Crucible Essay Questions

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1.) Arthur Miller thinks the “common man” is appropriate for tragedy because the common man has little to lose, so they are willing to lay their lives down to achieve what they believe is their rightful place in the world, which often leads to tragedy. Common men have psychological deficits that create tragic situations. Common men also don’t fully understand tragedy, so they are likely to get themselves unintentionally involved in the drama.
2.) A tragic protagonist must be on a quest to attain personal dignity. If the tragic protagonist is convinced he must acquire his rightful place in the world, he is on a mission to secure his dignity. If he had his rightful place in the world but lost it, that loss stems from indignity.
3.) Tragic characters …show more content…

Tragic heroes believe that their place in the world is so significant that should they lose that place, the world would cease to be the same. The idea that without them, they would go on turning is terrifying.
6.) When Miller discusses the tragic right being a condition of life, he means that every person no matter their social status has the right to chase after their dreams. People will inevitably have tragic events in their lives, and they should make the most of them and learn from each experience. No one can escape tragic events, but not everyone has to overreact and create a tragic downfall.
7.) According to Miller, the seeming lack of tragedy in our society is our willingness to succumb to the laws of society. Great literary tragic heroes defy the laws of social structure to chase after what they want. According to Miller, people accept the misery and indignities that the forces that be assign them.
8.) Tragedy is mistakenly compared to pessimism because people misunderstand the point of the story. Readers assume the story is pessimistic because it has an unhappy ending, but really tragedy demonstrates the resilience of man to find his true place in the world, even if he is not successful. Tragedy tells the story of the commitment and passion of the human

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