Power And Authority In The Crucible

“Absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep.” (ERIC HOFFER.) Power is the ability to do or acts on something in a particular way, especially as a quality; Authority is having the right or power to give out orders, act a certain way, and enforce obedience. Power and authority is a big part of the world has a big influence on various subjects worldwide: literature, workplaces, and families.

Both power and authority essentially play throughout the literature in various ways. For instance, in the story called The Crucible, shows the power and authority being used by those who benefited themselves and others. As well as

Proctor’s power being his personal morality brought him to rip up the statement that claimed he was a witch that would be hung on the church, however, he ripped it up to save his name and his friends. In the story, it says, “Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence” (Miller 239). Although there was a benefit of power, there’s a misuse that played out too. During the accusations and trials of witchcraft, Abigail Williams abused her power by threatening the girls not to speak of what she had done while they danced. Abigail struck fear into the girls because she feared she’d be hung from drinking blood to bewitch Elizabeth Proctor and call John Proctor her own. In the book it's written, “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” (Miller