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Analysis of the witchcraft trails in salem
Analysis of the witchcraft trails in salem
Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft
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The Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials exposed the early court systems, proving them to be unjust and corrupt. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miler is a historical rendition of the Salem witch trials in the Puritan colony of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. As the play progresses Miler depicts how the trials infringe the morals and values of the Puritans, which promoted loyalty to the lord, communal interaction, and an oppressive code of conduct that frowned upon any unusual or rebellious behavior. Although the people of Salem seem as if they live in a tight-knit, well organized village; throughout the story, Miler exposes the village for what it truly is, a grand façade that hidden to shield the corruption and power hungry settlers of Salem, Massachusetts. Throughout the Crucible, Rev. Hale transitions from a permissible man, who is eager to help the people of Salem to one who no longer coincides with the courts and feels a great deal of remorse, through his own statements, other characters’ reactions to him, and the use of stage directions.
In Act 1 of the play, Rev. Hale’s wholesome, yet self-satisfied attitude towards his specialty in the supernatural world is conveyed through his own statements, Mr. Parris’s reactions to his
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Rev. Hale’s transition exposes his exacerbation of the trials. Over the course of the play we watch his character evolve and begin to notice his own personal reflections of his actions. His eagerness and devotion to the trials leads to the death of John Proctor who he actually tried to save after being the primary reason for his imprisonment. Hale’s transformation is apparent throughout the story in which the trials open his eyes to the truth behind the court systems and it’s strive for power and control rather than honor and
He is no longer enthusiastic and his attitude starts to change when he first came in the Proctor’s home. He was “drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now.” In first act, Hale was very energetic and excited, but at this point he seemed like he’s strained from guilt. He came with the mission to expel witchcraft, and the trails are supposed help with that, but he started to think that the witch trials are not the right way to go anymore. He started to realize that the trials are unfair and can ruin people’s lives and since he is a man of morals he starts to question the trials. When John Proctor came in and presented his case to the court, Hale tried to be rational and urged other to be so as well. He said to Danforth “stop here; send him home and let him come again with a lawyer.” Hale knows that the trials are unfair, so to prevent any more people from being hurt by the court, he wants the people to be represented with lawyers, so the process can be fair. The court wants to get rid of witchcraft, but Hale is the only one who thought about how it will affect the people being accused. As that trial continued, Hale exhibited courage because he left the court since no one wanted to change to things right. As he tries to talk to him, Danforth exclaims “I will have nothing from you Mr. Hale!” Now he was completely unvalued as a member of the court and
His respect for authority disintegrates as he learns that everything in life that he once placed emphasis on, like the power of the written law and the authority of the court, is corrupt in the town of Salem. Hale comes to the end that the law is not absolute, one does not need to strictly adhere to the law, and that authority does not always preside over everything. He recognizes the evil in the town of Salem, yet in response, he does not choose defiance, but surrender. When he stops believing in witchcraft, he stops believing in everything that he once believed to be true. Not only does he no longer believe in the prevalence of law, he no longer believes in the ascendancy of religion over all aspects of life. As Reverend Hale loses his conviction for authority, he correspondingly loses his identity, yet, in our eyes of the reader, he gains respect and sympathy in its
The focus of Miller’s The Crucible is an appalling witch trial that morfs the once-peaceful town of Salem into a cutthroat slaughterhouse. As a lucrative playwright and a not-so-subtle allegory author, Miller is a seasoned wordsmith who addresses people akin to himself, and is not secretive about that information. The Crucible best serves its purpose as a learning device and a social statement, especially at the time of its publishing. Miller‘s piece showcases the appeals in an easy-to-identify manner that is perfect for middle or high school students who are new to the appeals, or for English majors who have no problem pinpointing them, making this play ideal for a classroom setting.
During the early years of the colonies, there was a mad witch hunt striking the heart of Salem. Anger, reputation, and even religion play an important part during the play of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. The author allows us to witness the vivid idea of the hysteria taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, and why it was so vulnerable during the time.
The statement,“The Crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth,” is proven true numerous times, throughout the play. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, about the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts, between the years 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch trials consisted of many hangings, lies, and complete mass hysteria. The citizens of Salem followed the religion of Puritanism, and the ideas of predestination. The root of the mass hysteria comes from their belief in the sense that in something happens then it must have been planned by God. In Miller’s portrayal of the story, Abigail Williams was the ringleader of the witch trials, and she used the idea of predestination to cover up her own sins. Abigail was a very manipulative girl and ruined many lives. John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor were just a few of the victims in Abby’s game. John, Mary, and Elizabeth exhibit the traits courage, weakness, and truth, whether it was in a positive or negative way.
He particularly approaches Elizabeth Proctor on behalf of her husband, saying “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… and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up… cleave to no faith which brings blood… life is God’s most precious gift; no principle… may justify the taking of it… Quail not before God’s judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride” (58). Hale is trying desperately to save the life of John Proctor, whom he knows will die to save his honor. Unfortunately, John and many others die despite Hale’s efforts.
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
Miller incorporates the character Reverend John Hale in “The Crucible” as representation of the whole changing town of Salem. Hale is a paradoxical figure that discovers the absence of evil in the people due to the injustices of court decisions. When Rev. Hale first arrives in Salem in Act one, he is very objective about the whole situation of witchery. He questions Tituba and Abigail about all the events that occurred in the forest such as the girls' dancing, and he believes “witchery” was involved. The Salem witchcraft trials began as a result. Hale's personal feelings tell him that Abigail and her friends are innocent, but his Puritan background prevents him from questioning the authority of the court. However in Act Three, Hale realizes that John Proctor, the accused, is an honest man when he would willingly ruin his own reputation in the hopes of exposing Abigail as a “whore”, and denounces the proceedings and left. Ironically, Rev. Hale returns to Salem to encourage the accused to lie in order to save their lives. This demonstrates that Hale's beliefs changed dramatically as a result of the injustices of the court. He be...
Throughout The Crucible, Reverend Hale is a faithful and intelligent minister. He comes to Salem as the spiritual doctor to respond to the rumors of witchcraft, which have been flying in Salem after the strange illness of Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty Williams. Hale never declares witchcraft, but he relies on people’s evidence of it because of the large amount of evidence. As the play goes on, Hale’s intelligence leads him to other sources of hysteria and accusations. The change in the character of Reverend Hale is noticeable throughout the play. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale grows from a confident, authoritative figure, trying to end witchcraft in Salem, to a regretful, fair character who wants to end injustice and save innocent lives.
to the people of Salem. The comparison of the two time periods led to the writing of The Crucible.
The Crucible was a rather strong book, it had battles both internal and external, there were also betrayals and vendettas… but a few stuck strong to their morals of what was wrong, and what was right. After the girl’s acts were, undoubtedly, in the eyes of the law, seen as entirely real, people who would not otherwise have been accused of witchcraft were now eligible to be under Satan’s spell. One John Proctor, saw himself above the nonsense, that witches could not exist in Salem, his wife, his children nor him; But, when Mary Warren said to the court that he used his spirit to drag her into court to testify against the girls, the judges deemed her word more truthful than his. After actively and repeatedly denying the claims, he was sentenced to death, for only a witch could lie in the face of god.
Hale’s radical change takes place throughout the play in three stages and throughout the play contributes greatly. He is the model by which the townspeople follow, though they are behind him they do eventually take his stance on the trials. His conformity and inward questioning are quintessential examples of what every story needs: the unsure character.
Is there any idea worth more than a human life? In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor decides that he has nothing left to live for, and therefore becomes a martyr. The question for him or one in his position would be whether or not there exist causes worth dying for and if his position is one such case. There is no principle worth more than a person’s life and therefore principles worth dying for, only principles worth living for.
Arthur Miller weaves many events into the story that contribute to the alteration in Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act 1, Hale arrives and is perceived by the town as “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft, if any, is occurring (Page 33-35). Hale arrives admired by the people, who all want him to claim it was witchcraft that has occurred. Although unsure, he understands he is being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s false pretences and mass hysteria.
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.