Ditsky claims that it was legitimate hysteria. While witches in the sense that they believed did not exist; in the popular mind they did, and it was this hysteria that was dangerous. Miller himself exemplifies this. Through his lense of The Red Scare he couldn’t see the true hysteria behind the witch trials only the facade. This within itself is a major piece of the social commentary.
To everyone, besides the judges, it is evident she only sought to protect Proctor’s name and reputation. She values her commitment to her husband over honesty. She thought ruining his reputation would be the worst thing to happen to him, so she lied to the court, but boy was she wrong. Her little lie would only cost him his life. Act 3 is chock-full of other
The locutionary meaning is the alleged witchcraft used on Desdemona; the illocutionary force is vouching done by Brabantio because in saying this accusation, Othello must be guilty of witchcraft and therefore should face punishment. A perlocutionary effect may be that by vouching this accusation, he either has or has not convinced the Duke and fellow senators of the bewitchment committed on his daughter Desdemona. Brabantio’s illocutionary force does not have the desired perlocutionary effect, which would be Othello’s conviction. Instead the Duke denies Brabantio’s words as proof, and according to J.L. Austin, this infelicitous response results in a violation of condition A1 of the performativity statutes (para. 6 Lecture II).
He believes that children nor women would lie to him, but it somewhat fears him about the fear of witchcraft in a puritan society. In the Crucible, hysteria can engage by tearing up the whole community. This enables people to accuse others for the grudges held between them saying that they would take part in witchcraft or have any actions against the devil. “There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships.
In the eyes of Danforth people are not innocent until proven guilty; they are innocent until accused guilty. In the eyes of Danforth facts and details mean nothing to him. He comes to conclusions that any rational man cannot come to. He has doomed people to death who were innocent just because they did not want to confess to something that they did not do. This is because Danforth’s rule throughout these trials were that if someone was accused of witchcraft, even if they were innocent they had to confess or they were sentenced to death.
The Red Scare during the mid-twentieth century, sparked by Joseph McCarthy’s accusations, is an event in which mass fear and paranoia of communism hypnotized Americans. Convictions made by McCarthy often placed people on a blacklist, destroying their careers. Because of these certain events, it influences playwright Arthur Miller to write The Crucible. The play demonstrates this hysteria through the Salem witch trials. People who were thought to be a witch have a choice of blackening their reputation by confessing, or hanging under the false evidence of witchcraft.
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).
He falls to the false accusations of the girls and begins to believe them. It could also be Danforth's fear of witches that causes him to act so blindly. Danforth may be so scared of the devil that he does not act rationally when accusations of witchcraft are made because he takes the accusation with the utmost concern. Because of this Abigail takes advantage of his incompetence. This is displayed when Abigail fools him after screaming.
Therefore, people in Waknuk should have acceptance to deviation and mutant people rather than send to the Fringes or kill them because they could lose talented people that could rise their
A great line from Miller’s composition describing this situation was, “The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.” This can be explained as the witch-hunt set in a greater fear of panic when they realized how much freedom they had to accuse someone of witchcraft and the accusers would be able to take the accused
Luckily, Our Father Above showed C.S. Lewis how he could write about the many schemes of the devil and his minions. Unfortunately, the Enemy is very sly, and he will try to convince you to believe that the things in the book simply cannot be true. You all, the humans, must not be deceived by this lie. The next time that a voice pops into your head and tries to make you believe that this book is not true, cast him out. After you realize that this book is valid testimony and that it contains so much truth in it, and after you actually read it, you must change.
“The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and and a dull spirit at the same time” (Lavatar). This quote is seen throughout The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, in a character named Abigail Williams. Located in 1600s Salem, Massachusetts, a group of troublesome girls started accusing many innocent people of witchcraft, which causes a lot of people to die. Abigail was the main instigator, using her psychotic personality to full advantage while being driven by her love for John. Since she is motivated by her lust for John Proctor, her decision to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft creates high tensions, restlessness and death by the end of the play.
In the blink of an eye, an entire society can be gripped by fear and hysteria. In the play, The Crucible, the author, Arthur Miller depicts the town of Salem, Massachusetts in which the public is riveted by a whirlwind of witchcraft controversies. During this time, even the smallest actions or remarks are blown out of proportion. Being renowned for his extensive knowledge in dealing with witchcraft, Reverend John Hale from nearby Beverly is called in to “cure” those possessed by the Devil. Hale’s transformation demonstrates the shift from hysteria and narrow-mindedness to rationality and open-mindedness, which emphasizes the development of Miller’s message, which states that nothing in the world is as black and white as it seems.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem rely heavily on their reputations, which in the face of witchcraft, leads to false accusations and hysteria. Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. In The Crucible when Abigail is trapped in a web of her own lies, she is accused of calling the Devil. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, “I never called him!
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, false allegations of witchcraft initiates a widespread witch hunt throughout Salem, Massachusetts during 1692. One of the play’s most prominent characters is Reverend John Hale. Reverend Hale is a Puritan minister from Beverly, Massachusetts with a superior knowledge about witchcraft. Mr. Hale journeys to Salem in order to eliminate any sorcery occurring within the town. Hale’s arrival leads to the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials, a series of hearings to investigate the witchcraft accusations.