Theme Of Ambition In The Crucible

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Can even the most steady and kind be corrupted by certain ambitions?
In The Crucible, there are many examples that ambition can corrupt even the most steady and kind, through the use of characters such as Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale and John Proctor as well as others. Rev. Hale, as an example, came to Salem with an ambition to rid the town of witchcraft, but at the same time disregarded the fact of the matter, innocent people are being put to death for the sake of reputation. As Hale says in Arthur Millers' The Crucible, book/movie/play,
“Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died”, hinting to how he was doing great wrong in the community. The statement "Ambition can corrupt even the most steady and kind", is proven to be true. Here are some reasons how it has been proven. …show more content…

Throughout The Crucible, the story follows John and his corruption. He started out as a good wholesome man, but quickly started being corrupted when his wife Elizabeth Proctor is charged for witchcraft. He admits to lechery and then claimed to be a witch with the ambition to save his wife. He then brought Mary Warren the hired help, to testify against the main antagonist Abigail Williams and overthrow the court. Is this not an example of corruption? With this evidence it should be sufficient to say that John Proctor was corrupted by the ambition to save his

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