Hysteria In The Crucible Essay
analytical Essay
1072 words
Mass Hysteria In the Puritans Community The year is 1692 in Salem, a small town in Massachusetts, and the Puritans community is in serious trouble. In the story “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, the Puritans community is in the Salem court where John Proctor admits to committing adultery to Abigail Williams who at the time was very young. Abigail Williams is where the court started after she is involved in the case where John Proctor is accused of committing adultery with her. Abigail also lead the girls and their witchcraft accusations in court. Abigail truly believed that John Proctor still had love for her. This all started when Abigail tried to get John Proctor to admit his love for her. She attempts this by flirting with John Proctor and …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the puritans community is in serious trouble in 1692 in salem, massachusetts, where john proctor admits to committing adultery to abigail williams who at the time was very young.
- Analyzes how abigail tried to get john proctor to admit his love for her by flirting with him and trying to persuade him to express his anger towards his wife.
- Analyzes how abigail was trying to keep a good reputation with everyone in salem. she knew that hale was here to evaluate the witchcraft and wanted to avoid trouble.
- Analyzes how abigail leads the girls in the court in their witchcraft accusations. she accuses mary warren of committing a deadly sin, such as envy.
- Analyzes how abigail is the main reason that salem, massachusetts dealt with all of the witchcraft that has happened in the past and present time.
To start things off in the court, John Proctor is the protagonist and Abigail is the antagonist. Abigail also leads the girls in court in their witchcraft accusations. To start the court situation off, Hale believed that all the information that she told him were indeed false and only lead Abigail to point at others such as Mary Warren. “But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary”. (Miller 120). The irony here is she calls out Mary Warren for committing a deadly sin such as envy, however both lies with the lord’s name in vain and committed adultery with John Proctor (as that is what she stats happened). Abigail also points again to Elizabeth Proctor and accuses her of creating a voodoo doll and stuck pins into it to harm her, when it was Mary Warren who put it into the Proctor’s home to have proof that the Elizabeth needed to be arrested. “Tis hard proof!(To Hale) I find here a poppet Goody Proctor keeps. I have found it sir. And in the belly of the poppet is a needle’s stuck” (Miller 79). Also it was Mary Warren who put it there, everyone assumed it was Goody Proctor who did because it was in the Proctor home. However, even after Goody Proctor was set to be arrested with enough proof, Mary Warren comes out to tell everyone that it is her poppet.
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- Character Motivations in The Crucibleanalytical essayWhen the play sets in action, John has had a past affair with his servant, Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is very forgiving of his sin, but John has his mind set that he will not confess to anyone else, in fear of ruining his good name and reputation. The affair between John and Abigail causes the start of chaotic witchery and accusation. After the affair, Abigail becomes horribly jealous of Elizabeth Proctor. Proctor realizes there is only one way to stop all the witch hysteria in Salem, and that would be to admit to adultery which is considered a sin. . Also in the beginning R...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the motivations of the characters in arthur miller's play, the crucible.
- Analyzes how john proctor's affair with his servant, abigail williams, causes chaotic witchery and accusation. he realizes there is only one way to stop witch hysteria in salem, and that would be to admit to adultery.
- Analyzes how abagail willams can't stand salem and the people in it. she turns accusations of witchcraft on her into saying people bewitched her.
548 wordsRead More - The Crucible: Who is to Blame?analytical essayThe first reason Abigail is to blame for the deaths of the innocent Puritans is her lustful personal ambition to be John Proctor’s wife. John and Abigail previously had an affair, which basically began the hysteria. An exasperated John attempted to tell Abigail the affair is a thing of the past, by saying, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again.” Abigail, however, relentlessly strives to keep their “romance” alive. Because of this intense jealousy of John’s wife, there is an enormous amount of tension between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail even goes as far as to consume a potion with the intent to murder Elizabeth, which Betty confronts her about by saying, “You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” Abigail is so envious of Elizabeth, she does the unthinkable by accusing her of witchcraft. She claims that Goody Proctor’s spirit came to her and stabbed her with a needle. She felt that if she could dispose of Elizabeth Proctor, she could take her rightful position as John’s wife.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how abigail lies to keep her sacred name in the town clean. she threatens the girls that if they tell her she will hurt them.
- Analyzes how abigail's obsessive hunger for power led her to brutally convict innocent people of being possessed by satan.
- Opines that abigail's lustful behavior, unhealthy habit of lying, and obsessive desire for power make her responsible for the salem witch trials.
- Opines that abigail williams is to blame for the deaths of the innocent puritans by accusing men and women of practicing the satanic art of witchcraft.
642 wordsRead More - How John Proctor's Eyes Opened To The Needs of Othersanalytical essayBefore Abigail starts going crazy and accusing people of witchcraft a couple pieces of information are revealed about John Proctor and how selfish he is. He became involved with Abigail sometime before the play began. His actions showed he only cared about himself and didn’t care about his family at all. It is clear he is ashamed when he tries to deny his actions after Abigail confronts him. He tries to get her to forget about the things that happened between them when he says, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time…. We never touched Abby” (Miller 22). He is tries to get her to forget about what happened because then he will be able to move on with his life and protect his reputation at the same time. His actions in this scene are selfish and he is just thinking of how to protect his name in the town and erase his past transgressions and by the end he does several things that help the town. People in the town begin to look up to him and he takes up the role of a leader despite his normal behavior of shirking away from the spotlight. Proctor is the one who has to step up and put Putman in his place and he tells Putman “You cannot command Mr. Parris. We vote by name in this society, not acreage....
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor's eyes are opened to the needs of others. he acts for himself, but becomes almost completely selfless by the end of the play.
- Analyzes how john proctor became involved with abigail before the play began. he is ashamed when he tries to deny his actions after she confronts him.
- Analyzes how proctor had to change in many ways once people started getting arrested because the town needed someone to be a leader and try and calm down. he became angry after elizabeth was taken from his house and jailed.
- Analyzes how proctor was faced with one of the most difficult challenges in the play. he was offered his life or he could stick by the truth.
- Analyzes how john proctor was one example of how the characters in the play underwent changes in regards to selfishness and he exhibited the most change.
742 wordsRead More - Mass Hysteria In The Crucible Essayanalytical essayIn Arthur Miller 's famous play The Crucible, innocent people are falsely accused of witchcraft and are killed as a result. Even the thought of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s would put the whole village into mass hysteria. Mass hysteria refers to collective delusions of threats to society that spread rapidly through rumors and fear. This is the main cause of why so many people were arrested and killed for witchcraft. One way people could save themselves was by falsely confessing to have performed witchcraft. Many people did not do this though. This is because the townspeople were held to very strict moral values and must uphold their good name in society. They did not want a bad reputation. In The Crucible, by Arthur
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in arthur miller's play the crucible, innocent people are falsely accused of witchcraft and are killed. mass hysteria refers to collective delusions of threats to society that spread rapidly through rumors and fear.
- Analyzes how reverend hale urged john proctor to confess to witchcraft because he didn't want to tarnish his reputation in arthur miller's the crucible.
- Explains that john proctor confessed to witchcraft but later ripped up the confession. he wanted his reputation to be tarnished and his sons to know that his father was a good and honest man.
- Analyzes how rebecca nurse, known as a saintly woman, followed god with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength, but was incriminated of exploiting witchcraft.
- Opines that people don't care about their reputation or family honor anymore because they are free to be any kind of person that so pleases them. drugs are severely frowned upon because of their unhealthy and lethal nature.
- Analyzes how people in the 1600s were shunned if they bore a bad reputation, and avoided others with an unsatisfactory notoriety in arthur miller's the crucible.
919 wordsRead More - The crucibleanalytical essayJohn Proctor a well-respected man in the city of Salem has a deep secret that plays a major role later on in the story. He had an intimate affair with a younger single girl named Abigail which he regrets greatly. Proctor shows his disgust when he argues with Abigail by insisting, “Abby I never give you hope to wait for me” (page168). Proctor exclaims that he surely regrets his sin and doesn’t want Abigail to think that he loves her and not his own wife. Although Proctor may still have feelings about Abigail he reassures her that he will never have emotional relationships with her ever again. He had the ultimate opportunity to get back at Abigail and stop the witch trials from happening when he meets Abigail alone in the woods; upon their encounter she confesses to John, “We were dancing in the woods last night and my uncle leaped in ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is about the salem witch trials in 1692, a corrupt witch trial due to false accusations of witchcraft for personal gains.
- Analyzes how john proctor, a well-respected man in the city of salem, had an intimate affair with abigail which he regrets greatly.
- Analyzes how proctor is put into a lot of pressure to confess once and for all about his secret. elizabeth tries to convince john about going to court and persecuting abigail but he refuses.
- Analyzes how john proctor came from being a noble respected well-being to an unholy prisoner. judge danforth wants them to confess because if the two most important names confess, people won't suspect corruption.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play shows how our community will turn on each other to save ourselves no matter if it’s right or wrong. a good man regained his happiness and holiness by standing up against lies and sacrificed himself for the truth.
871 wordsRead More - The Crucible: Life Is Full of Hard Decisionsanalytical essayWhen we are first introduced to John Proctor, we learn of his affair with Abigail Williams, Abigail's involvement in the accusations of witchcraft, and of John's desire to do what is honorable. Because of John's desire to do what is honorable, he ends the affair with Abigail and begins to attempt to repair his broken marriage. Abigail's jealously of Elizabeth and desire to be John's wife leads to Elizabeth's name being mentioned in court. Abigail's mention of Elizabeth's name in court reveals her attempt to get rid of Elizabeth for she knows Elizabeth will claim innocence and be hung if she does. When word reaches the Proctors, about Abigail's mentioning of Elizabeth's name in court, John concludes that Abigail's motive is to kill Elizabeth. Knowing this information, John is faced with his first difficult decision, save his reputation, keep his affair a secret, and let the accusations continue, or ruin his reputation, tell of his affair, and end the girls' accusations. Not wanting to ruin his good name, John decides to hold his tongue and because of this the trials continue and more accusations are made, some of which lead to his wife's and his friends arrest for witchcraft and bewitchment.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor's crucible illustrates that life is full of hard decisions that can bring hardship but sometimes turn out for the best.
- Analyzes how john proctor's affair with abigail williams, his involvement in witchcraft accusations, and his desire to do what is honorable lead him to end the affair.
- Narrates how john decides not to reveal his affair to end the witch trials and accusations. he is given the opportunity to discontinue his claims of his wife's innocence and will leave his innocent friends to be hanged.
- Analyzes how john's last life-changing decision was the hardest one he had to make. he chose to hang as an innocent man to stop the witch trials.
- Analyzes how john proctor made the right and wrong choices when it came to difficult decisions in his life. human nature causes one to lie to save them from going through the difficult part of a situation but in the process adds to the circumstance that made them lie.
765 wordsRead More - Jealousy creates Conflict in the Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayOne of the most important conflicts that transpire is between Abigail and John, and Abigail’s jealously towards John’s wife Goody Proctor. The first case of jealously and conflict between these characters is when John has called Abigail to the woods to confront her about the accusations her and the other girls have been making. Abigail thinks differently; she believes that John is calling her to the woods to tell her that he wants to be with her. This is not the case though, John says he comes in friendly but he later reveals his true intentions and tells Abigail that she is not to call out Elizabeth’s name. Abigail proclaims “: Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be— Proctor, angered-at himself as well: You’ll speak nothing’ of Elizabeth.” Abigail: she is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a- Proctor, shaking her: Do you look for whipping’? Abigail refers to Goody Proctor as “ a snivelling woman” to make John believe that she is upset that Goody Proctor is vilifying her reputation in the town. The real reasoning behind Abigail insulting her is not because she thinks her name is being blackened but she is trying to cover up her unrequited feelings she has for John. Abigail is later brought up in the Proctor household...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller uses conflict to illustrate the concept of jealousy in the crucible. from abigail to putnam, conflict arises in all the characters and helps tie in with the theme of trials.
- Analyzes the conflict between abigail and john, and her jealousy towards john's wife goody proctor.
- Analyzes how abigail is the one who mentioned elizabeth as a candidate for witchcraft.
- Analyzes how putnam and his wife are jealous of other characters in the story and they both try and get what they want by accusing innocent people.
- Analyzes how miller uses jealously to help amplify the numerous conflicts that occur in the crucible. jealously incorporates essentially leads to create these conflicts and result into larger situations.
689 wordsRead More - crucibleanalytical essayIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller goes into detail about the historical event, the Salem witchcraft trials which took place in Massachusetts in 1692. The drama centers on John and Elizabeth Proctor and a young girl Abigail Williams, whom John Proctor has committed adultery with. In order to get rid of Elizabeth so that Abigail can have John to herself Abigail accuses John’s wife of witchcraft, a crime that was highly frowned upon. John proctor goes through a series of changes from being a horrible person who cheated on his wife to a tragic hero who will give up his life to say his wife. John proctor is viewed as many things in this play but at the end he come out an honest and noble man.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play the crucible centers on john and elizabeth proctor and a young girl abigail williams, whom john has committed adultery with.
- Analyzes how john proctor is flawed and honorable. after having an affair with abigail, his wife has been unable to forgive him, and their marriage is unhappy.
- Analyzes how the court must find out whether or not abigail is lying and if they are wrongly accusing people of acts they did not part take in.
- Analyzes how john decided to give up his life and die as an honest man, but the court wanted him to sign a document stating that he confessed to witchcraft.
- Analyzes how the crucible showed that john was a courageous and strong man who fought for the right cause after being accused of witchcraft. he gave up his life to make his wife happy and their children happy.
685 wordsRead More - The Crucible is one of the most bizarre accounts of a historical event to date. The naïveté of the townspeople leads them down a road of madness and confusion, led by a shameless Puritan girl. Abigail Williams was a ruthless girl who showed no mercy upon accusing her victims of witchcraft. Knowing the entire town of Salem would believe her and the other girls, she would not hesitate at charging anyone she wished with the crime of the Devil’s work. However, a challenge arose to Abigail when she decided to accuse Elizabeth Proctor, and eventually her husband John, of witchcraft. The Proctor marriage was not just any simple marriage; it had its times of cold shoulders, heartfelt truth, and undying love.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how elizabeth chooses to defend her husband and hide the truth from the judges, which causes him to be put in jail. elizabeth's love for john signals his end.
- Analyzes how elizabeth emerges as one of the strongest characters in the crucible. her continuous strength and determination contrasts with parris, hale, and proctor's moral impotence.
- Analyzes the impenetrable relationship between john and elizabeth proctor in the crucible. they represented a couple going through difficult marital problems, demonstrating their utmost love and respect for one another.
- Analyzes how the crucible is one of the most bizarre accounts of a historical event to date.
- Analyzes how john proctor feels he has to think harder on making a decision because it's abigail who approaches him with suspicion and accusations.
1254 wordsRead More - Hysteria of Life in "The Crucible"analytical essayHysteria is characterized as an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality. Wherever hysteria takes place, it seems to condone distortion of the truth, unfathomable actions, and illogical accusations causing communities to rip apart. Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they grown to trust, do things that one would normally find anomalous. People who died in the haste of fear and uncertainty were often unnecessary because fear clouds the judgment and perception of a person.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hysteria is an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality. it condones distortion of the truth, unfathomable actions, and illogical accusations causing communities to rip apart.
- Explains that fear prevents clear thoughts and distorts truth, but it does provide action. fear makes one move upon impulses and ideas.
- Analyzes how illogical accusations occur as if they were part of the common dialogues between men. even after they discover witchcraft as an invisible crime, they cannot come to believe that it is a hoax.
- Opines that the community will suffer the greatest because it will lose a large amount of people and by the end of the executions, the people left will start to wonder where their neighbors are and what they have done.
- Analyzes how an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear occurred in arthur miller's: the crucible and it destroyed the entire town. lack of trust, flawed accusations, and deception were the things that led to salem’s demise.
525 wordsRead More