Though actions are often motivated by fear and desires for power and revenge, they are also propped up by underlying worries about how a loss of reputation will negatively affect characters' lives. Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, is accused of being a witch and Proctor has to make a moral decision . As this hysteria begins to rise, other people such as Thomas Putnam, a rich landowner, start to also allege Salem villagers. This well-intentioned mistake seals both of their fates. The Crucible presents a view of women that essentially reduces them to caricatures of human beings that are defined by their roles as mothers, wives, and servants to men. Her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctors position as Johns wife has led her to attempted murder, first by the charm in the woods and now by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. They say not to use superstition when dealing with the Devil, who is in fact a superstition used to cover up the sinful dealings of the people. He says, I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town (pg. In the final events of Act 4, John Proctor has a tough choice to make between losing his dignity and losing his life. The evolution of his character is due to vairous . She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. Abigail accuses Tituba first because Tituba is the one person below her on the ladder of power, so she makes an easy scapegoat. In Act 2, the value of reputation in Salem starts to butt heads with the power of hysteria and fear to sway peoples opinions (and vengeance to dictate their actions). To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Shes not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). His guilt leads to great tension in interactions with Elizabeth because he projects his feelings onto her, accusing her of being judgmental and dwelling on his mistakes. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused. In another section, Miller explains the teachings of the Puritans and how it related to the mess that the trials became: ''These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned. Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other witches to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Bettys accusations, now validated by a coerced confession. Both Hale and Proctor don't want to live with the consequences of their mistakes, so they try to ignore or undo their past actions. 129)He is still convinced that all the prisoners are guilty and is determined to force them to admit their guilt. Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in The Crucible. However, this runs up against Danforths desire to preserve his reputation as a strong judge. People are quick to believe something even if there is no evidence for their fear. This hysteria-based evidence of witchcraft includes the discovery of the poppet in the Proctor household with a needle in it. To illustrate, here are some examples of . Tituba is forced to accept her role as a pawn for those with greater authority and a stepping stone for Abigails ascent to power. 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. The town suspected her of lewd dealings, so she was put to death for it. It's here that we see the hypocrisy of the situation. Do you not know that God damns all liars? (Miller 101). Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? A man of conscience is one who is aware of his moral and ethical beliefs and judgments and one who will prefer right over wrong. Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Abigails presence is always rife with irony in The Crucible, as she constantly chastises others for sins she herself has committed. The hysterical atmosphere and the dramatic performances of some of the accusers cause people to believe they have seen genuine proof of witchcraft. I chose . She also ran the local tavern. Create your account, 7 chapters | These three characters can be the most to blame for the cause of the spread and start of hysteria in Salem during the Witch Trials. The evidence used in the Salem Witch Trials further demonstrates the hypocrisy in the Puritan times. The Crucible is commonly viewed as an allegorical representation of the communist "witch hunts" conducted in the 1950s. No one considers that the accusers are lying, partially because theyre seen as innocent children and partially because many witches confess to avoid the death penalty. Hale pg. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. How does Parris pride prevent him from doing anything to stop the progression of events in the play? As John gives his confession, Danforth says to Rebecca Nurse Now, woman, you surely see it profit nothin to keep this conspiracy any further. Of course, we know that Danforth has been trading peoples lives for lies this whole time. Sure, you don't expect or want rain, but it's not the polar opposite of getting married. Even Judge Danforth, supposedly a reliable source of justice and solidity, goes against what he knows to be true by forcing those arrested to either confess to crimes they did not commit or face the gallows, all to save his name and prevent it from looking like he had hanged innocent people. She puts on a fake front to get what she wants, ultimately creating a persona thats even worse than that of the hypocrites she criticizes. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller many people panicked from the witch hysteria which caused many to be accused of being witches, Judge Danforth decided what happens to the accused witches and is the most corrupted in Salem because his power of being a judge made him go overboard with his decisions on people. Many villagers, especially Abigail . The Crucible by Arthur Miller. 22). Throughout the play, Miller uses the Salem Witch trials as a catalyst for Proctor's crucial development. Is hypocrisy a natural human flaw? The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. An example of hypocrisy is when Mary defends Elizabeth in court, but then gives her a poppet which lands Elizabeth in jail for owning a tool of witchcraft. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? (pg. The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation. references the many sentencing decisions he has already made in the trials of the accused. Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. In this case, you're asked to discuss the concept of a tragic character, explaining who fits that mold in The Crucible and why. Ask questions; get answers. He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Bettys affliction. This is interesting because the children are the ones that the rest of the village relies upon to condemn people to death. Abigail, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle towards more power over her situation. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us.'' People in power continue to believe the accusers out of fear for their own safety, taking the hysteria to a point where no one is above condemnation. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. Demosthenes made fun of Aeschines, a famous Greek politician who was also an actor, basically . " jesus christThe simple answer is of course, yes! This website helped me pass! The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. How are characters behaviors affected by concern for their reputations? "She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris's house tonight, and without word nor warnin' she falls to the floor. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. This is irony of the same type that I discussed in the overview of this theme. Though Rebecca Nurse's involvement has already been corroborated by other confessors, Danforth demands to hear it from John to confirm that John is fully committed to renouncing his supposed ties to Satan. At first, Mary is being honest by admitting that Elizabeth . While it does provide an entertaining experience at face value, the true literary genius behind the work is Miller's . The accused people of Salem are all innocent and have nothing to do with neither witchcraft nor convening with the devil. The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary is unable to faint outside of a charged courtroom environment. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. In the next few sections,I'll take a look at a group of broad themes inThe Crucible, including irony, hysteria, reputation, and power. All rights reserved. The main display of Abby's hypocrisy is her incessant accusations of the accused as being unholy, God-damned and doing the Devils work. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. I'll give a short summary of how each plays a role in the events of The Crucible. Why is Cory arrested? Reverend Parris is in a position of power as the town's spiritual leader, but he is insecure about his authority. Just like generosity, honesty and kindness are natural in people with those tendencies. Why is Cheever both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it? In one of the most well-known quotes in the play, John Proctor angrily insists that the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom (pg. Rational explanations are ground up by the drama of the rumor mill, and people see only what they want to see (whatever keeps them in the good graces of society andmakes them feel the best about themselves) in situations that don't appear to have easy explanations. In a case like this, you'd be writing directly about a specific theme in connection to one of the characters. Abigail insists that she did nothing to deserve it and tries to put all the blame on Elizabeth Proctor. He is weak and vulnerable after Abigail's theft of his life's savings, and hes even facing death threats from the townspeople as a result of John and Rebecca's imminent executions. Tituba, the slave of Reverend Parris, is the first to admit to dancing with the devil. The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. Essay questions that ask about themes in this straightforward way can be tricky because there's a temptation to speak in vague terms about the theme's significance. Elizabeth notes that Mary's demeanor is now like that of the daughter of a prince (pg. If you hope to write an awesome essay onThe Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. 119). AbracaDENIAL! Well, it's not. Miller writes: ''As for Rebecca herself, the general opinion of her character was so high that to explain how anyone dared cry her out for a witchwe must look to the fields and boundaries of that time.'' As the story progresses, Danforth and many other officials begin to realize that the entire situation in Salem progressed to far and honest people will continue to die unless they can convince people to lie in order to save themselves. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." In today's world hypocrisy is demonstrated by everyday citizens and even political leaders. The play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller demonstrates the implications of a society in complete chaos over an irrational fear of witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. He appears to have no governing system of morality. Abigails power skyrockets as the hysteria grows more severe. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. makes them feel the best about themselves. 67). The two characters that could have ended the mass hysteria are Abigail Williams and Deputy Governor Danforth. The meaning of HYPOCRISY is a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. Rebecca Nurse is a pure soul, who always took care of other people's children. Revenge in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Theme, Examples & Analysis, Allusion in the Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Overview, Thomas Putnam in The Crucible | Character Traits, Quotes & Personality, Irony in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Overview & Examples, Abigail Williams in The Crucible | Quotes, Traits & Descriptions, The Crucible by Arthur Miller: Act 1 | Quotes, Overview & Analysis, Judge John Hathorne in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Analysis & Quotes, John Proctor in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Quotes, Analysis & Development, Reverend John Hale in the Crucible by Arthur Miller | Traits, Quotes & Analysis, Reverend Parris in The Crucible | Character Traits & Quotes, Hysteria in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Theme, Quotes & Examples, Fear in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Quotes, Examples & Analysis, Judge Danforth in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Character & Quotes, Giles Corey Character Analysis & Quotes | The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Ruth Putnam in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Character & Analysis, Symbols in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Analysis, NYSTCE English Language Arts (003): Practice and Study Guide, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Study Guide, English 103: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, EPT: CSU English Language Arts Placement Exam, ILTS English Language Arts (207): Test Practice and Study Guide, Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Language: Standards, College English Composition: Help and Review, Create an account to start this course today. Miller includes some commentary on Hale: ''One cannot help noting that one of his lines has never yet raised a laugh in any audience that has seen this play; it is his assurance that, 'We cannot look to superstition in this. To illustrate this, he simultaneously shows the Puritan belief system while describing characters that do not obey that system, yet pretend to in their daily lives. Danforth also acts out of concern for his reputations here. The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation. Danforth also becomes frustrated with Proctor when he wont name names in his confession: Mr. The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. While I speak Gods law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering (pg. In her conversation with John, Abigail claims that he helped her realize all the lies she was told by two-faced people in Salem who only publicly adhere to the conventions of respectable society (pg. Goody Good, an old beggar woman, is one of the first to be named a witch. Miller accomplishes this through almost, if not every character in the story. Abigail's strength in Act I is the strength that is within her ability to influence others. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Abigail, in particular, has quickly risen from a nobody to one of the most influential people in Salem. Though hysteria overpowered the reputations of the accused in the past two acts, in act 4 the sticking power of their original reputations becomes apparent. These two institutions fuse together in The Crucible to actively encourage accusers and discourage rational explanations of events. Explain who you believe is the central tragic character in the play. The seeds are planted in Act 1, when Abigail is questioned about her activities in the woods and ends up accusing Tituba of witchcraft to avoid punishment. The other two main female characters, Elizabeth and Mary Warren, are somewhat bland. Posted at 02:28h in motion to dismiss child support arrears by how does shakespeare present lady macbeth as ambitious. Even with prompts that ask you to discuss a specific character or plot point, you can find ways to connect your answer to major themes. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible. Later in the play, she is accused. When she cant get John to abandon Elizabeth for her, she decides to take matters into her own hands and gain control through manipulating the fears of others. Tituba attempts to tell the truth about Abigail when she says, You beg me to conjure! This is ironic because, Once the accusations begin, Parris initiates an ironic thought process that persists throughout. I highly recommend you use this site! Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctors wife Elizabeth. In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). Miller depicts through characters such as these that humans cannot exist without the flaw of hypocrisy. The people in charge are so eager to hold onto their power that if anyone disagrees with them in the way the trials are conducted, it is taken as a personal affront and challenge to their authority. Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation. 129). The attitudes towards women in the 1950s, when the play was written, are evident in the roles they're given. This is taken as evidence that things are really getting out of control ("if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." Hale is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence. Elizabeth doesnt realize that John is willing to sacrifice his reputation to save her life. Arthur Miller speaks of Reverend Parris, stating: ''until this strange crisis he, like the rest of Salem, never conceived that the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak.''. Abigail's version of events is held to be true even after John confesses to their affair in a final effort to discredit her. In reality, he is constantly judging himself, and this leads to outbursts of anger against others who remind him of what he did (he already feels guilty enough!). ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? This includes not only accusatory lies about the involvement of others in witchcraft but also the lies that people consistently tell about their own virtuousness and purity in such a repressive society. In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). John and Rebeccas solid reputations lead to pushback against their executions even though people were too scared to stand up for them in the midst of the trials. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God. (Cheever pg. As Reverend Hale says to Danforth, Excellency, there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots cry will end his life - and you wonder yet if rebellions spoke? (Act 4, pg. Her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctors position as Johns wife has led her to attempted murder, first by the charm in the woods and now by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. Danforth, who has the most authority, is also the most sold on her act, and it only takes a few screams to persuade him that hes in the presence of witchcraft. The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. All rights reserved. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. 6). In Arthur Miller's stunning play, The Crucible, a primary character named John Proctor has an affair with a young woman named Abigail Williams. In Act 2, the value of reputation in Salem starts to butt heads with the power of hysteria and fear to sway peoples opinions (and vengeance to dictate their actions). Historical Context. The first is that she is looking to escape . Abigail accuses Tituba first because Tituba is the one person below her on the ladder of power, so she makes an easy scapegoat.
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