Essay Of The Crucible

Marxist Criticism On The Crucible
An Analysis of the Crucible Arthur Miller was a very public figure in the mid twentieth century
who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, accused of Communist affiliation, and married to Marilyn
Monroe. Yet Miller's works were never about the lives of such dramatic individuals, instead they
described the complex lives led by ordinary people. Miller evoked powerful feelings–love, vanity,
pride, and greed–from the seemingly simple events of the Crucible that allows for diverse gender
based, social, and psychological interpretation. The experiences of Abigail Williams and Elizabeth
Proctor, the social conflict in Salem, and the persistent themes of hysteria and guilt throughout the
Crucible can be analyzed from feminist, Marxist, and psychological...show more content...
According to British literary analyst Christopher Bigsby, on "one hand stands the church, which
provides the defining language within which all social, political and moral debate is
conducted."(85) On the opposite side of the spectrum stood the minorities, slaves, and women.
Because women "belonged" to the man of the household, any property or money they owned
belonged to male. This automatically placed women at the bottom of the social hierarchy, only
slightly above slaves and indentured servants. Even within the ranks of women, distinguished
wives like Elizabeth earned the respect of Salem's population while promiscuous girls like
Abigail were scorned and suspected of witchcraft. As "sexuality was proscribed, the imagination
distrusted, and emotions focused on the stirring of the spirit", rebellion was the only way for
those with the least amount of power to make their voice heard. (Bigsby 84) By inverting the
social spectrum with Abigail at the top, the repressed internal desires of the lower class were
released through a rebellion against the upper class. Yet the judges, the elite even amongst the
upper class, remained immune from the effects of the rebellion because their position was no
different from that of Abigail's. The judges expressed perverse pleasure from witnessing those with
power "stripped"; the idea of taking an individual's freedom and putting a person in bondage was a
twisted manifestation of sexual desire. The emergence of the judges' repressed desires shows that the
self–placed restraints of theocratic society were much more flexible for the elites than they were for
the lower
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The Significance of the Title in 'the Crucible'
What is the significance of the title in The Crucible?
The title of The Crucible effectively helps us to understand the play in a deeper and more thorough
way as the definitions of the noun 'crucible' reflects the themes of the play such as moral,
reputation, courage, righteousness, hysteria and truth. It also foreshadows the severe and unjust
persecution of the upright characters who hold on to their beliefs and moral values, as the word
'crucible' comes from the Latin word 'crucibulum', which derives from the word 'crux'. 'Crux' is also
the root word of 'crucifixion'.
The first definition of the noun 'crucible' is a refractory container which is used for melting metal in
a very high temperature or where concentrated forces are asserted...show more content...
Although they are all killed in the end, they die in the most righteous way with dignity. They are
purified in the hysteria and as the purified metal shine through all the dust and impurities, as Proctor
says in the end, "I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a
banner with, but enough to keep from such dogs." This is significant as Proctor thinks that he is a
sinner throughout the play because he commits adultery. But after making this morally superior
choice, even he feels his goodness. He is also confident that his goodness triumphs over the other
people's immoralities, as he describes them as 'dogs' which emphasises their immorality. Their
integrity also shines through the lies and immoralities, as Elizabeth says in the end, "He has his
goodness now. God forbid I take it from him." The fact that she mentions 'God' shows how
important, valuable and exceptional virtue is, especially in such an immoral time, as the noun
'goodness' refers to moral excellence. Moreover, as the definition states, the purified metal, which is
the most valuable, important thing, is what left behind of a furnace, in the same way, for those who
dies for truth and righteousness, their precious good names are remained. Ultimately, this is what
the people willingly die for, and makes their death worthwhile, since name equals to reputation and
dignity in the society, as Proctor cries in the end, "How may I live without my name?" Therefore, in
other words,

Analytical essay for The Crucible by Arthur Miller
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an interpretation of the Salem witch trials of 1692 in Puritan
Massachusetts in which religion, justice, individuality and dignity play a vital role. These factors
define the characteristics of many of the most significant characters in the play. Some of them being
John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, Reverend Hale, Danforth and many others. The Salem witch trials
were a result of the lack of expression of individuality and the fact that no individual could expect
justice from the majority culture as a result of the deterioration of human dignity in the Puritan
society of Salem.
The Puritan religion intertwined relation with daily social and state affairs of...show more content...
The limit on individuality is one of the many causes for the Salem witch trials, Abigail's choice of
accusing other individuals of performing witchcraft was a result of fear to punishment for her secret
demonstration of individuality. At first, Abigail used witchcraft as an escape goat of her possible
punishment. As the trials scaled higher levels, she found satisfaction from the trials because she
went from being just another powerless member of society to becoming her own individual and
holding the most dangerous and grand power of all. "Anyone who has the power to make you
believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices" Voltaire. As soon as Abigail gained
the individuality that she longed for, her dignity deteriorated to the point of committing injustices.
The deterioration of justice in Salem was well represented by the unjust sense of guilty until
proven innocent that defined the court's process of determining the outcomes of the trials. "I have
no witness and cannot prove it, except my word be taken" (56). John Proctor's reluctance to tell
Hale what was discussed between him and Abigail portray the fear of being labeled as a guilty
individual and losing a precious amount of dignity due to the unjust procedures in court. In order for
him to maintain his dignity and innocence, he would have to have a witness and proof of his
declaration, which he

Literary Criticism Of The Crucible
Literary Analysis of The Crucible Imagine the year is 1692. In a small Massachusetts town a
culture of highly religious folk live in peace. Salem. ItВґs late January and the reverendЕ› young
niece Abigail and only daughter begin to act strangely. Rumors of witchcraft fly through town
and fear runs rampant.In around a year 200 people are unjustifiably accused and 20 sentenced to
capital punishment. Who is next? The strange widow down the road? The Coreys? In a time of
obscured justice, line were crossed and innocent lives lost. In his breakthrough play, The
Crucible, Arthur Miller spins a tale not far from the truth.Letting his readers explore a gruesome
tale of blind hatred. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Abigail Williams embodies the wrongdoings
of the Salem Witch Trials. First off, Abigail uses the trials to seek revenge, resulting in the
wrongful deaths of many. Abigail commits many sins, including lust for John Proctor. Once she
rises to power in the courtroom, she uses it to exact vengeance upon those who have done her
wrong. Victims of her wrath include Elizabeth Proctor; who she calls a ВЁa cold, sniveling
woman, and you bend to herВЁ during an argument with John Proctor and Mary Warren (Miller
23). After Mary Warren starts siding with John Proctor, Abigail goes so far as to accuse Mary of
sending her spirit out in the courtroom to attack the other girls. Abigail can be seen using such
accusations to inflict a twisted justice on her enemies. Actions as unjust as these

Themes in The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay
In every literary work, there are themes. A theme is a broad idea, moral or message of a book or
story. One individual may construe the themes of a book or story differently than another, but that is
the pure beauty of themes. One great literary work is The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller.
Succinctly, the play is about the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692.
Throughout the story, the townspeople indict their neighbors of being a witch and practicing
witchcraft. On the surface, this historical drama has a few universal and enduring themes. Themes
are universal because regardless of where in the world, the ideas still relates to everyone and is
understood. Themes are enduring because the ideas are found...show more content...
A second theme revealed in The Crucible is empowerment. During the trials in the play, many
characters were given power, which they never had before. These characters were the women.
Women in Salem are generalized to be governed by the men and have no choice in anything. The
women either work as servants to men or get married and have children. An example of this theme is
Abigail Williams. She's seventeen–years–old and has a great amount of power with the witch trials.
In one scene with Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, Abigail, Mrs. Putnam and Tituba, Abigail is
explaining to Reverend Hale about the incident with Betty. Once she sees Tituba, Abigail points
at her and says to Reverend Hale, "She made me do it! She made Betty do it!" Abigail also says,
"She sends her spirit on me in church, she makes me laugh at prayer!"With these serious
accusations, Tituba is imprisoned just because Abigail accused her of practicing witchcraft. The
idea of empowerment is universal and enduring because anyone in the world with no supremacy,
can suddenly have all the power. Today in modern society, people all over the world set
aspirations in order to gain authority and be ahead of everyone else. Furthermore, many people in
the world have power and authority over others. Empowerment will always be in societies around
the world. A third theme that is developed in The Crucible is hysteria. Hysteria is defined as a state
of violent mental agitation. Hysteria plays a great role in the storyline

The Crucible is a complex and intriguing novel with events, characters and themes comparable to
almost every period of human history. It is common for humans to fear change and what is unknown,
in the play The Crucible this is witchcraft and the devil, in more recent times it can be seen in post
World War Two and Cold War United States, through McCarthyism. The themes in the crucible are as
important to people in the 21st century as in Salem in 1692. These include justice, reputation,
hysteria, intolerance and empowerment. All of these are common themes throughout human history.
The characters in The Crucible are also important to people of the 21st century as they can teach us a
little bit about people around us and their reactions when...show more content...
Reputation shines as a theme in the play. Through reputation comes discrimination and in the
crucible almost all the witches are judged on reputation and this is important in today's world
especially with things such as racism. Another critical theme in The Crucible is the role that
hysteria can play in tearing apart a community. Hysteria messes with logic and enables people to
believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered upstanding people, are
committing unbelievable crimes. Intolerance is key in the crucible. Because Salem is a
theocratic society, moral and state laws are the same and therefore there is no room for error and
intolerance becomes current. Danforth shows this when in Act III he says "a person is either
with this court or he must be counted against it." Empowerment is central in modern day society
and appears in The Crucible many times. The play shows how power corrupts and how certain
characters use there power in association with fear, to get there way. The characters in Arthur
millers The Crucible can teach a lot about people. People can be horrible and terribly deceptive.
When placed under pressures and after experiencing trauma peoples real character can come out.
In the case of The Crucible Abigail is shown for what she really is. She gets a kind of power and
this corrupts her to use the situation to have Elizabeth Proctor sent to jail. Abigail is not the only one
who takes advantage of the

Thesis Statement Of The Crucible
Thesis: In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Thomas Putnam, Deputy Governor Danforth, And Abigail
Williams are most to blame for the catastrophic events encircling the Salem Witch trials. Topic/claim
sentence: Mr. Putnam is partially to blame for the Salem chaos by constantly jumping to conclusions
and prosecuting those in conflict with himself. Example 1: "He was a man with many grievances
[...] So it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of
Thomas Putnam" (Miller 14–15). Explanation 1: Putnam has a history of holding grudges against
people and obtaining his revenge by accusing them of witchcraft. He is even accused of these crimes
but denies their truth. Example 2: "This man is killing his...show more content...
I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me.
Do you understand my meaning?" (Miller 91) Explanation 1: Danforth comes into the trials with the
mindset that the victims are telling the whole truth. He even said that witchcraft is an invisible crime
and the only witnesses are the witch and her victim; "Therefore, [he] must rely upon her victims–
and they do testify" (Miller 100). By thinking this way, Danforth diminishes any chance at anyone
denying that what the children are saying is true. The persecution of innocent women is
inevitable because Danforth holds all of the power and he is choosing to put his trust in people
who are deceitful and selfish. Example 2: "Danforth, himself engaged and entered by Abigail:
'Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out?' " (Miller 109).
Explanation 2: Danforth allows himself to be so easily persuaded and tricked by Abigail and the
other children. He lets his guard down when listening to Abigail because he believes her to be
trustworthy: "Danforth, weakening: 'Child, I do not mistrust you–' " (Miller 108). Part of this trust
comes from Abigail having tricked the town into believing that she has been saved and it is her
duty to point out the Devil's people, but as a judge, it is Danforth's duty to be impartial in the

The Crucible
The Crucible Many different parts form together to make up the society we see in The Crucible,
written by Arthur Miller. Whether it be religion, government, or social roles; they all play some
sort of impacting part to the characters we met while watching The Crucible. Who knew that
religion and government could change a person's life in a matter of minutes like it did so many
times throughout the movie. The characters like Abigail Williams and John Proctor both knew the
risks of going against these roles and what it would do to their everyday lives, but both characters
chose to do it in more ways than one. Religion played a huge role throughout The Crucible and all
of the characters were expected to show some sort of respect...show more content...
As a viewer you can tell that religion and politics are very similar in that time period and that they
go hand in hand because of how similar they really are. Social roles also played a huge factor into
the lives of many within the society from The Crucible. People had roles that they knew they
could not disobey because these roles played such an influence within their lives. Abigail
Williams, for example, was helping the Proctor family out around the house when Goody Proctor
had suspicions of adultery between Abigail and her husband. Once these suspicions became a
reality Abigail was let go from helping their family. A viewer can tell that once a person
disobeyed their social role they were considered as an "outcast". Another way I noticed social
roles playing a part within The Crucible's society was when John Proctor was about to sign his
name off to be free with his wife but ended up ripping the paper into shreds because he could not
bring himself to ruin his name. John said "because it is my name! Because I cannot have another
in my life" shows how important having a good reputation towards a person's name really is. In
those days, a peb rson's name was all that had. If that person tarnished their name that was it, there
was nothing left to be worthy for. Both John Proctor and Abigail Williams knew this and that is
why John ripped that paper to shreds and why when Abigail was asked why she no longer worked
for the Proctor's she did

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller. In the town of Salem, the people's obsession of trying to
provide justice only caused injustice against the accused. The law of Salem was guilty until proven
innocent. Their government was also a theocracy, and their obsession with religion also caused the
injustice. The law in Salem was guilty until proven innocent, which was very unjust because in the
constitution it clearly states that a person is innocent until proven guilty; and the court condemned
people without providing the proper evidence to prove their innocence or guilt. "And why not, if
they must hang for denyin' it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have
you never thought of that?"(258–296). Reverend Hale...show more content...
Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As
for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is
left for a lawyer to bring out? I think I have made my point. Have I not?"(239–243). Reverend Hale
is starting to believe that the girls are lying, and he thinks that the ones being accused should
have a lawyer but Danforth just says the accused only rely on victims and witnesses. Danforth
feels that he has much power and he wants it to stay that way by "defending" the people. "I cannot
hear you. What do you say? You will confess yourself or you will hang! Do you know who I am? I
say you will hang if you do not open with me!" (483–487). Danforth knows that he has the power to
say if someone hangs or not so he's using it to scare Mary into telling the truth, or in this case the
truth he wants to hear. The people in Salem were so obsessed with religion that they were letting
it get involved with the state law. "If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be
innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as
God's fingers"(389–390). John Procter is pointing out that just because the accusers are children, or
a Reverend, that does not mean they're innocent. In the eyes of God, children are innocent; so all
the people in the town would never believe that the children are lying, and a Reverend would

Summary Of ' The Crucible ' Essay
Ms. Elliott AP Language and Composition 22 May 2016 Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York:
A. Meyerson, 1953. Print. The Crucible, a play, by American playwright Arthur Miller, is set in
the small New England town of Salem Massachusetts in 1992. The play opens with Reverend
Parris praying beside his daughter Betty Parris 's bed. In the bed Betty lies in some sort of
paralyzed state. The town 's doctor, Doctor Griggs, does not know of a medicine to cure Betty's
symptoms and advises Reverend Parris to consider unnatural causes. It becomes rumored among
the townspeople of Salem that Betty has fallen victim to witchcraft, because of this Parris
requests that Reverend John Hale of Beverly, an expert on witchcraft, examines Betty to confirm
the rumor that she is bewitched. In the night prior to Betty's condition Parris stumbled upon his
niece, Abigail Williams and Betty, with a group of girls dancing in the forest. Tituba, Parris's
slave, was seen with casting spells over a fire with the girls. Parris accuses Abigail of conjuring
spirits and engaging in witchcraft. Abigail denies these claims of witchcraft but admits they did
dance in the forest. However, Parris is speculative of Abigail's credibility due to her previous
employment with Elizabeth Proctor. Parris leaves the Parlor to lead the townspeople in a prayer at
the church. The girls who danced the night before gather in the parlor just as Betty wakes up from
her paralytic state. Abigail informs the girls of what she

Argumentative Essay On The Crucible
The Crucible: (Argument Essay) There's has been people who either have been manipulated and
then there's people that have manipulated people. Being experienced with situation can make it
easy for one to manipulate anyone. For example in "The Crucible" it demonstrates how one
young child can manipulate everyone from children to an adult into believing her vengeance
story. With the right situation experience one can manipulate with ease, but it shouldn't be easy
for one to manipulate half of the people in the town. In the story "The Crucible" Abigail and her
cousin are accused of being witches. IN act one it states "We did dance, uncle, and when you
leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there's the
whole of it" (Abigail Page 1). They got caught dancing and doing things they were forbidden to
do. Since that day the entire town thinks of then as witches. That being said Abigail tries to make
things right. Additionally in act one Abigail states "let either of you breathe a word, or the edge
of a word about a thing or I will came to you in the black of some terrible night" (Page 19). From
there forward Abigail started to accuse Tituba. Tituba then confessed "He say Mr. Parris must be
killed! And No! I don't hate that man. I don't want to kill that man". But he says, "You work for
me, Tituba, and I make you free!"(Page 44).This confession and accession give's Abigail and
Betty a chance to act Innocent and accuse random people as well. The accession keep coming and
keep adding up. At the beginning of act one there were only 12 people accused, now there are 55
people who are going to be questioned. In act two Mary tells Elizabeth "I made a gift for you
today, Goody Proctor. I had to sit long hours in a chair, and passed the time with sewing" (Page
53). Then when Mary hands the poppet she went to bed, and hale comes to talk to them. While
hale was taking Cheever come to take Elizabeth. He then finds the poppet and ask questions about
it. Cheever then explains "Abigail William, sir she sat to dinner in reverend Parris's house tonight,
and without word nor warin' she falls to the floor" he said "And he goes to save her and, stuck two
inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw

Women in the Crucible Essay
The Skewed Role of Women in The Crucible The outlook on gender roles in today's advanced
society is in drastic contrast to the views portrayed in The Crucible, set in Salem, Massachusetts, in
1692. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, depicts women as weak creatures, who are expected to
submit to men, and whose only access to power is through dishonest means. None of the females in
The Crucible possess extreme power, but the truthful, pure–hearted, and family oriented women seem
to be even less powerful than the others. Elizabeth Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are two of the less
powerful women in The Crucible. Both of their lives are led by an instinct to serve their families and
communities (Alter 1). Elizabeth Proctor is convicted in...show more content...
Abigail, herself says "I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the
Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand." After proclaiming this,
the religious officials of Salem are left, in essence, with no choice but to believe her. The main
quality admired and expected of women in The Crucible is submissiveness. It is clear from the
play that Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, was largely a patriarchal society. Power in the hands of
women was looked down on and even feared. Any leverage that women had was gained solely
through manipulation. If the men suspected a woman of interacting with the Devil, she was
expected to submit to their authority and confess her crime. If she rebelled and refused to confess,
she was sentenced to death, no questions asked. However, the same was also true for men, though
they were much more seldom found guilty of witchcraft. In The Crucible, women are commonly
caught in lies. Not only are the manipulative girls, such as Abigail Williams, prone to lying, but
Elizabeth Proctor is also caught lying. Towards the beginning of the play, when Parris and the other
religious officials and witch hunters are starting to

Essay On The Crucible
The Crucible Essay Rough Draft A crucible is a container which is heated to separate impurities
mainly from metals and sometimes other substances. Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, takes place
in a quiet Massachusetts town known as Salem. Rumors of witchcraft, however have unfortunately
left the townspeople susceptible to blame one another. A quiet town virtually turned in a mad haven
for blame, revenge, and dark satisfaction overnight. The reader witnesses all of these events unfold
as they delve into the story of The Crucible and reveal how revenge reveals the motives of many
characters. The story of The Crucible takes place in Puritan Massachusetts during the colonial times.
It starts off with Abigail Williams and her friends...show more content...
Hale requires everyone who is accused of being a witch to go to court and agree that they are witches
in order to prevent being hanged. If they admit that they aren't a witch they would be hanged
immediately. Hale seems to be very involved with the accusations, questioning those that are accused
everything they know about god and the church (asking Hale to recite the 10 commandments,
questioning the victims' attendance in church, baptism, and things he sees as strange). When Hale
goes to John Proctor's house we witness the interrogation process: "I thought, sir, to put some
questions as to the Christian character of this house, if you'll permit me...I note that you are rarely in
the church on Sabbath day...how comes it that only two [boys] are baptized" (2.621–671)? Later on
in the play, when Proctor is testifying in court, they mystery starts to unravel inside of Hale's head.
At the end of Proctor's trial, he yells that he no longer supports what is going on after Judge Danforth
is unwilling to listen to Proctor's testimony that the whole thing is pretense: "I denounce these
proceedings, I quit this court" (3.1499–1500)! He is ashamed that everything he has been trying to
find was false and made up by Abigail. We see that in the jail scene he is begging Goody Proctor to
have her husband confess in order to save his life: "Will you plead for his confession or will you
not" (4.486–487)? This dynamic character change truly captures how Hale has changed since the

Examples Of Conflict In The Crucible
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Plot :
In "The Crucible" Arthur Miller made the plot develops through the conflicts by using high tension
and climaxes. He ends each of the four acts with a climax. In addition, he allowed the protagonist to
develop throughout the acts. "The Crucible" has many internal and external conflicts. The major
external conflict is John Proctor trying to save his wife from being hanged by the town officials for
supposedly being a witch. The major internal conflict is John trying to decide between saving
himself and family from being hanged, or accept the death penalty for false accusations against him.
The main conflict sharply differentiated good and evil as John Proctor, the protagonist of the play is
faced with the...show more content...
We can see that shifts are made as the narrator inserts times to describe characters and tell us what
we should think about them such as when Miller tell us that Judge Hathorne is a bitter man. In
addition, each inserted stage direction indicates exactly what a character is thinking or feeling. The
narrator is able to jump into any character's mind at any given moment in a justified way. Miller
allowed the narrator to weave in and out of many characters' internal workings, letting the audience
see what drives them. This helps establish the tragic events throughout "The Crucible" and allows the
audience to have a better understanding of the factors that led to the accusations and the impact of
those actions. Arthur Miller shows the audience the good and evil within people and brings out the
mad hysterical qualities in a mob. He displays that even deeply religious people make mistakes in
their lives. He does this through his characters, who through their own imperfections and beliefs
bring the witch–hunts to a complete

The Crucible Conclusion
In Arthur Miller's chilling play The Crucible, the main character, John Proctor, has an affair with
Abigail Williams, and the affair creates chaos among the town of Salem. John's wife Elizabeth is
accused of witchcraft, and taken to prison. John goes to court where he confesses to adultery, and
then is wrongfully accused of being a wizard. He is given the option to confess and be let free but
the court would need a signed confession and it would be hung on the church door. John refuses
to have his name tainted by the court because his name is the only thing he has left. Abigail did
play a role in the direction of the play but she did not influence the conclusion of the story. The
story begins with Abigail and Parris looking over Betty, Parris' daughter, while she is in a trance
of some sort. It is revealed that Betty, Abigail, Tituba, and the other girls were dancing around a
pot while Tituba was cooking up a spell. Abigail tells Parris that a frog had jumped in the pot
while they were dancing. It is later revealed that the girls were dancing with their own intentions,
Abigail's being to kill Elizabeth, so that Abigail and Proctor could be together. Earlier, before the
story picks up, Abigail and Proctor had an affair, causing Abigail to be kicked out by Elizabeth.
Abigail wants revenge, and she gets it later on when...show more content...
Within life many people tend to blame others for their misfortunes because of a mistake or
decision made by someone else. However, in many cases it was their own decisions that caused
their problems to worsen. The others may have put said person into a situation but they dug themself
deeper than they were to begin with. In the end people are the masters of their own decisions, it just
depends on if they listen to themselves or if they listen to

The Crucible Thematic Essay
Ben BoydEnglish 11H The Crucible: Thematic Essay The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a rich and
enticing play set in the late 1600's describing the epic horrors and emotions through the events of
the Salem witch trials. The Crucible, focuses primarily on the inconsistencies of the Salem witch
trials and the extreme behavior that can result from dark desires and hidden agendas. The play
begins with the discovery of several young girls and an African American slave, Tituba, in the
woods just outside of Salem, dancing and pretending to conjure spirits. The Puritans of Salem stood
for complete religious intolerance and stressed the need to follow the ways of the bible literally
without exception. The actions of the women in...show more content...
Even though he knew it was wrong it was up to him to admit that he had done it to stay honest to
himself, keep his name clean, and live free from guilt. The act of confession by John also
demonstrates his act of self preservation. If John had not confessed he would not have been
physically hurt, but moreover mentally impacted. His act of self preservation was through relieving
himself of the guilt he would have had to endure if he had not told his wife, Elizabeth, of his actions.
Elizabeth demonstrates her act of self–preservation by tiptoeing around Johns feelings. "Quietly,
fearing to anger him by prodding" (51) Due to Elizabeth's social status, she is unable to speak out
and say what she may truly feel. In a ways, Elizabeth said many of the things she said in a mild
tone in fear of causing John to lose his temper. Reverend Hale, and apparent expert on witchcraft
who insists on doing everything by the book, demonstrates his social responsibility by solely
doing his job correctly. Even though in today's society it is clear that witchcraft does not exist, it is
apparent that in this play, witchcraft is studied to the extremes. This being said, Hales social
responsibility was simply to determine whether or not each accused person was a witch or not. Hale
determines and eventually realizes that his own good intentions and commitment to god governed
his actions of keeping certain people alive despite the "by the book" evidence which had been

Who Is Responsible In The Crucible
Who is to Blame Culprit in Arthur Miller's Crucible A big ego often leads to people doing things
they know they shouldn't in return for what benefits them. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible,
shows what can happen to a whole town when one young girl Named Abigail Williams performs
witchcraft, causing chaos in the town of Salem. Secrets are kept throughout the citizen in fear their
reputations would be ruined. Many have claimed, "the bonds of love between individuals that are
"the foundations of any society."(Bigsby) Abigail and John had made a sin through lust, causing a
big impact on their society. In Arthur Miller's Crucible, Abigail Williams is responsible for the mess
in Salem. Arthur Miller portrays Abigail as a young woman who...show more content...
Arthur miller included, "The Crucible was Giles Corey's refusal to answer his indictment for
witchcraft in order to preserve his land for his sons' inheritance."(Marino) Many of the citizens felt
witchcraft was among them but had never spoke up, causing them to become suspect. Many people
in the town of Salem feel guilty for not speaking up until their wives were accused. If Abigail had
not tried to go after Elizabeth Proctor, the town of Salem would remain sane rather than the chaos
created. Works Cited Bigsby, Christopher. "The Crucible." Drama Criticism, edited by Thomas J.
Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 31, Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center, http:/
/link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1420082430/
LitRC?u=wylrc_wyomingst&sid=LitRC&xid=2bd5b992. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018. Originally
published in Arthur Miller: A Critical Study, Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 147
–171.
Budick, E. Miller. "History and Other Spectres in Arthur Miller's The Crucible." Drama Criticism,
edited by Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau, vol. 31, Gale, 2008. Literature Resource
Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1420082421
/LitRC?u=wylrc_wyomingst&sid=LitRC&xid=8788187c. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018. Originally
published in Modern Drama, vol. 28, no. 4, Dec. 1985, pp.

Examples Of Faith In The Crucible
Artur Miller calls his play the crucible. The crucible means a severe test. In the crucible the
characters faith is being tested. The town doesn't show their true faith because they don't practice
what they preach. Due to the town lack of faith when they are tested some fail miserably. In the
crucible to have faith was the test in this play. For this reason is that Abigail acts like she was
process. She did that so people can forget about her and her friends dancing in the woods. Also the
town didn't like each other because people will make up rumors about each other. For example in the
play Abigail said "I want to open myself! I want the light of God; I want the sweet love of Jesus! I
danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book;...show more content...
Elizabeth had to keep her faith because she found out that Proctor was having an affair with
Abigail. Another example from this plays "A man may think God sleeps, but God sees
everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir; I beg you see what she is. She thinks to dance with me
on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and
there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance." This quote clearly shows when
Proctor finally breaks down and confesses his affair with Abigail, after trying, in vain, to expose
her as a fraud without revealing their liaison. Proctor knows from the beginning that the witch
trials constitute nothing more than a whore's vengeance, Abigail's revenge on him for ending
their affair; but he shies away from making that knowledge public because it would lead to his
disgrace. This quote also shows Elizabeth faith because she didn't let that get to her, she just kept
on with her life. Rebecca shows she has faith because, after Governor Danforth asked Rebecca if
she would confess herself to witchcraft, Rebecca told him no she will no confess herself to
witchcraft. Rebecca also said that her honesty sends her to certain death, but also to the Kingdom of
Heaven. On the other hand, some people weren't up to the test like Elizabeth and Rebecca

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller employs many rhetorical and poetic elements to depict the changing
nature of relationships between the play's characters. One of the most rhetorically dynamic
relationships portrayed in the play is the marriage between the protagonist John Proctor and his wife
Elizabeth. Miller skillfully uses Elizabeth and John's language and the overall tone of their marriage
to manifest John's complex character development throughout the play. The marriage evolves from
a relationship of hostility and tension to sacrifice and selflessness as John becomes a man of
integrity. While John is overall more of a dynamic character than his wife, Elizabeth does not remain
static for the entirety of the play; she demonstrates a slight character change in the final act that is, in
a sense, opposite from her husband's. The changes in the language of Elizabeth and John throughout
the play result from the gradual breakdown and final anagnorisis of John's character as he learns the
value of the truth and becomes willing to shed his formerly coveted dignity for Elizabeth's honor.
This evolution of communication and character between the Proctors allows for mutual forgiveness
and the final reconciliation of their marriage before John dies as a martyr.
The first time the reader sees exchange between John and Elizabeth is in Act Two, where the
interaction is forced, cold, and characteristically one–sided, demonstrating the effects of John's affair
on the marriage.

Textual Analysis Of The Crucible
Textual Analysis The Crucible The text which I have chosen to analyse is from the play The
Crucible by Arthur Miller, just looking at Act One of this play. In Act One the scene opens in
Reverend Parris's house, in the year of 1692; the scene focuses on Betty being 'ill' in bed and
'laying limp', showing the powerful forces, they believe to be witchcraft has overcome her. This
extract highlights the importance of the themes that are throughout the play and the ideas of
townspeople's lives in Salem, in which the characters portray. This play is set in a theocratic
society, where the church and the state are one, and where the religion is strict and shapes their
beliefs. Within this Act the narrator describes Salem town as having a strict Puritan way of life
with an outlook on the rest of the world as one of "parochial snobbery". One of the most important
themes to look at in The Crucible is hysteria. The hysteria is tearing the Salem community apart, it
creates people's fear of their neighbours and they believe that friends and even family are
committing unbelievable crimes of witchcraft and communicating with the devil. To highlight the
theme of hysteria we can see how Tituba is [terrified] and [falls to her knees]; in which she is full
of hysteria when questioned by Hale by breaking down and confesses to being a witch, though earlier
denying practicing witchcraft. Hysteria rises as everyone begins to blame each other, and with
Abigail shouting accusations at Tituba that

Essay Of The Crucible

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Essay Of The Crucible