to accuse yet another innocent soul of witchcraft in her plot to have him to herself‚ John Proctor breaks forth‚ shouting‚ “It [Abigail] is a whore!... I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name—you will believe me‚ Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent‚ except she knew a whore when she saw one!” (Miller 3.3). John Proctor‚ the protagonist of the play‚ The Crucible‚ by Arthur Miller‚ has an affair with Abigail Williams‚ a seventeen-year-old orphan‚ which culminates in his wife’s
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The play begins with the initial reports of witchcraft and witchcraft-related afflictions‚ like in the cases of Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam. It sets the stage for the build up of the plot‚ which delves deeper into the Salem Witch Trials that resulted in numerous convictions and executions of Salem residents. What is interesting about The Crucible is the development of the "love" or lust of Abigail Williams for John Proctor‚ which took place prior to the first act. What was initially young forbidden
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In 1692 in the little town of Salem‚ Massachusetts tragic events took place that would alter this miniscule town forever (Conforti par. 1). Specifically‚ the witch trials that spring made it one of the most famous towns in American History. Being accused of witchcraft‚ many people met their deaths and were hung. The witch trials were started and ended by the actions of one man‚ John Proctor. This is illustrated in The Crucible‚ a book written to depict the events of these trials. It would seem
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Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is a social commentary on witch hunts in early America‚ as well as an Aristotelian tragedy. In Aristotle’s essay Poetics‚ Aristotle explains that a character flaw (imperfection or weakness in one’s personality or values) or an error in judgment can lead to tragedy. The word for this is hamartia. Aristotle also goes on to state that the tragic hero will find enlightenment through his or her lamentable situation. In Miller’s play there are two characters in particular
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In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible‚ John Proctor tearing up his confession is believable. Proctor is a flawed character‚ but he is a good man. Proctor tries to do what he believes is right. Proctor can’t stand the idea that innocent people are being condemned. He can’t accept that the girls are falsely accusing people of witchcraft‚ and the court is believing them. John Proctor demonstrates that he is a good man with the way that he judges himself. Proctor can’t forgive himself for having an
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At the Mountains of Madness 1 At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft I I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic - with its vast fossil hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice caps. And I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain. Doubt of the real facts‚ as I must reveal them
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n 1953 Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible‚ a play full of really important common themes‚ such as superstition‚ fear‚ hysteria‚ paranoia‚ lies‚ corruption‚ loyalty and religion; the characters are the American puritans‚ people who are extremely religious and superstitious‚ they are in the service of God and what is in the bible is sacred for them and must be obeyed by everyone. For puritans‚ witchcraft is an abomination and should be punished with dead if it’s not confessed as every sin that a person
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fear to control their village. When Elizabeth went against her by removing her from the Proctor house‚ Abigail proceeded to dance and tell Tituba to cast a spell. Hale begins to act different when Proctor goes to court with Mary. Hale insisted that Danforth "send him home and let him come again with a lawyer-" (Arthur Miller 92). Proctor‚ Abigail‚ and Hale continuously lie to keep their reputations intact. They are similar in this way. They never miss a step in covering up their tracks. However‚ they
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This meant that any attempt to resist any of the government’s actions‚ was considered an attempt to overthrow God. Governments fueled by such rigid convictions often fall into corruption without even realizing it. In The Crucible‚ Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne believe that they’re messengers of God‚ and therefore that everything they believe must be true and everything they do must be right. They never see a reason to reassess their thoughts and actions‚ which makes them easy targets
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In his autobiography‚ Timebends‚ Arthur Miller claims it is only when observing the “break of charity” within the human community that one can fully understand the true meaning behind the outbursts of mass hysteria‚ which later result in a loss of sanity and civility. Miller’s historical-based play‚ The Crucible‚ validates his belief and subtly draws attention to the similarities between the response of the people in 1690 Salem and 1950 America to witchcraft and McCarthyism‚ respectively. Fear is
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