illustrated by Arthur Miller in his play‚ The Crucible. The fear of witchcraft engulfs the Puritanical society thus creating a mob rule. The fate of the town depends upon the morals of its people. John Proctor and Reverend Hale are key players in condemning the Witch Trials; ruling the mob are Abigail‚ Judge Danforth‚ and their followers. Even though the trials were intended to end when Salem was cleansed of the alleged witchcraft‚ it remained the responsibility of the individual to ensure that the
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In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible‚ names are of the utmost importance to many Puritans because they resemble reputation and social status. During Act 4 when John Proctor is being persuaded to confess to witchcraft‚ an altercation about signing away Proctor’s name occurs. Reverend Parris argues‚ “It is a weighty name; it will strike the village that Proctor confess. I beg you‚ let him sign it…” (Miller 131) By saying‚ “it will strike the village that Proctor confess‚” Parris attempts to coax Judge Danforth
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EXTENDED ESSAY THE CRUCIBLE In this extended essay I will undertake a detailed analysis of some of the major themes in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Hysteria and‚ the oppressive nature of society are all addressed by the playwright‚ However‚ the theme of the power struggle‚ principally‚ individuality vs society is paramount. I also wanted to discuss how relevant the themes and the characteristics in the crucible are in the real modern and social world. This vital theme dominates the play. In
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McCarthyism vs Witch Trials Does history repeat itself? Back in 1692‚ a couple of teenage girls decided to have a little fun with witchcraft. That little game turned into a “death play” with thousands of lives being taken away by simply having someone point a finger and say one’s name. Likewise in the early 1950s‚ we saw a similar type of witchcraft happen because of the fear of communism. Hundreds of lives and careers were ruined because people were naming names to save themselves. Numerous
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CONCERNING THE USE OF THE SUPERNATURAL IN FURTHERING THE PLOT OF RICHARD III On a technical level‚ Richard III is considered a historical play; it relates the events‚ if dramatized and romanticized‚ following the War of the Roses and the birth of the Tudor dynasty. However‚ Shakespeare’s use of supernatural themes and motifs in furthering the plot is somewhat out of character in its use in such a type of play; usually such themes and motifs form an unconscious backdrop from which the author
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eighteenth century witches were thought to be a serious threat to the community. Skeptical Roman authorities finally helped put an end to the continued persecution of unfortunate or disliked community members. The social aspect of witch accusations: “Witchcraft accusations allowed members of early modern European communities to resolve conflicts between themselves and their neighbors and to explain misfortunes that had occurred in their daily lives.” (Levack‚ 2006). How convenient! I have a list of misfortune
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or immoral. Early on in the drama we come to find that Abigail was involved in witchcraft: MARY WARREN: Abby‚ we’ve got to tell. Witchery’s a hangin’ error‚ a hangin’ like they done in Boston two years ago! We must tell the truth‚ Abby. You’ll only be whipped for dancin’‚ and
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Group Two Dr. Robbins AP European History 5 November 2013 The Causes of Witch Persecution in Early Modern Europe The witch trials and persecution of early modern Europe can be traced to a few main causes. External environmental factors such as Protestantism versus Catholicism and the recent Black Death served to further the tension in these societies by reminding them of the fact that ultimately many things are out of their control‚ supporting their need for an unchanging and certain religion
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although seemingly intelligent and an experienced judge‚ suffers from pride. It is that pride that leads to many of his mistaken and irrational judgments in The Crucible. He is kind-of logical in his reasoning for accusing so many witchcraft activities. He states‚ "Witchcraft is an invisible crime...who may possibly be witness to it? the witch and the victim...now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself...therefore‚ we must rely on her victims” (Miller). This is a logical way to justify his proof
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The Crucible‚ a play by Arthur Miller‚ is based upon the Salem witch trials that took place 1692. The society of Salem are of strict Puritan faith and their court is based on theocracy. Characters are convicted of witchcraft‚ built off the beliefs of the girls in the town who are trying to cover up that they danced. Choosing to live and ruin their reputations‚ or choosing to hang with dignity is a problem many face. Throughout the play John Proctor‚ Judge Danforth‚ and Reverend Parris are concerned
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