The Theme of Revenge in The Crucible, and The Scarlet Letter
John Drost
Mr. Bianca
Block 6
11/5/12
Revenge: Connections and Deceit The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter are very similar in many distinct perspectives, but both pieces of writing have the same theme: revenge. For example, the two stories take place in the same time frame, approximately around the mid 1700 's to early 1800 's. During this time period, many people were highly religious, and believed that things that could not be explained by normal means, thus forming the theory of the Devil 's work, also known as witchcraft. Both towns, Salem and Boston, of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter respectively were colonized by Puritans and their beliefs and rules of God. The setting contributes to the revenge in both pieces of writing because had these events occurred in a later time, Hester and John Proctor would have received a divorce instead of being convicted and possibly sent to death. As the stories continue, many characters want revenge on other characters because they were seen as a threat, nuisance, or unnecessary. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams wanted Elizabeth Proctor dead in order to have John Proctor all for herself, whereas in The Scarlet Letter, Chillingworth wanted revenge on Dimmesdale. In order to do so, Chillingworth used psychological warfare in order to make his conscience feel guilty, which eventually led up to Dimmesdale 's confession to his crime. Revenge itself can be positive and negative, depending on those who are affiliated with it. Revenge itself means "To exact punishment or expiation for a wrong on behalf of, especially in a resentful or vindictive spirit."(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revenge) In simpler terms, revenge means to inflict pain and sadness onto a person who had done a malicious deed that was affiliated to yourself. There are many types of revenge that occur in both pieces of writing, along with many people who are revenge-ridden.
Drost Page 2
Drost Page 2
In The Crucible, Abigail Williams is
Mr. Bianca
Block 6
11/5/12
Revenge: Connections and Deceit The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter are very similar in many distinct perspectives, but both pieces of writing have the same theme: revenge. For example, the two stories take place in the same time frame, approximately around the mid 1700 's to early 1800 's. During this time period, many people were highly religious, and believed that things that could not be explained by normal means, thus forming the theory of the Devil 's work, also known as witchcraft. Both towns, Salem and Boston, of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter respectively were colonized by Puritans and their beliefs and rules of God. The setting contributes to the revenge in both pieces of writing because had these events occurred in a later time, Hester and John Proctor would have received a divorce instead of being convicted and possibly sent to death. As the stories continue, many characters want revenge on other characters because they were seen as a threat, nuisance, or unnecessary. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams wanted Elizabeth Proctor dead in order to have John Proctor all for herself, whereas in The Scarlet Letter, Chillingworth wanted revenge on Dimmesdale. In order to do so, Chillingworth used psychological warfare in order to make his conscience feel guilty, which eventually led up to Dimmesdale 's confession to his crime. Revenge itself can be positive and negative, depending on those who are affiliated with it. Revenge itself means "To exact punishment or expiation for a wrong on behalf of, especially in a resentful or vindictive spirit."(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revenge) In simpler terms, revenge means to inflict pain and sadness onto a person who had done a malicious deed that was affiliated to yourself. There are many types of revenge that occur in both pieces of writing, along with many people who are revenge-ridden.
Drost Page 2
Drost Page 2
In The Crucible, Abigail Williams is