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Summary of millers essay on the crucible
Arthur miller the crucible conclusion
Analysis of the Crucible by Arthur Miller
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Courage, weakness, and the truth does that really what the crucible is about? The play
characters show the courage, weakness, and the truth throughout the play. The characters John
Proctor, Tituba,Mary Warren, and Reverend Parris and etc, show the courage and weakness. The
truth will also be shared amongst the characters in the play. Throughout the essay each character
will show courage, weakness, and truth about the witchcraft in Salem.
To begin with courage, one example of courage would be in act four John Proctor
had the courage to confess to his adultery with Abigail Williams. Another example would
be when Mary Warren in act four had the courage to confess that Abigail was lying about
the witchcraft or what happened in the woods
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So John confessed for his wife to be free and to take care for Elizabeth
and his children even the unborn one. Secondly, the truth plays a part all of the acts in the book. Again, when Mary Warren
confesses to the court about Abigail and the whole incident in the woods with the dancing and the
chicken blood. On the other hand, Abigail her and Mary’s friends turn on Mary because they
were afraid of Abigail and how she can ruin there lives. The truth isn't commonly shared in
the play other than John Proctor confessing, but Mary Warren later on changing the truth
because she was afraid of Abigail. As a result of the truth being lied about the truth eventually
came out. However in this case the truth was never set free this case because Abigail
ran away before they can find her guilty. Even though the truth never came out the prisoners
were set free because of Abigail's departure.
Lastly, weakness does take place in most of the play and with most of the characters.
For example Reverend Parris shows his weakness when he cared for his reputation
more than his own niece’s health. Also for Mr. Hale he mainly shows his weakness
...than be accused of lying and lose all the power and adulation she has fought to hold on to. As soon as Abigail realized people were beginning to suspect her integrity, however, her initial instinct was to flee. Parris, her uncle, was the first to notice this, telling the court, “My niece, sir, my niece – I believe she has vanished.” This exemplifies her selfish behavior, because instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she would rather cowardly run from her problems.
For example, as a result of the lie Sarah is put in the position by the court that she may either confess to the crime and save herself or not confess and get hung. The act also affects the town of Salem because the girls notice how much influence they have over the court and begin to accuse of witchcraft anyone they do not like. Although Mary Warren does contribute to the hanging of many people, but when Proctor begs to her to go to the court with him and confess to save Elizabeth, she gets a chance to redeem herself. She tells the court that the whole witchery situation was just the girls pretending. Mary says, “I cannot charge murder on Abigail” and adds, “[s]he’ll kill me for sayin’ that!”
When people are put in tense and difficult situations, they lose control. John and Elizabeth Proctor, and Mary warren, all exhibit this throughput the play. John exhibits courage, in the sense that he found the strength to keep his name and lose his life rather than keep sinning and lie. Mary Warren displays weakness when she falls to Abby once again, in the end, instead of sticking to her story and assisting John, in freeing Elizabeth. Elizabeth illustrated how difficult it was to tell the truth in life or death situations. All three of these characters, and their traits, represent what “The Crucible,” is about, courage, weakness, and
about what he had done with Abigail and then lied to try to save his
The climax of the play is in the court room when John Proctor and Mary Warren finally say that Abigail is lying and nobody was doing witchcraft. But Abigail is a good actor and liar and actually turns it around on Mr. Proctor and says he tries to get everyone to worship the devil. The court finds him guilty of devil worship and wants to hang him if he does not confess. The falling action of the play comes when Rev. Parris comes to court three months later and says that Abigail has stolen all his money and has left town and he feels guilty for the people who were accused by her and hung because of it. The court does not want to admit they were wrong though because they feel the people will rebel if they now come out and say "sorry, we made a small mistake".
It is in these times that crucial decisions are made by the pair of characters that permanently affect their lives. In John’s case, he approaches the court and confesses his affair with Abigail, so that her charge of witchcraft on his wife may be dropped. “I have known her, sir. I have known her” (220). Although this tactic initially seems effective, the court questions Elizabeth about the confession, “Your husband, did he indeed turn from you?” (223). She denies it, but only because of the phrasing that the magistrate used in his questioning, where he used present tense instead of past tense. Once that is handled, John is soon accused to witchcraft and is soon to hang. However, he decides to confess to the art, and signs his confession. When told his notice will be hung on the church door, he states “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church!” (239). At this point John knows that he has done plenty to please God and making sure that his identity is spared. “I have given you my soul, leave me my name!” (240). John now understands that he is a changed human being that has come full circle from what he was to the replenished man he is now. He accomplished his biggest goal, and that was to save his dignity. Sadly, in the eyes of his peers, that is not enough to repent his sins. Eventually, John is hanged. On Hester's side, she reconnects with Dimmesdale in the forest, “She undid the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter, and taking it from her bosom, threw it to a distance among the withered leaves” (192). Her faith and spirit is reinvigorated after she disposes of it. “The stigma was gone, Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit” (192). She decides to take her chance and escape to Europe, leaving behind her past. Also, Hester
To further complicate matters, John decides not to reveal to the court that Abigail has admitted to him in private that they were just sporting in the woods. Abigail spreads additional accusations and false rumors about her neighbors. These accusations have no basis in truth and their only purpose is for Abigail’s own benefit. Furthermore, Abigail is jealous of John’s wife, Elizabeth, and she schemes to get rid of her in order to take her place. Abigail’s plot is to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.
Miller uses The Crucible as a way to express the shortcomings of humanity in times of fear
As the play advances, we realize the protagonist, Abigail, is lying to the court room. She has committed multiple unforgivable crimes such as adultery, and wishing bad on others in order to achieve something herself. She wishes that Goody Proctor be put to death in hopes John will accept her into Elizabeth’s place. Abigail’s opinion of Goody Proctor is that she is a “gossiping liar” however it is clear that she is actually a truthful person, not worthy of death (Miller 145) . Abigail is facing an internal conflict because while she knows that confessing to adultery and possibly which craft is the right thing to do yet she still threatens everyone to not give away the real story of what happened that
...nce using fear, Abigail successfully protects herself from any type of damage on her reputation by manipulating the court to believing that there is actually a spirit in the court room.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
When navigating some pretty challenging waters, teenagers have a tendency of lying as a way to get attention, to make themselves seem more powerful or attractive to others, or to get sympathy or support. This was especially true for Abigail, who was already going through the stress of having no parental support. Due to her mother and fathers death, Reverend Parris (her uncle) had to take on the role of her father. However, whether or not he was successful in that role was debatable. As both minister and father to Abigail he was expected to take on both roles and teach Abigail right from wrong. Instead, however, he fail in both roles when he left out the fact that his niece had been caught dancing and conjuring spells in the forest, desperate to protect his reputation. One white lie of Abigail’s led to another until that lying eroded into a devastating effect. Had Parris corrected Abigail and taught her the lesson of lying and doing wrong in the first place, Abigail would not have continued telling worse lies that led to the mass hysteria in the community.
Abigail’s struggles come from many of her personal desires that are forbidden in her society, causing her to lie. However, this also creates further social problems, such as the initiation of the witch trials. After Betty is stuck in a coma, Reverend Parris questions Abigail about the night in the woods, because he is suspicious and she denies that it had anything to do with witchcraft. Abigail replies to Parris saying, “ We never conjured spirits” (24). Abigail lies to Parris, denies the statement that witchcraft ever occurred, and says that all they did was danced. Witchcraft and dancing both are sins in the society, and she knows that her reputation is at stake and finds the need to lie to look innocent. Parris wants to be sure and calls Reverend Hale to look further into the issue. Once Reverend Hale comes into town, he questions Abigail about the night, and she once again denies everything he asks her. Abigail is being questioned by Hale, and once Tituba enters she screams, “ She made me do it! She made Betty do it! She makes me drink blood!” (45). Abigail denies every...
One night the girls were caught dancing in the woods naked by Reverend Parris. Abigail threatened the other girls she would kill them if they ever said what they were actually doing, which was conjuring spirits. Abigail was the one who had done most of the wrong dong including drinking blood. Because of this event the start of the whole witch hunt and hysteria can be accredited to Abigail. Whenever she would be accused she would make up a lie, and threaten the other girls to say it was the truth.
Mary’s conscience must have kicked in, because she decided to tell the truth and go to court with John Proctor. She finally told Judge Hathorne that the whole thing was pretense, nobody was actually a witch, and the girls were pretending to be sick. She later went back on her word because she was afraid she would be charged as a witch,but Mary was once again following Abigail. Honesty is the one quality I wish I did not have at times. Although it is a good thing to be truthful, there are a few times I wish I was not. I cannot tell a lie to save my life. Every time I have tried, I end up laughing or smiling, which makes it obvious to everybody that I am not telling the truth. When I was about five years old, my family and I were eating dinner. For some reason my parents left the room and I decided I did not want my food anymore, so i threw it away and placed a napkin over the chicken I was eating. When my parents came back they asked if I ate it all. I told them yes, but I started smiling, then my brothers started laughing. My dad knew we were up to something so he asked again if I ate everything. I guess the lie was too much for me to handle, because I started crying and showed them my chicken in the garbage