Goldie Bignell The successful and what could have been successful societies in both Lord of the Flies and The Crucible eventually decayed and fell apart. There were struggles with good and evil in Salem and on the island that were the result of three main elements. Fear‚ misuse of power and fanatical religious beliefs were the cause of the two societies failure. In Salem‚ anything unusual or different from the norm was seen as alien and sinful. When Parris saw the girls dancing in the woods
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The Crucible “A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity” -Robert A. Heinlein. The The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about witchcraft hunts in Salem‚ Massachusetts where many where accused‚ many innocent victims were faced with a cruel decision. They could either confess that they were guilty and would get punished or deny any relationship with the devil and get hang. Arthur miller was inspired to write
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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 majority did not become completely overthrown by mass hysteria
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weakness is as much to blame for these deaths as much as jealousy and manipulation. People will lie to save their reputations. One character that seemed to fall into the social trap of hypocrisy is Judge Danforth. When questioning Mary Warren about her sudden decision to tell the truth‚ Danforth ridicules Mary when saying‚ "How were you instructed in your life? Do you not know that God damns all liars?" The Judge sees himself as part of the "elect"
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were also an issue. Something that I think both the crucible and this article talk about and focus on is how people are power hungry and how they want to gain power and leverage over other people. One example is the judges in the court. Judge Danforth found a lot of power by signing death warrants. He liked signing them because he felt like he could scare people into doing what he wanted them to do and listen to them. In the
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The witchtrials had a negative effect on the people in Salem and negatively affected relationships within the town. Rice 2 Salem’s authority was negatively affected from the trials. For example‚ Danforth and Hathorne were the judges of the trials and due to all of the mass hysteria they were forced into being “black and white‚” Miller shows this by having Danforth state‚ “But you must understand‚ sir‚ that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it‚ there be no road between.” By having this in the
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witness. Type of Irony: 4. One of the accusers is named Mercy Lewis‚ yet: she is merciless. Type of Irony: 5. Elizabeth is portrayed as an honest woman‚ yet when questioned by Judge Danforth: she lies about John’s infidelity. Type of Irony: 6. Danforth says‚ “…the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the
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I. Authorial Background Titilola Mark/3rd Author Miller was an American playwright‚ essayist and prominent figure in twentieth-century American theatre. Born on October 17‚ 1915‚ in Harlem‚ New York City‚ he was the second of three children of Polish Jewish immigrants. At the University of Michigan‚ Miller first majored in journalism and worked as a reporter and night editor for the student paper‚ the Michigan Daily. It was during this time that he wrote his first play‚ “No Villain” which won the
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results in the wrong hands. Set in Salem all the while the infamous witch trials of 1692‚ the play describes the destructive consequences of individuals abusing their authority for individual gain. Through the test of Reverend Parris‚ Deputy Governor Danforth and the afflicted girls‚ it is evident that power when wielded carelessly can lead to disorder and tragedy. Reverend Parris: A Self-Serving Authority Reverend Parris‚ the person in charge of Salem‚
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based on a society ruled by theocracy. Danforth ‘s statement of “–a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it ‚ there be no road between” clearly demonstrates the Puritan’s prospective of seeing everything in black and white. Arthur Miller’s purpose of writing The Crucible was due to the close resemblance between the Salem Witch-trails and McCarthyism. They are both human tragedies that are driven by human fear. In The Crucible‚ Danforth and others suspect a person is either
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