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Character Analysis of Elizabeth Proctor In 1692, many people in Salem, Massachusetts confessed to witchcraft, which resulted in several conflicts
The crucible as an allegory of
In "the crucible" who is reverend hale
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“On the bandwagon” is a term used to describe people that jump on trends that most people are doing. In The Crucible, when Rev. John Hale was interrogating Tituba, she started accusing two other citizens in hopes that the masses won’t accuse her of undergoing witchcraft/ being a witch. She is seen accusing the people, “there is Goody Good … Aye, sir, and Goody Osburn” (47) which shows Tituba’s characterization as a liar and a deceiver. However, the bandwagon is seen after she has accused the two people in which many of the other young girls also start to accuse others in hopes of not being accused. For example, when Abigail states, “I saw Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, and Bridget Bishop with the devil,” (48) many of the other girls started to accuse …show more content…
More specifically, however, one of the causes and effects are seen when Abigail blames Tituba for Betty’s sleeping. When Abigail states, “She made me do it! She made Betty do it!” (43) and Hale shifts his focus onto Tituba, Tituba starts to make outbursting comments about how certain citizens were seen with the Devil. The cause of Abigail blaming Tituba lead to the effect of Tituba blaming “Goody Good and Goody Osburn” which will then lead to Hale interrogating those two citizens. This represents “Bandwagon” since Tituba’s outburst were all reliant on the fact that Abigail blamed her. Thus, this lead to Abigail starting to blame others, and the young girls starting to blame more people, as well. Another cause and effect is John Proctor’s conversation with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. More importantly, Elizabeth’s long dialogue about Abigail. In this scene, Elizabeth talks about Abigail, stating, “where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel.” (53) This isn’t only a Biblical allusion, with respect to Moses, but also an example of bandwagon. Ever since Abigail started spouting random citizen names, the girls were also tempted to do the same. After this, however, the girls start viewing Abigail as their “savior,” that only she can stop the accusations and life will return to …show more content…
Furthermore, if those that have been accused accuse even more citizens, the mob will therefore attack those people that have been accused. One example of the “mob mentality” is with Rev. Parris and every other character that say the young girls are bewitched. In the beginning, Rev. Parris was scared about the notion of witchcraft, stating, “No—no. There be no unnatural cause here,” (9) but when everyone started talking about the Devil running amok Salem, Rev. Parris changed his opinion to believe in witchcraft. This represents “mob mentality” since Parris changed his mind once it was clear that everyone started to believe in witchcraft. Another example of “mob mentality” is the conversation between Giles Corey and Rev. Hale. Before Rev. Hale arrived in Salem, Giles never mentioned his wife hiding his books, but when Rev. Hale arrives in Salem, Giles tells him about his wife, Martha. Giles tells Hale about his wife, stating, “she hides them … walks out of the house, I could pray again!” However, he didn’t tell everyone else about his wife because they denied the notion of witchcraft. As soon as Rev. Hale arrives and tells them that the Devil may be running amok in Salem, and everyone agrees is when
Discrimination is defined as ¨the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.¨ 1863 was the year the slaves were finally freed, but that doesn't mean they weren't discriminated for more than a 100 year after that and even to this day there is still discrimination toward African Americans. Women of any race didn't even get the right to vote until August 18, 1920. Which was not quickly won, women had to fight for nearly 100 years previous to acquire a right that all should have. To this day women have reported making less than men for doing the same exact job. Discrimination is such a powerful thing that affects so many that it is written about a lot, the Crucible
In “The Crucible”, the author, Arthur Miller, conveys what he believes Senator Joe McCarthy is doing during the Red Scare. The Salem Witch Trials were true events, while this play uses these trials and adds a fictional twist to show a point. Witchcraft was punishable by death during this time. Once names started flying in town it was like a chain reaction, people were accusing others of witchcraft because they were not fond of them or they had something they wanted. Some definitions state mass hysteria as contagious, the characters in this play deemed it true. In this play, innocent people were hung because some of the girls in town cried witch.
In the play The Crucible many characters use different rhetorical fallacies, and one of those characters being Reverend Hale. Hale comes is as an expert on witchcraft to help this small village in their new found problem. He interviewed everyone had made an allegation against people in the village and everyone who was said to be involved with witchcraft. When Reverend Parris comes to take Elizabeth Proctor into cusditoy after Abigail Williams says that Mrs. Proctors sprit was sent to stab her, Hale says, “Nonsense! Minister, I have myself examined Tituba, Sarah Good and numerous other that have confessed to dealing with the Devil. They have confessed it” (Miller 68). He is using the hasty generalization by drawing up a conclusion with insufficient
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a short film where cruelty functions as a crucial motivation and a major social factor. In the film there was a lot of cruelty going on and helped shape the theme. There were some cases in the film that cruelty showed characteristics of a victim or one of the characters. Cruelty was apart of puritan aspects and it revealed that John didn’t care what he had to go through to save his soul.
Assumptions about not having witch hunts and assumptions about mob mentality not being as strong as it was before. But, there are many examples of modern day witch hunts that can be compared to not only timelines of the Salem Witch Hunt of Massachusetts but to the Crucible written by Arthur Miller as a way to inform and captivate the reader of the massacre of the Salem Witch Trials. In the Crucible mob mentality is used in a way to have combined testimony against those accused. “’I saw Goody Hawkins with the devil’-Abigail ‘I saw Goody Bibber with the devil!’-Betty” (p. 1049). These accusations go on to blame 19 people in which 16 of those people died because of the mob mentality that went around the village that...
“It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep.” –Clive Barker. Everybody makes mistakes, but only the people who recognize the good in those mistakes are the people who can be redeemed from them. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many characters are put in desperate situations. Each person learns new things and further develops from each experience. Proctor learns how important his name is, Hale experiences extreme guilt over his actions and Giles learns to think before he speaks. In conclusion, in desperate situations individuals who possess insight are able to experience redemption.
Hysteria is a mental disorder marked by excitability, anxiety, or imaginary disorders. It can play an important role in people’s lives. Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered highly respectable, do things they would never expect them of doing. In “The Crucible”, hysteria causes people to believe their friends are committing deplorable acts. The townsfolk accept and become active in the hysterical climate not only out of genuine religious piety but also because it gives them a chance to express repressed sentiments and to seek reparations from grudges. Hysteria suspends the rules of daily life and allows the acting out of every dark desire and hateful urge under the charade of righteousness. In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, the hysteria due to the paranoia of witchcraft causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself, Danforth to ruin the community, and Proctor to be convicted of witchery.
Also important to the play is how Arthur Miller depicts how one selfish, evil person like Abigail Williams can bring others down and make others follow her to commit evil acts. These evil acts affect even the most honest people in the town like John and Elizabeth Proctor, and Rebecca Nurse who cannot fight the accusations made against them by those following Abigail. Those following Abigail are considered to be holy men that are full of honesty and justice, but the play shows that even those who are thought to be respectable and right, like people of government or community leaders can bring death to innocent people if they are driven by something wrong. II. Plot: The plot begins with the inciting incident where Rev. Parris finds his niece Abigail Williams and his daughter Betty along with his slave Tituba doing some dance in the forest.
When Beth begins to scream loudly, Putnam is quick to state that she is bewitched while the doctor states that she is ill, and cannot bear loud noises from the church. Putnam affirms: "The Psalm! She cannot bear to hear the Lord 's name… That is a notorious sign of witchcraft!" (Miller 30) Which is responded with: "There is hard sickness here… so please to keep the quiet." (Miller 31). This, and other examples, show that societies will attribute their own ideas as absolute truth inside of religion. By doing this, oppression is created with the justification of religion, when in fact the origin of these understandings often have nothing to do with religion. Parris, a strong influence in the oppression that Salem is facing, is also guilty of this act. His constant oppression, especially towards John Proctor, has some base in distorted religious beliefs. Parris attempts to defend the accusation being made towards the woman by saying: "Cain were an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel." (Miller 95). Proctor replies with: "Aye, God tells us that. But who tells us Rebecca Nurse murdered seven babies by sending out her spirit on them?" (Miller 95). John Proctor plainly affirms that the accusations being made should not be considered absolute truth, and that defending them with religion, as was being done, is incorrect. The belief that any accusation made by one of the girls was inside religion was misguided and oppressive, notably to the victims of the accusations.
"Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Action. In "The Crucible" composed by Arthur Miller control, power, fear and greed were the main factors that began the Salem witch trails. Power brings out the true nature of a person and we see that happening to Abigail throughout the play. That brings me to my next point fear, Abigail used the fear of accusing people of being witches to gain power and control. It all started with Abigail misunderstanding lust for love. John Proctor thought softly of her and she began dreaming of replacing his wife willing to go to any needs necessary.
Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is set in Puritan Salem, where people are deeply religious. The Puritans believe God is the creator of all things and if the Bible does not explain their questions or doing, they are the devil’s work. Also during this time period, the Puritans closely watch their neighbors to see what they are doing. In the beginning of the story, the protagonist Abigail and a bunch of girls are performing witchcraft in the woods, which is against the Puritans’ laws. When Abigail’s Uncle Reverend Parris found out, he needs to protect his repetition, so he demands Abigail to cover for him and stop the rumor that has been spread across Salem about the girls committing non Puritan acts out in the woods. As a result, Abigail, along with the girls, started accusing others for to cover up their wrong doings. The fear of witchcraft gives those who are weak and powerless individuals’ control over Salem, and they abuse that power to their advantage and benefit themselves, proving hysteria can cause madness to extremely religious people like the Puritans in Salem.
For example, the morning after the girls were found dancing in the woods, the townspeople marched through the streets of the town speaking of witchcraft. Abigail’s uncle, Reverend Parris, suspicion was raised when Abigail was one of the girls found dancing the woods, asking her why she did it. She spoke to the other girls in the woods threatening
The play, The Crucible, is a fireball of guilt, evil, and good compiled into one magnification. It is a play with tremendous feelings, with many inside twists hidden in the archives of the true story. It is a play with emotional feelings; feelings of anger, hate, and evil, yet also feelings of goodness, and pureness. Undeniably, The Crucible is a play illustrating good versus evil. The principal characters, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, Ann Putnam and Marry Warren all contain within them elements of good and evil.
Rebecca Nurse has the belief that not everyone in Salem has the ability to practice magic. Although, she does her best to convince Reverend Hale that this is true, he does not agree and quickly judges her as well. As Hale spoke to Francis, he mentioned that “though our hearts break we cannot flinch; these are new times [...] the devil is alive in Salem and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points (854).” Reverend Hale means that they must not go against the court, even if his heart tells him differently. While eating dinner with several important court officials, a poppet stabs Abigail. After witnessing Mary Warren testify that the poppet which allegedly stabbed Abigail was made by her, Hale still “[could not] judge [Elizabeth Proctor] guilty or innocent.” Reverend Hale says that there will be chaos if John Proctor blames the witch trials on “the vengeance of a little girl” (861). Then, as Reverend Hale witnessed Mary Warren confess, he still believed that Elizabeth should go to jail. If Hale was not so stuck in his ways, he would see that Elizabeth is innocent of witchcraft. Hale should not have let the court officials take her to jail. Overall, Reverend Hale’s closed-mindedness keeps him from seeing that Elizabeth is
It is always shocking when someone that was generally well loved and respected is ruined. Because such people usually have few enemies, often times, the cause of their hardship is out of control hubris. Excessive pride can ruin even the most morally upright person by motivating them to do things they would never do unless they stand to lo. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller utilizes the prideful nature of John Proctor and Mary Warren to demonstrate how arrogance can lead to the downfall of any kind of person, whether they are a moral person or a social climber.