In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote a novel called The Crucible. This book is set in 1962 and it tells the story of the infamous witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Throughout this whole story we find that greed, revenge, and hysteria affected much of what happened in Salem. From Abigail Williams's lust for John Proctor, to the hysteria throughout the trials, and to Abigail's accusation on Tituba; greed, revenge, and hysteria was shown rampant in Salem during these times. I believe that greed, revenge, and hysteria presented in the book, destroyed the town and the people of Salem, Massachusetts. This book really shows how slight misconceptions of innocent individuals can create uterpandimony. Many people who were thought to be Godly…
The CrucibleIn The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is lots of scenes where mass hysteria is used by…
Parris’ motivation for inadvertently causing the hysteria is his fear of losing his position as reverend. Miller shows Parris’ concern for his job over the well-being of his daughter when he says, “But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it” (10). When both his daughter and his reputation are on the line, Reverend Parris uses a poor choice of words to convey his distraught over the situation. When he interrogates his niece, Abigail, Parris reveals his priorities in the scandal. Instead of trying to ask whether there were spirits in the house so he can get rid of them to save his daughter, Parris talks about “[his] enemies” and how this will ruin his career.…
Of the over 40,000 words brilliantly crafted into a story, only two are able of capturing the meaning of Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials, Miller depicts the town and the strong puritan values vested in its people. When accusations of witchcraft run ravage through the streets, such puritan purity is in question. The Crucible is a fitting title for Arthur Miller’s play.The English noun crucible symbolizes Salem, the trials and the resulting changes that occur.…
Sequential to the 1692 Salem witch trials, Author Arthur Miller transcribed the mishaps and vindictive behavior in his play The Crucible, which portrays the hysteria and consternation of the town. An exemplar woman named Elizabeth Proctor exhibits the arbitrary and discriminatory circumstances. In distinguishing, unlikeness Mary Warren impersonates a girl whose hesitancy and uncertainty guides her to condemn many lives. The play depicts the inequitable mobocracy and unjustified perpetrations provoked by self-indulgence and greed.…
The overall message of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is that when uncontrolled hysteria is combined with ignorance, the outcome is tragic. While Miller offers his audience some comic dialogue to soften the events it does not mask the horrifying reality of the witch hunt and its aftermath. Rather, the humorous insights serve to reveal the simplicity and innocence of people living rustic lives in a God-fearing community. Several characters, Paris and Hale, Mary Warren and John Proctor, provide the audience with some comic dialogue, and Giles Corey is the most amusing character of them all.…
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" was an allegory to the well-known mass hysteria, the Red Scare. Many mass hysterias have occurred before and after the Red Scare like Y2K, War of the Worlds, and Muslims in the U.S.…
In Act 2 Elizabeth is arguing with Proctor and confesses some concerns she has about Abigail. “Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now—and I am sure she does—and thinks to kill me then to take my place” (Miller Act 2). Here Elizabeth is warily expressing what she fears Abigail stands to gain by implicating her as witch since she’s realized that Abigail is desperate to get what she wants by any means possible. Abigail is well aware of the amount of sway she holds the trials and aspires to put it in good use. This sense of power overtakes her and makes her want for more, whether that is through accusing more people—just because she can—or removing Elizabeth. But Abigail reasons that once she has removed Abigail from the equation she’s essentially won and gained the highest power of all, being by Proctor’s side. This intense focus on Proctor only serves to push him even further away and pushes her closer to the downfall of losing him and herself in the…
Hysteria, It’s a powerful thing really. In the midst of a crisis this could really cause trouble. After all people can’t think straight when something goes wrong, it’s human nature to assume things rather than to rationally think. Humans are very social beings and they will follow anyone who they think is correct. It doesn’t take much for someone to blindly trust those who say they are doing good. The problem with this is that many of those they trust know what they want, and that thing is power.…
Author Miller in his play The Crucible explores the lives of people who strictly live under the church’s authority in a theocratic society during the 1690s in Salem, Massachusetts. A community of Puritans with their strong beliefs will cause a paranoia in their entire village. The ministers of the church afraid of losing their power will do anything to keep it. Other individuals seek power for their own personal vendetta. With the use of direct characterization, allusion, and irony Miller shows his readers who has the power, who fears it, and who wants in The Crucible.…
Have you ever thought it could happen again? In the Crucible there were many instances that left the townspeople wondering what was going to happen next. After countless times of innocent people becoming executed of witchcraft, it scared the townspeople so bad they were afraid to speak of anything to do with witchcraft. The mass hysteria and fear seen in The Crucible is similar to the hysteria and fear seen after 9/11 because people were scared of the future.…
In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, the superstition of witches existed in a society based on strong Christian beliefs. Anyone who acts out of the ordinary is accused of being a witch, and he/she will actually be forgiven if they blame their accusations on another individual, or confess themselves as guilty. Hysteria is the main idea of this play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Miller shows how it can destroy an entire community, and developed a theme of how suspicion and panic can lead to extensive hysteria that often can destroy rationality and public/individual persona.…
One of the most prominent themes in the play The Crucible is how hysteria can tear apart society and is impossible to think through with logic. There are many examples in the play were the witch hysteria caused for many decisions to be made out of paranoia rather than logically thinking which lead to the collapse of the salem society.…
As the play continues into Act II John Proctor blames Abigail Williams for the girls pretense of witchery. Back in Act I, Abigail told Proctor that what they were doing had not to do with witchcraft, but at the time John…
It can be said that in this play evil takes a human form in Abigail Williams. Abigail serves as the spark of hate in the play. She tempts John Proctor into adultery and commits acts against the Puritan Religion. To escape her punishment when found in the unlawful act of dancing she deflects her actions and blames them on others. She has no regard for those whom may be hurt by her accusations of witchcraft on others. It even seems, at times, she takes pleasure in her deception. All those she accuses are innocent, yet she manipulates many into believing her actions are good. Another character that plays,…