The Crucible by Arthur Miller

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller

John Proctor says, I'll tell you what's walking Salem,

vengeance is walking Salem. Discuss the real evil in Salem, who

contributed to it and their motives who do you blame the most?

John Proctor says, "I'll tell you what's walking Salem, vengeance is

walking Salem." Discuss the real evil in Salem, who contributed to it

and their motives who do you blame the most?

Before I begin to tell you my opinion on who was to blame, and my

reasoning for saying so, I will give you a brief insight into the real

point of Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Arthur Miller first

produced his play in 1953, in the middle of the McCarthy political

'witch-hunt', although the story had applied for playwright for many

years prior to this. This meant that the play was seen as a political

parable - it represented the goings on in actual political life.

Since 1938, an organisation had existed in America called the House

Un-American Activities Committee with the right to investigate any

movement, or anyone who seemed to put at risk America's safety. The

chairman of this was Senator Joseph McCarthy. Under his rule, the

committee became paranoid in its search for people who sympathised

with communists.

Almost any criticism of the government or its instructions was seen,

in the eyes of McCarthy, as an admission of devotion or loyalty to

communism beliefs. Witnesses were made to appear in court and answer

charges that they were sympathisers of communist followers, and made

to name others that they saw at these meetings which took place as

long as twenty years ago. Liberal writers, film directors and actors

all appeared before the committee and, as a result, many of them found

it hard to fin...

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... tries to convince all the others that Mary just acting out of fear

but he fails, and John Proctor is accused of witchcraft.

In the last scene in the whole play, when Proctor is to be hanged,

Danforth makes him sign a written copy of his confession so that he

can hang it on the church door. Proctor signs it, but then refuses to

have his name hung on the church that he built, with so many people

feeling disgust with him. Also, seeing the others that are to hang

influences his confession as he feels guilt for letting the others die

by not submitting to lies. He pleads with Danforth to leave things as

they were, saying his confession by mouth was enough, but Danforth

will not accept anything unless it be written and signed. Danforth is

heartless in doing this, as he knows the confession is not necessary,

for he has not taken a confession from anyone else.

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