The Crucible
The Crucible
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. In other words, Roosevelt may be saying that the only thing to be worried of is the feelings or actions that follow that scared feeling. This allegory and play written by Arthur Miller fits this quotation perfectly. Throughout The Crucible, Abigail and Mary Warren, grow an internal conflict that later turns into the plays external conflict. Abigail is a young girl who uses her imagination and intimidating power to install fear within fellow characters, which fuses the conflict for the entire play. In her hometown of Salem Massachusetts, witchcraft has been brought into play. Little do people of the town know Abigail and her friends are the ones who have started this crazy talk and are also the ones who are keeping it going. The girls and Abby soon become the town’s main source of evidence, for the girls would call out innocent names blaming others of witchcraft and following the devil. To install fear in the other girls, Abigail says to them, “I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down.” She is a very strong willed and manipulative child, and by saying this to her friends she made them fearful of her and they know to keep their mouths shut. The girls keep playing their little game giving Abigail more time to go after the one person she wanted gone the most, Goodie Proctor. Goodie is her main target because Abby wants her husband, John Proctor, and knows that she is the only thing in her way. A recent affair between Abby and John sparked an idea in Abby’s head that they would be together because she thinks he’d leave Goodie and only love her. Abigail’s greatest fears and conflicts seem to have derived from deep within herself. She does not want to be alone or unloved and now that she is controlling the people in the town she believes
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. In other words, Roosevelt may be saying that the only thing to be worried of is the feelings or actions that follow that scared feeling. This allegory and play written by Arthur Miller fits this quotation perfectly. Throughout The Crucible, Abigail and Mary Warren, grow an internal conflict that later turns into the plays external conflict. Abigail is a young girl who uses her imagination and intimidating power to install fear within fellow characters, which fuses the conflict for the entire play. In her hometown of Salem Massachusetts, witchcraft has been brought into play. Little do people of the town know Abigail and her friends are the ones who have started this crazy talk and are also the ones who are keeping it going. The girls and Abby soon become the town’s main source of evidence, for the girls would call out innocent names blaming others of witchcraft and following the devil. To install fear in the other girls, Abigail says to them, “I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down.” She is a very strong willed and manipulative child, and by saying this to her friends she made them fearful of her and they know to keep their mouths shut. The girls keep playing their little game giving Abigail more time to go after the one person she wanted gone the most, Goodie Proctor. Goodie is her main target because Abby wants her husband, John Proctor, and knows that she is the only thing in her way. A recent affair between Abby and John sparked an idea in Abby’s head that they would be together because she thinks he’d leave Goodie and only love her. Abigail’s greatest fears and conflicts seem to have derived from deep within herself. She does not want to be alone or unloved and now that she is controlling the people in the town she believes