The Crucible Critical Lens Essay

Pivotal historical concepts never die, a prime example is the usage of witchcraft and magic in literature. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible dates back to 1953 and tells the tale of the witch trials in Salem, and the struggle of witchcraft accusations. Witchcraft and magic seem to be liturgical concepts that are used throughout time, hence the reason they never die. Deborah Harkness’ novel, A Discovery of Witches, is a modern book following modern witchcraft. Harkness’ novel is a fictional piece of work that also follows witchcraft and the belief of magic. Both works show that whenever magic is involved, habits are similar. ALso touch the way witchcraft is viewed differently.
In both novels, at least one character must find an outlet for the stress that comes with witchcraft. With witchcraft and magic, comes stress and unnaturally pressure, creating the need for an outlet. Dr. Bishop, …show more content…
Some consequences are self-set, and others are set by the public as laws. Both characters avoid witchcraft, but their reasons are divergent. In The Crucible, if one shows a relation to witchcraft, it is treated as a crime. The punishment for that crime is “‘a hangin’’” (Miller 18). Death as a punishment, is a much more severe consequence than the one in A Discovery of Witches. The consequence in A Discovery of Witches, is Dr. Bishop being disappointed in herself and feeling as if she does not deserve what she has earned. Dr. Bishop wanted to achieve her goals on her own merit, for that reason, she avoided magic at all costs because she believed that if she started “‘using magic, nothing would belong entirely to’” (Harkness 25) her. Dr. Bishop avoids witchcraft to avoid the consequence of self-loathing for not doing everything for herself. Witchcraft and magic can be avoided for many reasons, as shown by the diversity between the two

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