Insecurities, narcissism, and egos are common themes woven throughout the history of America. From the original Massachusetts Bay Colony to the McCarthy era in the 1950’s, people are always willing to tell lies and degrade others in order to hide their own insecurities, or further grow their egos. Perhaps the largest scale lie throughout history is that of the Salem Witch Trials during the 1600’s in Salem, Massachusetts, where a group of several teenage girls somehow managed to convince the entire…
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Cheyanne Penton April 13, 2015 Senior Research The Crucible Arthur Miller’s book, “The Crucible” was written during the 1950s during the time of McCarthyism. Arthur Miller was strongly influenced by the events that came during the McCarthy era and the Crucible was a result. “Miller stated that as he witnessed the growing hysteria of the late 1940s and 1950s concerning Communist fears, he was drawn to the stories of similar irrational fears and judgments of the 1692 witch trials. He drew parallels…
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Order in Disarray Chaos…the very existence of humans has categorized this as another form of control, but from a third person view, a question forms: what factor is under that influence of power? The Crucible is a tragedy written to represent the theme of hysteria and society’s reactions when given to fear and panic. The symbols observed in this text are as follows: Abigail’s lying personality, the corrupt leadership, and the human nature to pursue self-interest and suppress grudges. In this pandemonium…
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Elizabeth Proctor is a major character • She is faithful, to a fault. • She has to accept John's guilt. • Yet she still tries to protect him • Brave woman • Exemplifies many modern values. Elizabeth Proctor from the Crucible A lot of changes took place since the time of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. But the more things change, the more they remain the same. After reading this play by Arthur Miller, it can be seen that Elizabeth Proctor exemplifies many…
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Jealousy, hysteria, greed, and guilt are just a few of the themes portrayed in the novel “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. In his novel, Arthur Miller recreates the wrongful allegations during the Salem witch trials. These trials were performed because they were accusations amongst friends and neighbors of witch craft. Each character is connected to one or more of the themes. For example, John Proctor, the first male accused of witchcraft, is motivated critically by guilt. In coming forth with the…
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The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an interesting book written about the history of the Salem Witch Trials. A prevalent theme in The Crucible was, preserving one’s reputation. Three people who embodied this theme were; John Proctor, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Parris. They each sacrifice things in their life to preserve their reputation Judge Danforth in my opinion was blinded from the truth by focusing so much on his reputation. In Act III there was evidence provided by Giles, Francis, and John…
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Corruption of Justice In 1962 in Salem, Massachusetts, the infamous “witch trials” took place. Set in a small, Puritan village, the town tumbles into chaos when young girls are found summoning the devil. A makeshift court is set up in the meeting house, or religious center of worship in the town, and justice is demanded by the people. Judges are brought into play and court authority is scattered amongst the villagers. From the dust and gravel, a court and system of justice is created. Soon, though…
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The Crucible The Final Scene Pages 113- 126 John Proctor has a decision to make in the final scene – to confess or not to confess. John Proctor He wants to stay alive for his wife, children and unborn child. He does not see himself as a good man – he has sinned in the past and still carries the guilt of that. Hale argues that life is God’s most precious gift – more important than any principle. If he does confess then his reputation is destroyed – he will lose his good name. His confession…
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In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows how one’s morals may change in order to avoid bad situations. The development of Proctor throughout the witch trials and the change in Abigail’s character after being spotted by Parris conveys the play’s theme. Miller constructs a sense of indecision in Proctor. This is made clearly evident when Proctor is told by Elizabeth to announce Abigail’s pretence. He hesitates by saying ‘I wonder if my story would be credited in such a court’. Through this quote, Miller…
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In Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, Arthur Miller is saying that power corrupts society and the citizens within it. In both stories, authority-holding individuals make decisions to better their own lives, and negatively affect others. Through the actions of Judge Danforth and Howard, Miller shows us that people with money and/or power are selfish; their only ambitions are to better themselves, even if it isn’t for the greater good. A prime example of this narcissistic behaviour would be Judge…
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