https://www.planetpapers.com/ “The Crucible” is a play written by Arthur Miller, which is based on the true story of the Salem witch trails. Miller wanted theatre to “heighten the awareness of what living in our time involves”. Therefore, his play has many links with the modern world, McCarthyism for instance. Breaking it down into many smaller scenes, I will analyse Act 1 of ‘The Crucible’. I am doing this to explore the dramatic effect of character and action. ‘The Crucible’ is a powerful drama and is strongly built to bring out the full dramatic effect of varying shifts of tension and conflict. This is a play that explores the way in which a community can be devastated by a witch-hunt that can place individuals at conflict with their own conscience. It is very important that we understand the answer to the question ‘What was living in Salem like in 1692?’ If we do not explore this question, the drama is not convincing. The villagers of Salem were Puritans who followed a particular form of Protestant Christianity. Life was hard in the small town due to strict religious codes. Singing, theatre and dancing were all forbidden and everyone was expected to attend worship on a regular basis. The people of Salem did infact believe in witchcraft and the outbreak of accusations in 1692 gave people an excuse to wreak revenge upon old enemies and to settle old scores with land ownership. This caused many innocent people to be blamed and so the accusations to spread like wildfire. We have no way of being sure what the language of the time really sounded like - there are no recordings! There had been settlers in Massachusetts for quite a short time, so the American English that we know today wouldn't have existed. But by looking at documents from that time, including verbatim (word for word) transcripts of the court proceeding, Miller was able to create an historical feel to the language, which makes it easier for us to feel we are being transported back to the community of that time. Miller is trying to establish a society that is unfamiliar but that we can believe in. He uses various features of language to help do this. Miller used old-fashioned, archaic words, which where still authentic. For example, “bid” is used instead of the 2003-12-03T18:44:45-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Arthur-Miller-controls-the-rise-and-fall-in-act-1-of-the-crucible-5309.aspx Very often in literature “all conflict is, in its simplest form, is a struggle between good and evil.” In other words, all discord in literature eventually breaks down to a clashing between good and evil. This concept of good and evil being the root of all literature is clearly exhibited in Miller’s “The Crucible” and Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark.” In “The Crucible” Miller 2002-02-23T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-and-The-Birthmark-Good-and-Evil-4433.aspx The Crucible reveals that people's private emotions and desires often have consequences far beyond their own lives. Three characters that share that quality and who contributed greatly to the outbreak of hysteria in Salem are John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Proctor. All these characters, in one way or another brought eminence suspicion and/or emotional relief into the town of Salem. Proctor had to deal with both sides of Salem's controversy. In most eyes Proctor was a good man, but some of the things he'd done and said leave a few with different opinions. Proctor grew emotionally and as a character in whole. He started off as an outspoken man who didn't attend church for personal reasons not accepted by many others. Proctor hesitates to expose Abigail's true "identity", because he worries that their past relationship would be discovered and his name ruined.He had committed adultery, which in colonial times (and according to one of the Commandments) was a horrid thing to do. Thomas Putman accuses Proctor of never going to church, but Proctor claimed that was beaus his sermons were more of the devil than God. Also, because his skepticism of witchcraft, Proctor was torn between the truth and falsehood. He chose to testify against Abigail despite the fact that he felt bad, and that he might still have feelings for her, but in the end he felt that it wasn't worth it. Proctor has to make another major decision. He had to choose between signing a false confession which could ruin the fate of his community, or sacrificing his life to save his friends. By choosing not to sign the confession, Proctor was executed, but his strength, courage, and his infatuation with the good of the community, gave him the title "hero" of the story. Abigail Williams is another character who contributed to the main plot of the play. Her young and innocent appearance gave people the wrong impression. Abigail was a deceitful person who didn't care about the outcome of her actions, only if it involved herself. She had once been John Proctor's lover, but was soon cast aside. Abby's jealousy towards Elizabeth Proctor caused her to resort to blackmail. She couldn't take the fact that John no longer loved her the way he did, and that he wanted to pretend that nothing ever happen. Abby not only went against Elizabeth, but against anyone she could think 2002-02-10T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Characters-and-Their-Emotions-4360.aspx Prior to the play Miller clearly establishes what the Salem community would have been like in 1692: “The children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak” This shows us that life in Salem in 1692 was very strict and religious. There was a very rigid regime to follow and everyone should be thankful to god for being allowed to follow it. It was as if it was so rigid someone would soon burst out and rebel against it. The crucible describes Salem in 1692 when madness took over when accusation by a bunch of girls started flying around the village that there were witches: “I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil!” The girls who made these accusations snapped because of the harsh strict conditions they lived in and started making accusation about half the women in Salem being witches. This is also very similar to Miller’s own experiences. He fell to the hands of a very paranoid committee called the House Un-American Activities Committee who had the power to investigate people who were seen as a threat to the state. The chairman of it was Senator Joseph McCarthy. This committee wanted to stop the spreading of communist at a very delicate time and it was know as McCarthyism. It stopped and arrested anyone who they thought might have been a communist. Miller was one of these people; he was brought before the caught because he signed a petition because he was scared of fascism. This made Miller think of the parallels between McCarthyism and the cries of witchcraft in Salem 1692. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extract the pure element from impurities. In the play many characters go through there own personal crucibles where there impurities are extracted and they become better people. Elizabeth Proctor is married to John proctor who have 3 children and are very religious: “There be no love for satin in this house.” Elizabeth and John Proctor are good people who are religious and believe that satin does not reside in there house even if it does in the rest of Salem as they try their best to be Christians whilst still looking after each other and their farm. In act one we hear Abigail describe Elizabeth as “ a cold snivelling woman” yet this contradicts with stage directions, which describe Elizabeth as 2001-11-09T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Elizabeth-s-Personal-Crucible-4016.aspx The play, ‘The Crucible’, illustrates how people react to mass hysteria created by a person or group of people, as people did during the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s and the Salem witch hunts of 1962. Many Americans were wrongly accused of being Communist sympathizers. The activities of the House of Un-American Activities Committee began to be linked with the witchcraft trials that had taken place in the town of Salem. This provided Miller with the catalyst to write ‘The Crucible’. Without the knowledge of the McCarthy hearings and the Salem witch hunts, ‘The Crucible’ may be seen as a melodrama and the events in the play, sensationalised. It is not a melodrama because it is not overly dramatic; the McCarthy hearings and the witch hunts inject realism in the play. The play deals with historical events and with characters that have a historical context. Through the use of dialogue, stage directions which enable us to envisage the scene on stage and characterisation we can see how dramatic tension is created by Miller. These aspects are to be explored for each act. Act One begins with Reverend Parris praying fervently over his daughter, Betty Parris, who lies unconscious on her bed. The stage directions indicate that the room is quite dark with only a candle burning and sunlight through the window lighting the room. Parris is frightened, confused and angered by Betty’s illness, perhaps wondering what he has done wrong to be inflicted with such misery. This shown by the way he prays, then weeps and then starts praying again as if he unsure even of his emotions. He is very tense and is quickly angered without provocation, for example when Tituba inquires about Betty he turns on her in fury and shouts at her to get out. He then starts to sob and in his fear he starts to mumble to Betty to wake up, his feeling of inadequacy is expressed through his fragmented, disjointed sentences. ‘Oh, my God! God help me! Betty. Child. Dear Child. Will you wake, will you open your eyes! Betty, little one…’ He turns on Abigail and confronts her and through the conversation between Reverend Parris and his niece Abigail, the audience learns that the town’s girls, including Abigail and Betty, had engaged in activities in the forest led by Tituba; Parris’ slave from Barbados. At this moment they are only provided with conflicting accounts of the truth 2001-07-16T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Dramatic-Tension-3579.aspx Often in true tests of moral character where people are tempted to deceive, be dishonest, or take advantage of each other, there are few who truly succeed. The story of The Crucible gives one of the strongest tests of morality, where the truly ethical are punished and those of low morale are free to live their lives. The Crucible very well represents that when a situation is life or death human decency crumbles rapidly. The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts where religion and corruption are rampant, and soon two girls fall ill unexplainably and it sparks ideas of evil and witchery in the town. This results in the citizens of the town pointing fingers at those who appear to have dealings with the devil, which inspires grave misfortune for many. Throughout The Crucible one character John Proctor remains remarkably honest, ethical, he fought for others, and what he stood for even when it meant his life. John Proctor’s truly good moral character and honest personality is first witnessed when he expresses some of his true feelings and affection towards his wife at their home. Two quotes that best represents John Proctor’ love and overall good feelings for his wife are “I mean to please you Elizabeth”(Arthur Miller, The Crucible (New York: Viking Penguin, 1976), p.50). After these words Proctor later goes on to say “I think you’re sad again. Are you?” (Miller, p.51). These two quotes best exemplify Proctor’s loving emotions toward his wife Elizabeth, at a time when most people kept their emotions to themselves Proctor is surprisingly open. When he asks his wife if she is saddened he shows his concern about his loved one’s feelings, and a feeling of Proctor’s true happiness with Elizabeth is suggested. Also Proctor does not say these words of love because of some superficial desire such as lust, or greed, but rather he expresses these words out of the true love he possesses for her. During John Proctor’s time many married men did not give their wives the appraisal that Proctor gives Elizabeth, as it was seen as something that did not need to be said because a husband provided so much for their spouse. John Proctor proves himself as a devoted and loving husband towards Elizabeth in great fashion, and is not afraid to show his true emotion for her. Not only does Proctor have strong feelings for his wife but also 2001-05-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucilbe-John-Proctor-3338.aspx The Puritans had a heavily important part in the formation of early America, as well as a religion that influenced our early American society. This society has been the target which many authors have picked to set their novels in. The topic of Puritan life contains a broad list of aspects that can be easily compared to one another in several different books. Two selections that go into detail about some of the different aspects of the Puritan people are The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These two particular writers who wrote of Puritan times conveyed, in their text, the similarities of religion, punishment, and adultery in the Puritan community of 17th century. Briefly, The Crucible looks at some the actual historical events of the Salem witch trials. It was witchcraft that the story was set around, and it threatened the purity of the Salem community. As a result, frenzy was established, with characters accusing others of witchery. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits the sin of adultery, and then is confined to wear an embroidered scarlet-colored “A” on her chest, to signify what she had done. She does not release the name of the other adulterer, and leads a life with her daughter, Pearl. Reverend Dimmesdale, the secret father of the child, struggles against himself due to the fact that he doesn’t confess to everyone his sin. Religion was of great importance in the Puritan society. It gave a guideline for the morals that citizens should follow. In Miller’s novel, Puritan religion was at the center of town. People were judged by it, and were only and not with the devil holy if they followed it. They were also questioned by it. Hale asks Proctor, “… I note that you are rarely in the church on Sabbath Day. Twenty-six time in seventeen month, sir… Will you tell me why you are so absent?” (Miller 64) An example of the strictness of religion and moral beliefs in The Scarlet Letter is when Hester is patronized for her sin. The religion forbid it, therefore it was strongly frowned upon by society. This strong following of Puritan religion is conveyed in both novels and mentioned throughout. As law is in most communities today, there is no doubt that religion was put on one of the highest pedestals of the Puritan community. Due to the fact 2001-04-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Comparing-The-Crucible-and-the-Scarlet-Letter-3234.aspx The Godly beliefs and punishments followed by the Puritans stemmed from their English experience and complete involvement in religion. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. Hester’s act of adultery was welcomed with rage and was qualified for serious punishment. Boston became more involved in Hester’s life after her crime was announced than it had ever been before—the religious based, justice system formally punished her and society collectively tortured her. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the society, Hester’s entire existence revolved around her sin and the Puritan perception thereof; this association breaks way to society significantly becoming involved in her life. The importance of a social framework for the new society, where the Church would be all encompassing, developed from the teachings of such religious reformers as John Wycliffe and John Calvin. The Church would be directly involved in the running of the community and its regime. Enforcing such laws established by scripture read from the Bible, the government disciplined Hester for her committed sin. The Puritans considered the Bible as the “true law of God that provided guidelines for church and government”. They wished to shape the Church of England to meet their ideals, emphasizing Bible reading, prayer, and preaching in worship services. They simplified the ritual of the sacraments and also wanted more personal and fewer prescribed prayers. The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue while including a basic knowledge of unacceptable actions of the time. Obtaining virtue was expected to secure order and peace within the Puritan community. The Church officials, who played a direct role in the government, calculated the penalties for various sins. When sins arose, the government took the role as chief executive of corrective punishment and instituted castigation. Hester found herself very much a part of the local Church and government’s heavy hand. Everyone was aware of her sinful act, for she was placed on a scaffold amidst the entire people for a painful viewing. The religious morals instilled in the Puritan society caused her much pain long after the public humiliation. Permanently “symbolized as a sinner”, Hester was branded for life with a cloth letter worn on her bosom. For years after the letter was first revealed on the scaffold, Hester was associated with the sin and the scarlet letter. Because the Puritans contoured religion, 2001-03-03T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Cruicible-2975.aspx John Proctor is internally conflicted throughout the entire play, The Crucible. His struggles evolve in each act. But, he is not a character deserving of pity because all of his struggles are self-inflicted. His affair with Abigail is at the root of most of them, the others are a result of stubborn pride. In Act 1, John’s main conflict is dealing with his lust for Abigail. He does still lust for her even though they ended the affair, but though she persists, he does not submit. She catches him alone and tries to tempt him but he remains strong. This was very hard for him, because it is so tempting and easy to submit. But he is very against hypocrites, and at first finds it hard to criticize the morality of others, making him feel hypocritical. In Act 2, John is trying to deal with the consequences of his infidelity. Elizabeth won’t trust him and he is deeply bothered by this. He is doing everything he can to prove his trustworthiness, and show her that he is trying to please her. He is also dealing with a lot of regret. He didn’t want things to turn out like that between him and Elizabeth and now he feels like an inadequate husband. When he is angered so easily, it’s frustration and self pity rearing their ugly heads. He realizes that he’s hurt her but doesn’t feel that he’s done something unforgivable. In Act 3, John’s frustration is really starting to tire him out. He doesn’t understand why Abby is pursuing him so, and feels responsible for Elizabeth’s imprisonment. It is also very frustrating for him to feel powerless, and to not be trusted. He can usually remain even-headed, but when anger gets the best of him, he calls Abigail a whore. He was struggling with that truth, and had yet barely admitted it to himself when he blurted it out in court. John’s main internal conflict in Act 4 was definitely pride. He refused to admit to witchcraft, even though denial would mean hanging. He chose a proud name for his sons and unborn child, rather than life. This was actually his easiest struggle throughout the play. His stubbornness had already sealed his fate. Even when he had already signed the confession, his pride got the best of him at the last moment, and ripped it to shreds. His stress in Act 2001-02-26T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/John-Proctor-Internally-conflicted-2933.aspx Upon first reading Aurthur Miller’s The Crucible, it would be easy to mistake Abigail Williams for the key player. When the story is examined, the antagonist is clearly John Proctor. Proctor was the soul inspiration for nearly every act following the dancing in the woods and the second half of the play is very dependant on him. Though John Proctor appears very simple in the beginning of the play, the reader soon discovers there is much more motivating him. He is very confused and tormented by guilt and suspicion. He seduced a young girl and later seemed oblivious to the cause of her obsession with him. He manipulated everyone around him. Acting on his constant indecision and half-hearted whims destroyed everything around him and many of the other characters in the play. Although most of his influence occurred in the exposition, his misleading corruption of Abigail, and then his sudden rejection of her, drove her to the extremes expressed in The Crucible. The confused, love-struck Abigail was simply doing what she felt was necessary to possess the object of her affections. Without John Proctor, the second half of the play would be non-existent. The girls would have tired of accusing witches and the plot would have died quickly. Abigail wouldn’t have had the dedication and passion in seeing Elizabeth accused. The trials would have never become as intense and concrete. John Proctor is a well hidden and underlying antagonist. In the story he may appear to be a victim, and many side with him believing that Abigail should be faulted with the severity of the situation. But Abigail is the victim of lust and deceit. Proctor took advantage of her and when he saw it convenient, he attempted to dispose of her. The stubborn and dedicated Abigail had faith and pursued his hidden affections. She knew that beneath the cold façade he still kept the same desires as she. So is she really to blame for seeking it? John Proctor is the only character in the play that causes his own downfall. He also causes the persecution of his own wife. If his infidelity had never occurred, there wouldn’t have been much of a story to tell. His actions before and in the middle of the play carried the plot. None of this suggests that he is a victim. If anything, he is a victim of his own internal conflicts 2001-02-26T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Victim-in-a-New-Light-2934.aspx The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is a play set in the sixteen nineties about the tragic witch hunts in Salem, Massachusetts. Two important characters in the book to focus on are John Proctor and John Hale. Both Hale and Proctor transform throughout the play because of the conflicts they are involved in. John Proctor is an average puritan farmer in Salem who is faced with many internal conflicts. First we learn of his wife’s distrust of him because he committed adultery. He did not want to get involved with the witch trials because he thought they were nonsense. Only after his wife got arrested did he really start to pay attention to what was happening in the court. He soon then found himself being accused of witchcraft. John says " My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before."(136) He decides to confess and save his life rather than to die for a crime he didn’t do. As John starts to confess, he starts to cry because he can not allow his name to be blackened by having his confession officially documented by the court. John says, " because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life . . . How may I live without my name?”(143) John decides that he could not live with this lie. He chooses to be put to death with his honor than live with the shame of a falsehood. John demonstrated his integrity by believing in the puritan way even when it was a very difficult thing to do. Another person dealing with conflicts is Reverend John Hale, a scholar on witchcraft. Reverend Hale says, “If she is truly in the Devil’s grip we may have to rip and tear to get her free.”(39) In the beginning Hale is absolutely positive that witchcraft is spreading throughout Salem. He has come to save Salem and he will not let anything get into his way. " I beg of you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie." (132) As the play gets farther along he begins to open his eyes and see that the people being sentenced are good, religious puritans. Hale then tries to pursued the people in jail to confess and have the charges dropped. By the end of the book Hale has 2001-02-26T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-John-vs_-John-2939.aspx Circumstances cause adaptation. Drastic circumstances cause drastic adaptation. The Salem witch trials of 1692 were definitely drastic circumstances. Society's hysteria, greed, and vengeance led to accusations that changed many lives, even changed some of those lives to death. Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend John Hale, and John Proctor were three characters that were altered during Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Elizabeth Proctor is a kind, intelligent, almost joyless woman that has evidently been ill in the past. Around her husband, she is virtually nervous and replies to his questions and statements quickly to please him. In their discussions, her suspicion of his honesty is brought to question, but she draws back hastily due to her still unwavering loyalty to her husband. When Rev. Hale visits the Proctor home to challenge their Christianity, she is defensive but clear in proving to Hale that she runs a Christian household. Later, when Cheever comes with a warrant to take her, Elizabeth is outraged and knows the reason she is being charged, Abigail! "The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of the world!" However, she calms and submits to go to the court and says "[she] will fear nothing." The change takes place while in prison. Through the experience she is even more strong-willed and compassionate. At the end when she speaks with her husband, she shows love and is sorry she kept a cold house. "John, ...no honest love could come to me...I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept!" The transformation made her an even more positive woman. Reverend John Hale's metamorphosis was perhaps the most eminent. He is initially viewed as an arrogant, erudite minister that has all the answers. "[He] is nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eagar-eyed, intellectual." He is proud that he has been called as an expert on witches. He quickly finds, however, that his books are not as equipped as he thought. One good quality of Rev. Hale at the beginning is that he is an outsider. He has no bonds of friendship or personal disputes with any townspeople. He does, though cling to and defend the court. To get to know the people better, especially the ones mentioned in court, he interrogates them to bring out the truth. The scene when Cheever takes Elizabeth is where Hale starts to pivot from darkness to light. It is not until Act III, though; he 2001-02-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-2898.aspx One of the most drastic differences between the USA and many other countries in the world is the right of the American people to voice their differences of opinion from the ideas of the government without fear of persecution. Occasionally the American government has "forgotten" that it's people have this right and persecuted them for disagreeing with the government. Americans are not used to 2001-02-10T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-2848.aspx In his article, “Why I Wrote The Crucible,” Arthur Miller speaks of the 1950’s “which nobody seems to remember clearly”- a time of fearful insanity and unrest. Anyone could be accused. Showing excessive opposition ensured prosecution. Most shrunk back from disputing the McCarthy hearings for fear of their safety. Now, this period of panic is viewed as absurd. As Miller describes Hitler as being almost comical to his generation, the modern generation sees the Salem witch trials as foolish scuffles between ignorant people. The actual events were much different as perceived. Just as a feud with a neighbor seems trivial to those not involved but of intense frustration to the embroiled , the trials were not silly and insignificant. The trials were more about personal issues between rivals than witchcraft itself- the witchcraft was a weapon for Salemites to obtain revenge on their enemies. A tool Miller uses to show the reader this emotion is Rebecca Nurse, seventy-year-old grandmother, wife, and respected member of Salem society. Miller modifies her character in his play. Some facts remain true in the play, others are altered, and some have been neglected altogether. What did he change, and what did he regret to? Why did Miller take such liberties with Rebecca’s character in his play? Rebecca Nurse and her husband, Francis, were both well-respected people in the town of Salem Miller describes. They owned about three hundred acres, and after a land dispute with the Putnams, they broke away from Salem and founded Topsfield. Miller mentions that the founding of Topsfield upset the old Salemites. This is true - aberration was resented in Puritan society. The essence of Puritanism is in the intensity of the Puritan's commitment to a morality, a form of worship, and a civil society strictly conforming to God's commandments . Certain Puritans were “saved” despite their sins, while the remainder of society led lives strictly following the saved clergy’s interpretations of God’s will. Salem’s minister, Mr. Samuel Parris, was God’s man, as unfit for this title as he may have been. Like Proctor, Rebecca and her husband no longer hungered for religion when Parris became their minister. Their disgust for Mr. Parris cut down on their church appearances. In a judgmental, religious town as Salem was, even an unpleasant minister was no excuse to avoid church. A few Salemites resented the Nurses for their rise in social status as their lands 2001-02-10T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rebecca-Nurse-Fact-Vs_-Fiction-2855.aspx Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! (p73, The Crucible) Arthur Miller's classic play, The Crucible, is about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth century Salem, Massachusetts. What starts with several girls practicing European white magic in the woods escalates to a massive hysteria, with the "afflicted" girls falsely accusing even the respected women in the community of being witches. Eager to "utterly crush the servants of the devil", church leaders and townspeople insist on trying the accused. The punishment for failing to confess to witchcraft is death by hanging. In the end, many are hanged for imaginary crimes, for which no actual proof is ever presented, the only evidence being the word of a handful of girls. Miller wrote The Crucible as a parallel to the anticommunist hysteria in the 1940's. It may also be seen as a mirror to Hitler's Germany, and the pseudo-science of the time which dictated "purity". Today, however, The Crucible shows a resemblance to an entirely different kind of social hysteria. Accusations of sexual-abuse against child-care providers and others are now sometimes referred to as "witch hunts" when the accusers are suspected of lying, as in Miller's play. Children's advocates will of course tell us that we must believe children's claims of abuse, because, tragically, it does occur. However, a recent trend has shown that more and more accusations are false, and even when the accused are found innocent, their lives can be changed forever. This paper will examine the similarities between Miller's The Crucible, and the sexual-abuse "witch hunts" of today. Gordon Waugh, member of Casualties Of Sexual Allegations (COSA) writes: …many people now acquire "victimhood" through counseling. Being a "victim" draws sympathy. It explains the tragedies, the failures, the hardships, the health problems and the disappointments of life. It relieves people of some of life's natural burdens: dealing with complexity, facing things beyond their control, and accepting responsibility for decisions and actions. Many counselors attribute their clients' woes to long-buried "repressed" memories of childhood sexual abuse. They help clients to unlock these, and rewrite their pasts. Clients sever all former ties with "families of origin" and surround themselves only with other "survivors", 2001-01-29T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Day-Witch-Hunts-2796.aspx What is it to belong to a group? Is it really that simple when someone says, "Either you're with us or you're not"? Yes, it is that simple. Belonging and exclusion in any situation are two sides of the same coin - you can't have one without the other. In any organization or group, people are bound together by a community of interest, purpose or function and if you do not believe in these same things, then you are not a part of that group. In an organization or group, you have to ask yourself, "What is it to be a part of this particular group, what does it take to belong?" It takes following the rules of the group, agreeing with their purpose, obeying their authorities and the ability to go the length for their cause. In "The Crucible", if they did not abide as part of the group, the Christian Church, then the consequences were fatal. The Crucible told of what is was to be a scapegoat in their society and what it took to defend themselves from becoming that scapegoat. To remind people in an organization why they belong takes continued focus on a common goal or common belief. By having one main function, a group is generally more effective than if everyone has different ideas and outlooks on specific topics. However, to keep everyone on the same page, the members of a group need to accurately know where they stand in reference to their goal. One way to do this is through social facilitation. This is the concern of self image through the presence of other people. It's a concept that allows members to know the acceptable opinions of the group. Someone who agrees to the ideas set out from the organization. Group polarization is the concept of changing personal opinions to extremities after a group discussion. This concept eliminates members who aren't sure what they think of the group's purpose. They decide that either they agree completely or they disagree completely. Either way it means they decide if they are in or out after the group discussion. A common goal is one way to distinguish and separate the devoted members from the questionable individuals in a group. High cohesiveness is an effective tool in the success and effectiveness of an organization. However, in order for success and effectiveness, the group must ensure that everyone is willing 2000-12-19T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-belonging-exclusion-the-"other"-2704.aspx In the 17th century a group of Puritans from England immigrated to America to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. The white settlers arrived in New England in 1620, and Salem, Massachusetts had been in existence for about forty years by 1692. Salem developed as a theocracy. This was based on the coexistence of religious prayer and hard work. Entertainment, such as dancing, or any enjoyment at all was perceived as a sin. The isolation of the Puritan society created a rigid social system that did not allow for any variation in lifestyle. The Puritans felt insecure with the knowledge of the Native Americans in the forest. They felt persecuted and constantly under attack. Abigail mentions her past when she says that she witnessed, ‘Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine’. Throughout the play it is apparent that the community becomes more divided. In the beginning there were arguments about ownership of land between some of the villagers. As the story progresses people fear for their own safety and begin accusing their neighbours of witchcraft in order to escape being hanged. HALE 'They have confessed it.' PROCTOR 'And why not, if they must hang for denyin'it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; This is like when Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft so that she will know that there will be a clear path to John Proctor whom she had an affair with and now is in love with. Salem becomes overrun by the hysteria of witchcraft. Mere suspicion itself was accepted as evidence. As a God-fearing community, they could not think of denying the evidence, because to deny the existence of Evil is to deny the existence of Goodness; which is God. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extract the pure element from dross or impurities. This definition is easily connected to the play. To start with, witches supposedly use cauldrons to brew their magic potions, and a synonym for cauldron is crucible. Not only do witches use cauldrons, but the word crucible also could have some metaphorical meaning. The actions in Salem were like that in a brewing cauldron, there were many heated arguments, and people were being ‘stirred’ and ‘mixed’ around like a vile potion. The plays central theme is the spiritual development of John Proctor. He changed from thinking solely about himself to thinking about who was in need most beside 2000-12-15T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-does-Miller-create-dramatic-tension-in-each-of-the-four-acts-of-The-Crucible-2691.aspx In Arthur Miller’s famous play, The Crucible, he tells the story of the notorious Salem witch trials. During this mayhem and tragic turmoil, the people of this small Salem village are faced with false accusations, lies, and sins conducted either for the survival of their own lives or harm others. In a crisis such as this were all the evidence is invisible and the only witness to testify is the victim, all that the people are left with is their own principles, morals and faith. Unfortunately some are forced to depart from their strongest beliefs and others completely lose their sense of right or wrong with the strong psycho systematic energy that created this entire catastrophe. Three characters in Miller’s play who abandon their ethics are, Mary Warren whose whole personality turns upside down, John Proctor who contemplates between the importance of his family and his good name, and Reverend Hale who battles with himself whether to do what his job says or do what he know as right. Mary Warren is a girl who is confused with her own inner uncertainties throughout this play. At the start of the play she is perceived to be a very shy girl who will never speak her mind as shown when Proctor sends her home and she responds with, "I'm just going home" (21). As the play continues and as Abigail influences her, Mary begins to break this self induced mold and does what she wants. Mary Warren, along with many other girls gets caught up in the hype of getting all the attention and exercising power by provoking and stubbornly continuing these "witch trials". Finally John Proctor, the rationalist, shows that when people like Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor who are the saintliest of people are accused of being witches, something must be wrong. Mary Warren has a difficult decision to make and a tough time realizing proctor is right but she finally realizes that her whole way of life has become full of injustice. However, she is scared to confess to Abigail and her friends and tell them of her conscience. Finally Mary decides to speak out against Abigail and the others for their false accusations and said that Abigail, "tried to kill me numerous times"(57). Yet as she does this heroic act of confessing their sin, Abigail pretends that Mary is also a witch using the poppets against her. Mary 2000-12-11T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-3-Character-Essay-2671.aspx In The Crucible, there was a lot of senseless behavior. The purpose of The Crucible is to educate the reader on the insanity that can form in a group of people who think they are judging fairly upon a group of people. Judge Hawthorne believes what he is told by certain people is the truth even if little evidence is to be shown. The young girls with Abigail convince Hawthorne of others being witches so that Abigail can get what she wants, John Proctor, also so that Abigail does not blackmail the girls. The Crucible by Authur Miller investigates the effects of hysteria, superstitions and repression on the Salem Community in the late 1600’s. Author Miller, 1915- was born in New York City and graduated from Abraham High School in Brooklyn, New York. Miller later went on to graduate school at the University of Michigan, 1938, where he received a prize for his play write. After college Miller joined the United States Army and fought in World War II. Miller also went through the great depression. Arthur Miller’s first play was written in 1944, he titled it “The Man who had All the Luck.” The Crucible is a dramatization of the 17th-century Salem witch trials and a parable about the United States in the McCarthy era. It was written in 1953 and Miller received a Tony Award for this play write. Miller’s The Theater Essays (1971) is a collection of writings about the craft of play writes and the nature of modern tragedy. In his time he has written many others plays, he has also written a novel and a screenplay. His play writes are Death of a Sales Man, (Pulitzer Prize), is a tragic story of a salesman betrayed by his own hollow values and those of American society. In A View From the Bridge (1955; Pulitzer Prize) Miller studies a Sicilian-American longshoreman whose unacknowledged lust for his niece destroys him and his family. All My Sons (1947), Incident at Vichy (1965), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972), The Ride down Mount Morgan (1991), and Broken Glass (1994). His screenplay, The Misfits (1961); television dramas, Playing for Time (1980) and Clara (1991); His novel, Focus (1945); and a study of the Soviet Union, In Russia (1969), Arthur Miller’s last book written was his autobiography Time bends: A Life. (Kennedy Center) Arthur Miller’s The 2000-12-01T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Was-the-mass-hysteria-necessary-2610.aspx By insisting on complete orthodoxy is society only hurting itself? I believe when a society demands orthodoxy it is asking for problems. Orthodoxy to a small extent can be helpful to society, but when it is required by the people, and they demand it to the fullest it can do nothing but cause problems. There is many reasons whey complete orthodoxy only hurts society. First off, it greatly diminishes all forms of creativity among the people and doesn’t allow for new ideas that can help benefit society. It also reduces the overall intelligence of the people. When it comes to orthodoxy and religion, it can weaken the quality of worship and the person’s relationship with God. In general, orthodoxy in a way sets limits to progress and development of society and doesn’t allow new ideas to become accepted or acknowledged. Orthodoxy is defined as what is traditional or the established faith in society. It is following what is the commonly accepted, customs and beliefs. The one thing that orthodoxy almost completely wipes out and discourages is creativity and new ideas that can be beneficial to society. Only traditional beliefs are accepted in an orthodox society. So even if a brilliant idea is introduced, it won’t be accepted just because it is new and different. The rate of progress among orthodox society is slowed greatly because of this. If we never accepted new ideas or anything not of the traditional beliefs, we would not be even close to where we are today. Our knowledge of life in general would be nothing like it is today. We are where we are today because of people who came up with new and crazy ideas. All of the great intellectuals were anything but orthodox in their beliefs. Many people who have helped society the most by new ideas and inventions were looked at as crazy during their lifetime. If we are accepting of new ideas it is the only way we are going to progress. Complete orthodoxy also lowers our intelligence and acceptance of other people. When someone is only taught one way to do things, they are not educated of other ways of life. No one can truly be considered educated if they have only been taught one side of the story. Imagine if we were taught all our life that blacks or Mexicans are bad, and no other belief was accepted. We would all 2000-11-28T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Orthodox-Society-2592.aspx Set in 1692, The Crucible is a novel depicting the lives and conflicts of various Puritan characters during the Salem witch trials. Mary Warren, in particular, is a young servant girl whose ethics are challenged when she becomes afflicted with terror and intimidation. The essential conflict Mary Warren encounters is admitting to the court that the trials are simply pretend. Internally, she realizes that the accusations are mortally wrong and cruel. The trial is based on hatred and revenge, resulting in the condemning and execution of innocent villagers. However, Mary feels threatened to speak out against wicked Abigail. "I cannot charge murder on Abigail! She'll kill me for sayin' that! ....I cannot do it, I cannot!" (76). Also, since the conspiracy, Mary, merely a maidservant, has acquired extreme respect and authority. Mary's power is apparent when she argues with her master, John Proctor. "I'll not stand whipping any more!... I'll not be ordered to bed no more, Mr. Proctor! I am eighteen and a woman, however single!" (57). After arduous consideration, Mary decides to confess to the fallacious witch trials. She becomes motivated to speak up when innocent Elizabeth Proctor is suspected of witchcraft. Mary knows that Abigail accused Elizabeth because of hatred and retaliation. Abigail wants to get rid of Elizabeth in order to get to John Proctor. John Proctor, realizing Abigail's intentions, demands Mary to revolt against the girls. "You're coming to court with me, Mary. You will tell it in the court" (75). Mary acknowledges the corruption, and with outside influence, she is able to follow her truthful instincts. "I cannot lie no more. I am with God, I am with God" (94). Once Mary confesses to the court, Abigail denies the charges and convicts Mary of witchcraft. Mary is now faced with another grueling internal conflict: to do what she knows is right and die for it, or to return to her old ways. Terribly frightened, Mary panics and rejoins Abigail's side, claiming "You're [Proctor] the Devil's man!" (110). Attempting to save her own soul, Mary endangers John Proctor's life. Mary's response to the complex situation proves her insecurity and fear. Not only is she terrified of Abigail's authority, but she is also fearful of the court's punishment. "Abby, you mustn'n! (107). "I'm not hurting her! She sees nothing'! They're sporting!" (107). Perhaps another reason for Mary's decision is that she does not want to be cut off from 2000-11-05T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Mary-Warren-2448.aspx <center><b>Salem Witchcraft Trials</b></center> Throughout society and throughout literature, vulnerable communities under certain conditions can be easily taken advantage of by a person or group of people presumed innocent. In the play, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, there are three main factors that allowed the girls fallacious stories to be believed: Salem’s flawed court system, its lack of diversity in beliefs and religion, and the lack of a strong leader in the town. Although Abigail and the girls initiated the accusations, the responsibility lies with the entire community. It was the deterioration of Salem's social structure that precipitated the murders of many innocent people. The church, legal system and the togetherness of the community fell just to protect social status. Salem’s flawed court system was chiefly responsible. Under their courts, denial was considered a terrible sin. The narrow mindedness of the court possessed an unwritten law that if a name was brought out within the court, without any questioning, that person was presumed guilty. In this system, innocence is not taken into consideration, and the court is convinced they are right only if the victim confesses. There is no hearing for the victim, and even if they are truly innocent, they are only left with two options: They have the choice of denial, which will lead to their execution; or confessing, which gets them thrown into jail. To prove that all these people were actually guilty also played a part in lengthening the tragedy. Herrick, Cheever and Danforth are all full of their own importance and strictness of the court. They ask question after question to each victim until the defendant breaks down and confesses to save their life. Hale, a person who was brought in from out of town to ward off the evil spirits, began to realize the victims’ innocence towards the end. However, he knew the strictness of the court: “Though our hearts break, we cannot flinch, these are new times.” Another contributing factor was the fact that everyone in the town had the same beliefs. The fact that they were isolated from all other groups of people with different beliefs created a church-led Puritan society that was unable to handle change. The reputation of a family was very important to the members of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families. When caught, they 2000-11-05T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Hidden-Reasons-for-Salem-Accepting-Abagail-s-Stories-2450.aspx <center><b>Witchcraft, Insanity, and the Ten Signs of Decay</b></center> Since there never was a spurned lover stirring things up in Salem Village, and there is no evidence from the time that Tituba practiced Caribbean black magic, yet these trials and executions actually still took place, how can you explain why they occurred? The Salem Witchcraft Trials began not as an act of revenge against an ex-lover, as they did in The Crucible, but as series of seemingly unlinked, complex events, which a paranoid and scared group of people incorrectly linked. And while there were countless other witchcraft trials, Salem’s trials remain the best-known. In Salem, fears of witchcraft perpetuated by popular writings were personified when two girls were said to be bewitched. A hysteria overcame the people of Salem, whose trials went awry. In less than six months, 19 men and women were hanged, 17 innocents died in filthy prisons, an 80-year old man was crushed to death, and two dogs were stoned to death for collaborating with the Devil (Richardson 6). How could an entire village, including scholars, believe in witchcraft? Were these trials justified? Or were they evil, as many people think? How could respected, learned men believe the accounts of psychotics? Most importantly, could the trials have been avoided? A major cause of the Salem Witchcraft trials was superstition, an “irrational [belief] ... resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown” (Saliba). A lack of scientific reasoning led many people to believe that, for instance, walking under a ladder would bring seven years of bad luck. The Puritans in Salem had even more reasons to be superstitious. Cotton Mather’s “Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions,” with its inaccurate accounts of witchcraft, terrified. In addition, crude medical techniques, constant food poisoning, and unsanitary conditions killed many Puritans. (In the Trials, dead people and dead livestock were used as evidence of witchcraft.) More importantly, war with a nearby Indian tribe was imminent (Schlect 1); when livestock died, the Puritans thought their village was cursed, vulnerable to Indian attack. With several factions vying for control of the Village, and a series of legislative and property disputes with the nearby Salem Town which controlled Salem Village, it is easy to see how the people of Salem were so vulnerable to the notion of witches taking over their town. The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts left England because they thought the Church was obscuring God’s glory with 2000-10-25T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Causes-of-The-Salem-Witch-Craft-Trials-2412.aspx Arthur Miller uses an abundance of irony in his play The Crucible. Irony in the crucible is shown at almost every aspect of the play. The fact that the puritans are supposed to be good and strong and spreading the good ways of god is ironic in itself. In the play it shows the puritans accusing, blaming and holding grudges against each other. The puritans should have been going to church and helping each other but instead of that they were running around killing each other and accusing each other of things they were not doing. In Salem Witchcraft was used as a way of getting revenge. John Procter learned that Abigail really was dancing in the woods and that she admitted it. Elizabeth told Procter to go to Mr. Cheever and explain to him that Abigail is just trying to escape persecution by blaming multiple people of witchery. Then almost immediately after saying this Cheever shows up at the door saying he has a warrant to arrest Elizabeth Procter. It is quite ironic how Elizabeth gets arrested after she advises her husband to go talk to Cheever about how Abigail is blaming innocent people. Abigail blamed Elizabeth of trying to kill her with a needle that was jabbed into her stomach. It is ironic how that when Mary Warren Came home from court that afternoon she gave Goody Procter a poppet which contained a needle in the stomach. This meant that Elizabeth would be taken away without questioning. The people were not even given the chance to prove themselves innocent. The court treated people very harshly. They only let people live if they confessed to acting with the devil. If they did not confess they were executed. Innocent people died because they wanted to follow their Christian ways and be honest. All those who lied and said they worked with the devil just for the sake of living lived. It is ironic how the good innocent, Christian people were killed and the not so innocent ones who lied lived. It is ironic how that when procter goes to court to redeem his wife he gets blamed for being a witch and trafficing with the devil. He goes to explain to the judge that all of the girls in the court were just faking it and that they didn’t really see spirits. Then Abigail turns it around by saying 2000-10-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-2396.aspx Crucible is a word that mixes many feelings and emotions where most words tend to be more ambiguous. Because the word crucible has multiple meanings, Arthur Miller chose The Crucible as a title to try to express the subtleties of the play’s message. The usual and most widely used definition for crucible, according to the New Oxford Dictionary of English, is: “a pot or vessel made of a substance, such as porcelain, that will withstand extreme heat for the use of melting various materials.” This definition is easily connected to the play. First off, witches supposedly use cauldrons to brew their magic potions, and a synonym for cauldron is crucible. Not only do witches use cauldrons, but the word crucible also could have some meaning as a metaphor. The actions in Salem were like that in a brewing cauldron, there were many heated arguments, and people were being ‘stirred’ and ‘mixed’ around like a vile potion. A severe test is another definition for crucible that is not quite as distinguished as the first mentioned. This definition is more greatly defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: “a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change that produces something new.” The play can, without a doubt, be likened to this definition as well. If you look at the witch trials themselves, while the accused were in the courtroom, they were enduring a test of their character and moral values. The charged had a very hard time getting people to even listen to their point of view, if not even consider it. In addition, courtroom attendees who believed the accused had not really committed any crimes had to suffer through the wild accusations and horrific consequences that arose because of the judgment that was passed. When mixed, these definitions can undoubtedly be translated into the play. Through the whole ordeal of the Salem Witch Trials, the whole town was morphing and transforming. Salem was a melting pot of different paradigms and diverse opinions of who wasn’t a witch, who was a witch, and what a witch was. I have come to think that a third definition has taken form because The Crucible was chosen as the play’s title. When you look at the play from all angles, you find this definition easily. The whole play was a crucible. There are so many viewpoints that are looked at and expressed in the 2000-09-19T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Crucible-2261.aspx Conscience is the awareness of right and wrong. In the Crucible, the idea of conscience in strongly emphasized. Miller himself said, "No critic seemed to sense what I was after [which was] the conflict between a man’s raw deeds and his conception of himself; the question of whether conscience is in fact an organic part of the human being, and what happens when it is handed over not merely to the state or the mores of the time but to one’s friend or wife." The idea of conscience in the play The Crucible is based very much on Christian concepts, firstly the idea of morality, or conscience of right and wrong, secondly the idea of the confession of sin, and finally the idea of guilt and penance for sins. Conscience, then, as an issue of morality, is defined very clearly at the start of the play. "…a minister is the Lord’s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted" says Parris in Act One. Here it is established that theologically the minister, in this case, Parris, is supposed to be the ultimate decider of morality in Salem. The Church, in theocratic Massachusetts, defines conscience. Right and wrong is decided by authority, and the authority here is the Church. Law is based on the doctrines of the Church, and Salem is a theocracy. "For good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and to prevent any kind of disunity…but all organization is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition, just as two objects cannot occupy the same space. Evidently the time came in New England when the repressions of order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against which the order was organized." So firstly Salem was a place where the conscience of the people was strictly governed by the theocracy, and socially Salem was repressive. However, at the start of the book, we see that the people of Salem have already begun to strain under this strict idea of conscience, this repression. Abigail says to John, "I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these 2000-07-17T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Conscience-in-The-Crucible-2154.aspx Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a great portrayal of humans and their inner struggles. This play takes place in the 1690’s in a small Puritan community based on a rigid social system. An outbreak of rumors claiming witchcraft contaminated this small village. This caused conflict among the people of name and ultimately resulted in absolute chaos. This play clearly illustrates the self-battles of three characters. Reverend Hale’s battle is initiated by his personal commitment to God. He is a deeply religious man who was unrelenting in his quest for the devil. Originally, Hale believed that there was witchcraft in the town and wanted to drive it out. However as the play develops, Hale witnesses sincere and respectable townspeople being sentenced and hung. He learns that what is being done is definitely wrong and here begins his inner turmoil. With scrutiny, he looks at himself and tries to figure out which way to go. Should he continue with what he is doing and listen to Danforth or should he listen to his conscience? He does try a feeble attempt to talk to Danforth and explain how their actions are unjust, but again, his inner struggle pulls him back to a more moderate stand. Hale then decides to persuade the wrongly accused to confess witchcraft. At least this will save them from death by hanging. He preaches perjury to the people, even though this is also against their religion. Hale’s principles were ridden with guilt and sadness because of his struggle with himself. John Proctor a farmer and village commoner is similarly faced with an inner turmoil. He has committed adultery with Abigail while his wife was sick. He was fully aware of his immoral actions and the enormity of the problem. Once he though this problem has vanished, it came back to slap him in the face. Abigail decided to call John’s wife, Goody, a witch, this in turn spurs conflict and anger among the townspeople. Proctor then gets involved in these witch trials and claims to be with the devil. His inner struggle is whether or not to tell the truth or fake a confession to save his own life. He is confused as to which way to go and his main obstacle is his pride. John later states" My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man."(136) He would rather confess than die as a martyr for 2000-05-09T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Inner-Struggles-1947.aspx The Crucible, a container that resists hear or the hollow at the bottom of an ore furnace. However its connotations include melting pot, in the symbolic sense, and the bearing of a cross. Elizabeth, John Proctor’s wife; a cold, childless woman who is an upright character who cannot forgive her husband’s adultery until just before he died: she is accused of being a witch. Reverend Hale, a self-proclaimed expert on witchcraft; at the play’s end tries to save the accused. John Proctor, a good man with human failures and a hidden secret, a affair with Abigail, he is often the voice of reason in the play; accused of witchcraft. “I do not judge you. The magistrate that sits in your heart judges you.” This is where Elizabeth suspects that John has committed adultery, but knows how good of man he is and tries to look over it. “Adultery, John.” This is where John tells her and she makes it sound like it is news to her even though she has known for awhile. She is trying to have John have a “good” name and not be a name that everyone discards. “No, sir.” Here she is protecting his name but she doesn’t know that John has just came out and said that he committed lechery. She thought that she was saving him but she was actually making it worse for him. “I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face.” Here he is talking about if he ever encountered the Devil that he would literally kick his ass. This shows how he is a hippercrite against being a Puritan. Even though he is a religious man he still has the human character of having an evil side to himself. “But I will cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again.” John is talking to Abigail and how he is finished with seeing her and that he doesn’t want any part of her. John goes through from being amoral to immoral and then to moral, then back to amoral at the end. “It’s winter in here yet.” Elizabeth and John were talking about how he was working all day seeding even though he was at Salem to see what the fuss was all about. Here he shows his character toward Elizabeth by lying to her and she can’t trust him. “Let Rebecca go like a saint, for me 2000-03-28T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Insight-of-Hale,-Elizabeth-and-John-1810.aspx The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a play that takes place in the sixteen nineties during the famous but tragic witch trials. The entire community is in pandemonium yet certain characters are also fighting internal conflicts of their own. Miller uses three characters who manifest this internal battle ever so clearly. Such as Mary Warren who whole personality turns upside down, John Proctor who contemplates between the importance of his family and his own name and Reverend Hale who battles with himself whether to carry out his job requirements or do what he knows is right. Mary Warren is a girl who is forced with this inner turmoil throughout this play. At the outset of the play she is perceived to be a very shy girl who will never speak her mind as shown when Proctor sends her home and she responds with " I'm just going home" (21). As the play continues and as she is influenced by Abigail, Mary begins to break this self induced mold and does what she wants. Mary Warren, along with many other girls gets caught up in the hype of getting all the attention and exercising power via initiating and adamantly continuing these "witch trials". Finally John Proctor, the rationalist, shows that when people like Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor who are the saintliest of people are accused of being witches, something must be wrong. Mary Warren has a difficult decision to make. She has realized that her whole way of life has been based on injustice. However, how can she extricate herself from Abigail and her friends, not to mention her new feelings of confidence. Mary decides to speak out against Abigail and the others for their false accusations and said that she " tried to kill me numerous times"(57). Yet as she does this heroic act of overcoming her old reality, Abigail pretends that Mary is also a witch using the poppets against her(73). Mary is now faced with yet another grueling internal conflict: to do what she knows is right and probably die for it, or to return to her old ways. Mary succumbs to Abigail’s "hypnosis " and accuses John Proctor of forcing her to lie. Clearly the battle which Mary faced from the very beginning was enormous. John Proctor a farmer and village commoner similarly is faced with an inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had 2000-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-1597.aspx Both Cates, in Inherit the Wind by Lee and Lawrence, and Procter, in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, are both subjected to unjust laws. Both demonstrated that , "if the law is of such a nature that it requires one to be an agent of injustice toward another, then I say break the law," as stated by Henry David Thoreau. When a law is put into effect that will convict a person who is a free thinker then it is a unjust law. One might as well break it because if no one stands up for the principle then than law will stay in effect until adverted again. In The Crucible, John Proctor, a farmer and village commoner, stood up for his principles. He had committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials unless his pregnant wife were to also get involved. After his wife was accused of being a witch, he decides that he cannot accept the lie or the law any longer. Proctor is a good and noble man and because of this he believes at first he can't be hanged and die a martyr when he has this sin blooming over him every waking moment. John later says to Elizabeth that " My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before"(136) and rather confess then die for something he flat out did not do. However, as John confesses, he decides that he can not allow Danforth to make it officially documented. As Danforth asks him why John answers with a cry " because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life . . . How may I live without my name? Have given you my soul; leave me my name(143). John feels strongly about having a good name and not dying with a bad one. Proctor weighs both sides of his internal conflict and realizes that he must not make another mistake. He therefore, prescribes himself to death, not for his own sake, but rather for the sake of the others. As John dies, Elizabeth weeps saying " He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it away"(145). In Inherit the Wind, Cates taught his high school students about Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory. The law stated that Creationism was the only theory that 2000-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-and-Inherit-the-Wind-Injustice-1600.aspx "Witchcraft-the power or practices of witches" Webster's New World Dictionary. Witchcraft is a term which sprouts many different meanings. As stated above, it is attributed to witches. But what is a witch? Probably an evil haggish-like women who has signed a pact with the devil if we think of it in the English sense. So witchcraft must be evil doings; putting curses on people to make their life miserable, using wicked spells to transform humans to frogs etc. But does this hold true to everyone's idea of what witchcraft is. People's believes on the subject of witchcraft might differ between different cultures. Such is the case in the tragic story "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem" by Maryse Conde. Certain groups and individuals in the book, have contradicting thoughts of witchery. "I can not describe the effect this unfortunate black cat had on the children, as well as on Elizabeth and Samuel. Samuel Parris seized his prayer book and began to recite a seemingly endless prayer."pg 44 This is how sensitive the Puritans were. Their fear of the Devil is so great, it hindered them of pleasures and entertainments since these are also elements which they believed are inherited from the Satan thus making them sinful. "Becareful, Tituba! Don't let them dance! Don't let them dance!"pg 48 Fearing Tituba would conduct a sin for the children, Elizabeth Parris exclaimed her warning. If they are so overwhelmed with the terror of Evil, then what would their response be if they discovered his assistants; the "witches" who signed a pact with the devil to help him bring hellish deeds among the people in return for promised benefits. These ugly, wicked ladies who hide in the daytime readying their caldron of boiling potion containing frogs, bats, mouse, poison mushrooms etc. for the night when they fly on broomsticks performing nasty spells, claiming victims by curses and evil plagues. Tituba, the main character, was identified and accused of being a witch. "Help me, Tituba, to find the person who has done me wrong and punish him. Let his firstborn, if there is one, perish from something like smallpox. If there isn't a child yet, may his wife never bear one! I know you can do it! Everyone says you are the most awesome of witches!"pg 86 This is what the residents in Salem led to think of Tituba. But was she really a witch, or was she evil 2000-01-08T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Witchcraft-I-Tituba,-Black-Witch-of-Salem-1561.aspx The trumped-up witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts, deteriorated the rational, and emotional stability of its citizens. This exploited the populations weakest qualities, and insecurities. The obvious breakdown in Salem’s social order led to the tragedy which saw twenty innocent people hung on the accusation of witchcraft. Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible, used hysteria to introduce personality flaws in vulnerable characters. A rigid social system, fear, and confusion were evident conditions that became prevalent before and during the witchtrials. These conditions only contributed to the tragedy in Salem. The isolation of the Puritan society created a rigid social system that did not allow for any variation in lifestyle. The strict society that was employed at this time had a detrimental effect on the Proctor family. John Proctor, a hard working farmer who had a bad season the year before and struggling this year was occasionally absent at Sunday service. This was due to the fact he needed to tend to his crops. Also, Proctor did not agree with the appointment of Mr. Parris as the newest minister, and therefore did not have his last child baptized. With the latest craze of witchery and swirling accusations, John Proctor was easily indicted of being a messenger for the devil by the testimony of his disillusioned servant Mary Warren, who in the past committed perjury. The court who heard the testimony easily accepts it because she is a church going person, while John Proctor slightly deviates from the norm. This transfer of blame is also noticeable when the truth is first discovered about what the girls were doing in the woods. The girls were not blamed. The blame was put on Tituba, the "black" slave who was said to have "charmed" the girls. Abigail swears that "she [Tituba] made me do it".(pg.40) It is obvious that in the Puritan society that whatever did not conform to what the masses had decided as proper, then the deviated, but innocent, were to blame. This practice contributed to the tragedy in Salem. The fear of what was unknown created an uneasiness within Salem’s population that added to Salem’s social demise. The circumstances surrounding the witchtrials gave residents something to blame the supernatural on. The condemning of Tituba was mainly due to this. When Tituba took the girls into the woods, and they performed their ceremony, something the Puritans were not accustom to, she convicted of witchery. Along with 1999-11-27T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-1336.aspx The deterioration of Salem's social structure precipitated the murders of many innocent people. Arthur Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible, deals with a community that starts out looking like it is tightly knit and church loving. It turns out that once Tituba starts pointing her finger at the witches, the community starts pointing their fingers at each other. Hysteria and hidden agendas break down the social structure and then everyone must protect themselves from the people that they thought were their friends. The church, legal system and the togetherness of the community died so that children could protect their families' social status. Being isolated from any other group of people with different beliefs created a church led Puritan society that was not able to accept a lot of change. The church was against the devil, at the same time it was against such things as dancing and other premature acts. The reputation of the family was very important to the members of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families. They claimed that the devil took them over and influenced them to dance. The girls also said that they saw members of the town standing with the devil. A community living in a puritan society like Salem could easily go into a chaotic state and have a difficult time dealing with what they consider to be the largest form of evil. Salem's hysteria made the community lose faith in the spiritual beliefs that they were trying to strictly enforce. The church lost many of its parishioners because the interest of the town was now on Abigail because people wanted to know who was going to be named next. When the church was trying to excommunicate John Proctor, there were not enough people at church to do it. The people were getting misled so far as to leave a dagger stuck in the door of their minister's house: "Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house--a dagger clattered to the ground...There is danger for me."(128) were Parris' exact words. With the conveyer of God fearing for his life there was no longer anyone but Abigail to lead the community. The justice system is designed to protect the people that it serves but during the trials the accused witch had two choices, death or 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Deterioration-of-Salem-During-the-Witch-Trials-1242.aspx In the play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, Miller displays 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-1243.aspx <b>SALEM WITCH TRIALS</b> Superstition and witchcraft resulted in many being hanged or in prison. In the seventeenth century, a belief in witches and witchcraft was almost universal. In Salem Massachusetts where the witch trials take place many people who are suspicious is accused of witchcraft and hanged. Arthur Miller wrote a play called The Crucible. It is based on the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials change many peoples lives and even led to death for some. The power of superstition and hearsay can distort from the truth. Four ministers of Salem joined Matther, and they spent a whole day in the house of the afflicted in fasting and prayer. The result of which was the delivery of one of the family from the power of the witch. A niece and daughter of the parish minister at Danvers were first afflicted. Their actions frightened other young people, who soon showed the same symptoms, such as loss of appetite and sickness. A belief quickly spread over Salem and throughout the state that evil spirits are being seen in Salem. Terror took possession of the minds of nearly all the people, and the dread made the affliction spread widely. "The afflicted, under the influence of the witchery, "admitted to see the forms of their tormentors with their inner vision" (Miller 1082). and would immediately accuse some individual seen with the devil. At times the afflicted and the accused became so numerous that no one was safe from suspicion and its consequences. Even those who were active in the prosecutions became objects of suspicion. Revenge often impelled persons to accuse others who were innocent and when some statement of the accused would move the court and audience in favor of the prisoner. "I saw Goody Osborn with the devil" (Miller 1060). The accuser would declare that they saw the devil standing beside the victim whispering the words in his or her ear. The absurd statement would be believed by the judges. Some, terrified and with the hope of saving their lives or avoiding the horrors of imprisonment, would falsely accuse their friends and relatives, while others moved by the same hopes, would falsely confess themselves to be witches. Many of the accusers and witnesses came forward and published denials of the truth of their testimony, to save their own lives. Mr. Paris in the Danver family, who was one of the most strong prosecutors of 1999-11-21T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Superstition-in-The-Crucible-1244.aspx Can a person's opinion equal their fate? In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, John Proctor's stand in a society where opinion drove fate created ignominy towards him and his beliefs. First he hid his horrible sin inside, fearing the consequences. When he finally did, he was placed in a tangled labyrinth of feelings as to what his next action should have been. Lastly, it was Proctor's defiance and integrity in his own self that proved him stronger than the entire community of Salem. Proctor's tremulous feelings and general unease of the situation built up to his defining point of confession. Church and government came together to coercingly control Salem and its actions. Proctor saw this and feared, for diabolism was a practice unheard of. "You must understand, sir, a person is either with this church or against it - there be no road between. We live no longer in the dusky afternoon and evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now by God's grace the good folk and evil entirely separate." -Deputy Danforth John contemplated his actions and reached an influential decision towards what his fate would be - after all, he believed, he could control it. As he stated defiantly, "I want my life... I will have my life." After John confessed, he believed he had done Elizabeth and the children good, for they were the wellspring of his life. He would be free, accepted by Salem still. The powerful effect of his trial and disagreement and its conflicting with Salem's way of life had already left a silent yet profound mark on everyone. Knowing that imperfection lurked among the good folk, the government wished to announce to the world who the sinning man was. Proctor was paradox to this - he wished nor believed anything of the sort, as his name was the only thing left of him. The Church and government robbed him of everything else that could make him man - his honor, his morals, his shame. Towards the very end of his tribulation, he states: "I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.. show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it!" Horrified, he could not accept anymore torture to himself. He thought he was free, nothing more to give. Yet for 1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-1158.aspx The deterioration of Salem's social structure precipitated the murders of many innocent people. Arthur Miller's depiction of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible, deals with a community that starts out looking like it is tightly knit and church loving. It turns out that once Tituba starts pointing her finger at the witches, the community starts pointing their fingers at each other. Hysteria and hidden agendas break down the social structure and then everyone must protect themselves from the people that they thought were their friends. The church, legal system and the togetherness of the community died so that children could protect their families' social status. Being isolated from any other group of people with different beliefs created a church led Puritan society that was not able to accept a lot of change. The church was against the devil, at the same time it was against such things as dancing and other premature acts. The reputation of the family was very important to the members of the community. When the girls were caught dancing in the woods, they lied to protect not just themselves but the reputation of their families. They claimed that the devil took them over and influenced them to dance. The girls also said that they saw members of the town standing with the devil. A community living in a puritan society like Salem could easily go into a chaotic state and have a difficult time dealing with what they consider to be the largest form of evil. Salem's hysteria made the community lose faith in the spiritual beliefs that they were trying to strictly enforce. The church lost many of its parishioners because the interest of the town was now on Abigail because people wanted to know who was going to be named next. When the church was trying to excommunicate John Proctor, there were not enough people at church to do it. The people were getting misled so far as to leave a dagger stuck in the door of their minister's house: Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house-a dagger clattered to the ground...There is danger for me.(128) were Parris' exact words. With the conveyer of God fearing for his life there was no longer anyone but Abigail to lead the community. The justice system is designed to protect the people that it serves but during the trials the accused witch had two 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Crucible-Social-deterioration-66.aspx