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An essay on character development
An essay on character development
What is the importance of character development in literature
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Arthur Miller was the author who best used writing craft to convey meaning because of his use with characterization, setting, and conflict development throughout the story. He describes the characters very well and gives you a good idea of their personality; he also does a good job at describing the setting and giving you an idea of exactly what it looks like. In his play The Crucible, which was about what witchcraft would like if it were real, he talks about how people reacted to witchcraft and what they did to people who were claimed to be “witches.”
One device Arthur Miller used best throughout The Crucible was characterization. For example, he introduces one of the first characters: “Parris was in his middle forties. In history he cut a
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Then why can she not move herself since midnight? This child is desperate! (Abigail lowers her eyes.) It must come out my enemies will bring it out. Let me know what you done there. Abigail, do you understand that I have many enemies? (10)
This example shows Parris trying to get the full truth out of Abigail before someone else finds it out and tries to claim that they were performing witchcraft and possibly be hanged. Along with this, another great example is: PARRIS. Goody Ann, it is a formidable sin to conjure up the dead!
MRS. PUTNAM. I take it on my soul, but who else may surely tell us what person murdered my babies?
PARRIS (horrified). Woman! (16)
This shows Parris yelling at Mrs. Putnam for supposedly doing witchcraft. A final example that also shows conflict development would be:
PROCTOR (pauses an instant, then). You will not go to court again, Mary Warren.
MARY WARREN. I must tell you, sir, I will be gone every day now. I am amazed you do not see what weighty work we do.
PROCTOR. What work you do! It’s strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women! (58)
This last example shows Proctor yelling at Mary for disobeying him and becoming part of the court. Overall, Miller made conflict development a big part throughout this
In The Crucible, there are many different and dynamic characters with varying personalities; one of these includes Reverend Parris. The author uses indirect characterization to describe Reverend Parris as a fearful, quick-tempered, emotionally unstable, and non-religious.
‘The Crucible’ is a great example of morally ambiguous characters. A plethora of characters with blurry ethics exist within the world of ‘The Crucible’, this makes it difficult to distinguish who is truly good and who is evil. Arthur Miller has a fantastic approach to how he displays his characters and their moral standpoints. Adultery, lying, and even the suspicion of witchcraft, within the community brings out the worst in the townspeople. John Proctor is an example of how thin the lines are drawn between a complete saint and a damned sinner.
During the trial the girls and Abigail pressure Mary into conforming to them by pretending that Mary was bewitching the girls. When she plays along with the girls; Proctor screams at Mary with much rage, “Mary god damns all liars!”(224).Which is ironic because John Proctor has been lying to everyone about his deadly secret. Which he knows will eventually come out and ruin everything for him. Proctor finally comes out and tells the court when there seems to be no way out for Elizabeth he points out, “I have known her sir, I have known her” (220). Proctor finally confesses about his affair in front of Judge
When analyzing literature from an archetypal perspective, one does not simply look at the character’s behavior in that literary piece. Rather, when using the archetypal theory, one connects the traits and actions of the characters in the literary work, the settings, the surroundings, and the situations to a familiar type of literary character. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the characters Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale exhibit common archetypal behavior and fit into a certain archetypal figure.
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
How Does Millar Create a Sense of Tension and Conflict Between John and Elizabeth Proctor at the Beginning of Act 2?
The Crucible is in the format of a play. John Proctor is established as the hero through the use of Miller's contrast in characters. Upon his introduction, Proctor seems to be the only calm, sensible and logical character among the rising hysteria of Abigail's threats, Parris' damnations and babble of the Putnam's. Proctor is easily set apart from the other characters and the beginning of the play due to the obvious differences in character. Miller also builds up the climax throughout the book by making the conversations very quick paced and intense.
What does the word crucible mean? The word crucible means a severe test or trial. Throughout the novel, The Crucible, many of the characters go through their own crucible. These trials have a major or minor impact on the characters life throughout the novel. These trials all come together creating the story based on the calamity in America around 1952, which inspired Arthur Miller to write this well known novel. In the novel, there are many different examples from various characters about life lessons and choices. Although the book and play are very similar they do share many differences.
My first example of dishonesty In the Salem Witch trials Abigail is lying about Mary attacking them in court. Once Abigail realized she could be accused of lying and be considered a witch, she started lying to try and counter Judge Danforth’s questioning. Abigail also lied many other times throughout the play, always in her own self interest. My second example from The Salem Witch Trials is Mary.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, various characters, whether it is from physical trials or unseen personal struggles, experience some kind of major conflict. There are those who spend every day in fear, wondering whether or not they will be falsely accused of witchcraft. There are others who struggle with more internal trials, such as forgiving those who have hurt them. The protagonist, John Proctor, was a man of strong moral constitution, and held himself to a high standard for the sake of his good name and family. As a result of this, he struggled with a major internal conflict throughout the play.
Reverend Samuel Parris is one character from "The Crucible" who changed drastically throughout the course of the play. In the beginni...
In the play, there were many situations that in return caused new developments and even more problems in the town of Salem. The problems and situations that happened can all be tied back to perception, or the way someone regards or interprets a situation or event. Perception can be terrifying and have devastating effects on people and places. “Parris: Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. Abominations are done in the forest” (1030). Parris had caught the girls dancing in the forest and viewed it as witchcraft. He could have believed Abigail that it was just sport and the whole situation in Salem could have been prevented. This one perception is what caused everyone to believe that the devil was loose in Salem. Many other perceptions took part in leading to the devastating situations that happened in
The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is a tragedy published in 1953. This dramatized play was based on the Salem Witch Trials that took place during the late 1600s. Although the play does hold some truth it is partially fictionalized. The interesting composition creates an intugine development of the intent of the play. Fiction is written for the emotions, to evoke a response from the reader. On the other hand,
It is apparent that Miller focuses his play around the moral struggles of the protagonist, John Proctor. Throughout the play, Proctor has many struggles that he must deal with and look deep into his soul to find the resolution. He undergoes a major survey of his character and it is only this way that he can gain redemption for his sins. By abiding by his own moral code, John Proctor makes many hard decisions that will affect the outcome of the play. Proctor's struggles reflect upon the central message that Miller is communicating through the play.
A crucible refers to a harsh test, and in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, each person is challenged in a severe test of his or her character or morals. Many more people fail than pass, but three notable characters stand out. Reverend John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor all significantly change over the course of the play.