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
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The Crucible‚ written by Arthur Miller‚ is an intense‚ drama-filled play about the accusations of witchcraft amongst the town of Salem. Throughout this play‚ there are many themes that are laid out across all four acts. One of the mayor themes that sticks out and is present in all four acts is intolerance. In the Crucible there are countless times where intolerance is show by nearly every character involved in the play. This intolerance can be related to many events throughout American history and
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Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail William both heighten the tension of the witch trials in Salem; they are a contrast of each others character‚ and brawl for the desire for one mans love. Arthur Millers hysterical play‚ The Crucible‚ portrays the personalities of 2 exceptionally diverse women. A mother‚ a wife‚ a friend: Abigail wanted to share a family with John Proctor. In some aspects she was jealous of Elizabeth‚ as she had the one thing in the world that Abigail desperately yearned for. “Oh
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Historical Connection Essay In both The Crucible and McCarthy’s situation with communism‚ there is a theme of widespread paranoia and the devastating effects it can have on innocent people. The historical context of this play has given me a better understanding of false paranoia and to what extent people can act upon it. By definition‚ McCarthyism is a "paranoid hunt for infiltrators." (McCarthyism) When Arthur Miller wrote the Crucible he used events in the play as symbols for what had been
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The Crucible Study Guide Questions Amy Pham Act I - An Overture Describe the personality of Reverend Samuel Parris. Reverend Parris believed he was being persecuted wherever he went‚ despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side. He was a widower with no interest in children‚ or talent in them. He never conceived that they were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight‚ eyes slightly lowered‚ arms at the sides‚ and mouths shut until bidden to speak. He is described
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In a life filled with many difficult decisions people often choose the easy way out by lying to better their situation. Arthur Miller‚ the author of The Crucible‚ lived during the communist scare that took place during the late 40s and early 50s in America. Noticing how false and unjust the accusations were‚ and how people accepted the accusations and falsely confessed to the crime as to save themselves‚ just as people had during the Salem witch trials‚ he decided to write an allegory show how time
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Propaganda: McCarthyism At a time of tension between two superpowers after the Second World War‚ also known as the Cold War‚ America brought its own propaganda to counter that of the Soviet Union. Through McCarthyism politicians imposed panic in the minds of Americans of communist control within the US. Its effects inhibited Americas Social‚ political‚ and diplomatic conflict during the Cold War era. The anti-communist propaganda in long run did not help America in terms of being socially progressive
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Senator McCarthy did terrorize a whole nation‚ and Arthur Miller became a victim of McCarthyism. Miller suffered through accusations of possibly believing in communism; as a result‚ he wrote a play called The Crucible‚ in which he used the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 to explain the communist hysteria during the 1950s. Arthur Miller develops an allegory in The Crucible by comparing the Salem Witch Trials to McCarthyism by using ringleaders‚ persecuted couples‚ and hypocrisy in the government or legal
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face a conflict of either blanketly removing the unacceptable or directly confronting and conquering the incorrect behaviors through allowing independent thought. Both McCarthyism and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 manifest this conflict and ultimately realize that knowledge and independent thought need to prevail. In both McCarthyism and Fahrenheit 451 a higher power attempts to eradicate knowledge and independent thought through book burning. “In 1953 U.S Senator Joseph McCarthy recited before his
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If situated during the Red Scare‚ Abigail Williams‚ Reverend Parris‚ and Rebecca Nurse would still possess the same ruthless‚ power-hungry‚ and intelligent attributes that were demonstrated in The Crucible. In the midst of McCarthyism‚ Abigail would continue to be as ruthless and cunning as she was when she confronted the Witch Trials. She accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft so she can marry John Proctor. She was never afraid to lie to save herself and burden others with accusations. Abigail
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