Elizabeth And Mccarthyism In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

1144 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Character study of the crucible by Arthur Miller

Joseph McCarthy was a Republican senator who did as much as he could to whip up anti-communism in the 1950s. In the time of his term, he didn’t attach his name to anything significant until February 9, 1950. On that day, he gave a political speech claiming that he had a list of 205 Communists in the State Department. Although nobody saw the list of names and it wasn’t clarified by anybody else, the speech made national news. Furthermore, this relates to The Crucible because Abigail, like McCarthy, made multiple false witch accusations on women in Salem. Arthur Miller’s historical play, The Crucible, portrays the historical events of the Salem witch trials through a number of memorable characters and a background based off of McCarthyism. While …show more content…

Elizabeth too has attained quite a bit of respect from the townspeople. She is known by those around her to be a genuine and kind woman. Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft, but soon after they realize that the accuser’s claim is misleading. They figure this out in Act Two when Mary Warren confesses to the poppet being hers and not Elizabeth’s. Furthermore, Elizabeth is a fervent Puritan woman. With that being said, she never lies because that to her is equivalent to murder or adultery. The only time that she ever thought to tell a lie was when she was doing her best to protect her husband in the court; unfortunately, what she did wasn’t the best choice she could’ve made. Moreover, Elizabeth is faithful with her husband, but that doesn’t stop her from continuing to not have trust in him. For example, in the beginning of Act Two, John mentions to her that he had been alone with Abigail. Without a doubt, that makes Elizabeth uncomfortable because she has a bit of an idea of what John was hiding from the public eye. In the stage directions, Arthur Miller prompts the reader to feel and sympathize with Elizabeth. For instance, in the same Act, it says that John goes to give her a kiss and she simply receives it. She doesn’t kiss him back showing that she has no desire to be doing much with the man. Throughout the play, Arthur Miller does an exceptional job with how he portrays Elizabeth as a good

Show More
Related

  • Theocracy In The Crucible

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    As once stated by Joseph R. McCarthy “I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department” (Joseph). The red scare occurred in the 1950’s when United States senator Joseph McCarthy lied when accusing people for being communists. McCarthyism is the practice of making false accusation for the purpose of ruining the lives of innocent people. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 when the townspeople were accusing and being accused of witchcraft. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as a reference to the red scare because in 1692 and 1950’s, both societies were being watched closely, were restricted of certain opportunities, and in both there were false accusations. In The Crucible, Salem’s downfall was caused by theocracy because the church plays an enormous role in

    Read More

  • Elizabeth's Spiritual Growth in "The Crucible"

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the start of the play, Elizabeth is heartbroken her husband, John Proctor, has committed adultery seven months ago with Abagail Williams. Elizabeth’s sorrow leads her to insecurities of her husband’s fidelity. When the talk of witchcraft comes up, Elizabeth becomes devastated she has been accused of witchery by Abagail. She is even more heartbroken John will not confess to the court of his infidelity to end the whole fiasco. She gently asks John to break any false hopes Abagail may have and is quickly discouraged by his answer. Elizabeth believes Abagail means to accuse her of witchery to take her place (1127). She goes on to tell her husband, “…I will be ...

    Read More

  • Abigail Williams Influence In The Crucible

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    She always tells the truth nothing but the truth.“In her life, sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep-my wife cannot lie” (John.221). John Proctor knew she would tell the truth about what happened. But when John Proctor was on trial she was asked if “ …. John Proctor ever committed lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! ….. No, Sir. (Act 3. 410) Elizabeth knew at this moment that if she told the truth that would mean salvation with John’s name. But Elizabeth lied to save John's reputation in the community in an act of forgiveness and

    Read More

  • Comparing the the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s The Crucible utilizes a fictional account of the Salem Witch Trials to expose the mob mentality associated with the Red Scare of the 1950’s and the sometimes overzealous fight against communism in America. By references to the events that took place in the Witch Trials, the playwright successfully portrays society’s behavior at its tyrannical worst, exposing fraud, faulty logic, vindictiveness, zealotry, and evil (Brater). Arthur Miller creates a parallel between the societal events of mass in the 1600’s and those in the 1950’s. In both instances, leaders use the fear of the masses for their personal gain. Abigail, the lead character in the play, and Senator Joseph McCarthy are both able to generate a groundswell that takes on a life of its own and ruins the lives of others. Arthur Miller created this analogy in order to expose Senator McCarthy and his anti-Communist propaganda by creating an analogy to the ferocity of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare fed on the anxiety of the general public. The Salem Witch Trials magnified society’s ability to influence the judicial system. As the hysteria regarding the existence of witches swelled, innocent individuals were executed. McCarthyism also demonstrated society’s ability to influence the judicial system. As the hysteria regarding the threat of communism in America swelled, innocent individuals were jailed, blacklisted, deported, and fired from their jobs. The Crucible first staged in 1953, was meant to raise awareness of the effect that fear can have on human behavior and judgment. The play illustrates how Abigail’s intent to avoid punishment by accusing others of culturally deviant activity led to mass hysteria. Senator McCar...

    Read More

  • The Strengthening Simulation of a Weak Society

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Miller, the political representatives in the United States were abusing their power. Senator McCarthy labeled and targeted many citizens of the United States as communists. After making “a list of two hundred and five people that were known as… being members of the Communist Party”, he went after them claiming they were unloyal to the US and that they were spies for the communist party. The abuse of power in the United States is demonstrated through the actions of the court in The Crucible. The court, consisting of Danforth, Parris, and Hawthorne, pursue the townspeople that are accused of being witches. They use their power to “try” people of their crimes, but real evidence that the person is a witch is never brought up. The way the people are claimed guilty or not was all up to the judgement of the court after hearing a testimony that may or may not be true. The comparison between the two is they both contain over powering leaders that make decisions based on unverified facts. Likewise, Herblock’s “It’s ok… we’re hunting communists” cartoon portrays how McCarthy took cha...

    Read More

  • How Does Mary Warren Use Lies In The Crucible

    1863 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ph McCarthy accused 205 Americans of being “card-carrying communist”. In Miller's play, an ambitious teenager, blinded by the married man she loves, fans Salem into a blood-lust frenzy in revenge. Abigail Williams, like Joseph McCarthy accuses many not of communism, but of witchcraft. Communism, as well as witchcraft, are two philosophies that are feared in communities and often results in imprisonment and aggressive investigations. Blacklisting during communism is comparative to hangings in witchcraft, and there is a standard in both scenarios that must be met for one to be considered citizen. Abigail, eleven years old at the time, is portrayed as seventeen in The Crucible, one of many events altered in the play to exaggerate specific scenarios. Why does Arthur Miller change history? Miller ultimately makes the decision to change history to unveil a hidden truth:

    Read More

  • The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Crucible by Arthur Miller The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in American history surrounding the Salem witch trials of the seventeenth century, yet is as much a product of the time in which Arthur Miller wrote it, the early 1950s, as it is description of Puritan society. At that particular time in the 1950s, when Arthur Miller wrote the play the American Senator McCarthy who chaired the ‘House Un-American Activities Committee’ was very conscious of communism and feared its influence in America. It stopped authors’ writings being published in fear of them being socialist sympathisers. Miller was fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and that human beings were capable of such madness. In the 1950s the audience would have seen the play as a parallel between the McCarthy trials and the Salem Trials.

    Read More

  • Mass Hysteria

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller was written in response to McCarthyism in the 1950’s. In 1692 and 1693 the Salem witch trials took place in Salem Massachusetts. Girls believed to be involved in witchcraft were responsible for these trials. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s senator McCarthy came to office. Senator McCarthy and some of his allies were responsible for hysteria in the United States of America in the 1950’s. The scare was also in result of a communist scare after World War II and leading to the cold war. The behavior of the people of the Salem witch trials and Americans in the 19050’s resulted in a big scare in reaction to hysteria.

    Read More

  • How Is Elizabeth Presented In The Crucible

    456 Words  | 1 Pages

    When Elizabeth is first introduced in the play The Crucible, it is discovered that her husband John Proctor has had an affair with their maid Abigail Williams. The crime and sin of lechery was not taken lightly in Salem during this time, punishment was severe. Although Elizabeth became aware of the affair, she did not out her husband. Elizabeth merely ‘placed Abigail out on the highroad’ and found a new maid. Elizabeth never once stopped being loyal to John. She continued to take care of John and treat him as she had before. Through the pain of discovery, Elizabeth kept strength.

    Read More

  • Arthur Miller's Criticism of Society

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play that was first performed in 1953 in the United States of America in the midst of the persecution of alleged communists during the era of McCarthyism. Although the play explicitly addresses the Salem which hunt, many find that the play is an analogy to McCarthyism due to the striking similarities in which the people behaved. Miller highlight the different groups of characters in order to reveal overlying ideas of the play such as: Self preservation, power, and hypocrisy.

    Read More

  • Abigail Reputation In The Crucible And Mccarthyism

    533 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was written during the early 1950s.It was the time of The rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s.All throughout history, accusations of witchcraft have been used as an excuse for the discrimination of people who cultures, traditions, race, and ideas were not easily accepted nor understood by the society even if it was untrue.In today’s society students are taught this because it show’s how important “The Crucible, and McCarthyism were and what changes they went through because of the human condition.It is extremely important and appropriate because it allows students the opportunity to respond in terms of their own experiences .The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism had many similarities. In The Crucible Abigail

    Read More

  • Free Essays on The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, lived during the Red Scare, which was anti-Communist as the Salem witch trials were anti-witches. The whole book is a symbol of two events that happened in history. The Red Scare and McCarthyism both serve as symbols of the Salem witch trials, which makes it an allegory. Although the play is based off of the witch trials during seventeenth century New England, the author meant for it to address his concern for the Red Scare in an indirect way. For example, just like the witch trials accusing people of witchcraft, Americans during the Red Scare accused others of being pro-Communist. The same widespread paranoia occurred as a result.

    Read More

  • Free Essays on The Crucible: The Lessons Learned

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elizabeth Proctor has many moments which show how she is changing throughout the play. When she is trying to persuade Proctor to tell the court that Abigail said the girls were not practicing witchcraft, Elizabeth blurts out, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not." Elizabeth is confessing that she believes Proctor had an affair with Abigail. She is giving him no mercy by showing that she will never forget what happened. When Elizabeth is being accused of stabbing Abigail, she instructs Proctor to go to court, and tells him "Oh, John, bring me soon!" Elizabeth is gaining trust in John. She is forgetting his act of adultery and now has faith that he will defend her. At the end of the play, when Proctor is sentenced to death, Elizabeth says that "he [has] his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" Elizabeth is admitting that John was righteous to confess his sin of lechery, and she should have pardoned him. She considers herself impure for not showing mercy, and does not want to take away from his glory. Elizabeth has transformed from an ignorant victim of adultery, to a forgiving, loving wife.

    Read More

  • Compare And Differences Of Mccarthyism And The Crucible

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    Events have played out in history that made people realize the inhumane acts of people and the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy era were two of them. The Salem witch trials in 1692 were almost 260 years before the McCarthy “witch hunts” in the 1950s yet there are similarities between them. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is about the Salem witch trials and is an allegory to the practicing of McCarthyism during the Second Red Scare in the United States, which Miller was a victim of. Although there may be differences between “The Crucible” and McCarthyism, ultimately the anger, lack of evidence, and the people were alike in both events.

    Read More

  • The Role of Fear Depicted in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play “The Crucible” is an allegory for the McCarthyism hysteria that occurred in the late 1940’s to the late 1950’s. Arthur Miller’s play “the crucible” and the McCarthyism era demonstrates how fear can begin conflict. The term McCarthyism has come to mean “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty”, which is the basis of the Salem witch trials presented in Arthur Miller’s play. The fear that the trials generate leads to the internal and external conflicts that some of the characters are faced with, in the play. The town’s people fear the consequences of admitting their displeasure of the trials and the character of John Proctor faces the same external conflict, but also his own internal conflict. The trials begin due to Abigail and her friends fearing the consequences of their defiance of Salem’s puritan society.

    Read More

More about Elizabeth And Mccarthyism In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Open Document