even if they haven’t did anything. As far as authority goes in Salem it all really depends on the main man the judge to condemn one’s life good or bad, the people of Salem is kinda like today’s people because people like to change the words of some things depending on the person they are talking