Literature occasionally takes the form of mirror – reflecting and commenting on the situation in a society. In “The Crucible”‚ Arthur Miller‚ remarks on the tyranny obvious in the society of Salem‚ Massachusetts‚ during the late seventeenth century. In the book‚ Timebends: A Life‚ Miller declares: “I can almost tell what the political situation in a country is when the play is suddenly a hit there — it is either a warning of tyranny on the way or a reminder of tyranny just past.” Tyranny denotes
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The Crucible has a containment of many different themes throughout all four acts. One theme that stood out to me was that it was set in a society where church and state were one with a strict religion. With this type of society the moral laws and state laws were pretty much the same‚ so sin and the status of an individual’ soul are public matters of a public concern. In Salem everything and everyone either belongs to God or the Devil. Another theme that was noticed was the role that hysteria
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Feminism criticism is how women are portrayed through literature. When viewed in The Crucible several women played out a major role on whether they are a good or bad role model. Through the lens of feminism Abigail Williams is seen as a negative female character‚ Elizabeth Proctor portrayed a positive female character‚ and Mary Warren actions demonstrate she is not good or bad but a neutral character. Abigail Williams could be considered as a bad role model for sleeping with a married man‚ but in
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McCarthyism and the Red Scare dominated society and culture‚ instilling the terror and suspicions of an invisible enemy on an uninformed people. This enemy was that of communism. Written to alert society of the doom that lurked nearby‚ Arthur Miller’s The Crucible‚ depicts the consequences that come from the hysteria associated with accusations made against one’s neighbor and in some cases friend. From the play‚ one can gather that guilt in society is destructive to communal relationships. The evidence that
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preconceived ideas of Bastardy in Elizabethan society‚ it can be seen that the illegitimacy of Don John‚ “Shakespeare’s most passive villain” is the root of his villainy. Prejudgement‚ to pass judgement without sufficient knowledge‚ can lead to forming misconceptions that may transform someone or something’s image altogether. This pre judgemental attitude of Messina towards his birth circumstance crafts Don John to be an arguably uninteresting antagonist
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Crucible Passages 1. Page 11 Parris: “I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you. Why was she doing that? And I heard a screeching and gibberish coming from her mouth. She were swaying like a dumb beast over that fire!” 2. Page 15-16 Ann Putnam: “And so I thought to send her to your Tituba” Rev Parris: “To Tituba! What ma Tituba---?” Ann: “Tituba knows how to speak to the dead‚ Mr. Parris.” 3. Page 38 Ann Putnam: “Mr. Parris’s slave has knowledge of conjurin’‚ sir.” . . . Ann
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In The Crucible‚ many individuals and institutions face moral tests. Characters such as John and Elizabeth Proctor‚ along with Giles Corey‚ faced such tests. During the time of the trials‚ Giles Corey was called by the court to release names of those suspected of witchcraft. Rather than reveal the names of the people significantly he was pressed to death and took the names of the people to his grave. As the claims of witchcraft troubled the town‚ John had hopes of ending the problem by revealing
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Honors English-10 19 October 2012 The Crucible Analysis Throughout The Crucible‚ the main character‚ John Proctor‚ had an internal change due to events and people in the story. Proctor was influenced by the Salem witch trials and the people involved in it. He learned lessons along the way and learned to stay true and honest to who he is. Proctor committed adultery with a girl named Abigail and felt terribly guilty. At first Proctor continued to fall into his guilt by lying and not moving
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The Crucible- Act 1 Page 913 (1a-5b) 1a. The key to maintaining a safe and orderly society was to go to church and stay on the path of God. The government they established was Puritan Theocracy. 1b. The community’s structure and philosophies led to its falling apart because 2a. Reverend Paris is trying to figure out what happened the night in the woods and wants to know if Tituba was talking to the devil and performing witchcraft. Abigail immediately responds saying that no one was performing
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In The Crucible‚ Reverend Parris’s character clearly displays‚ through actions and characteristics alike‚ that Miller is using him as an allegorical counterpart to the American government during the time period in which the play was written. At this time‚ xenophobia and fear of communism were rampant within the United States‚ and towards the beginning of this era of panic‚ the government attempted to use this hysteria to distract from internal problems that they were dealing with‚ like lack of finances
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