Lack Of Power In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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“Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it” (Miller, 122). Life is said to be God’s most precious gift, we have the power to do anything we may please. Each one of us is different and unique, but lives can be riddled and swayed through waves of burdensome conflict. At an individual standpoint, one should feel the need to express their anger and hate towards other people. It is when the individual is faced against the opposition, or the collective group, they can be put under pressure or stress that may cause them to act in an unnatural way. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, there are many instances in which the individual is disregarded and oppressed due to the lack of power. …show more content…

John Proctor is a common farmer who recognizes his place in society, and is a humble family man. Proctor’s weakness is his temper, he can become angered easily and is also not afraid to speak his mind of what is right. “We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrants vengeance! I’ll not give my wife to vengeance” (Miller,73)! Proctor is addressing the case of his only wife who is on the brink of being arrested. Here Proctor recognizes the state of being in Salem, and addresses it. He wholeheartedly believe that crazy children, such as Abigail Williams who is seventeen years old, are “jangling the keys of the kingdom…” or controlling Salem itself. Proctor also believes that the common feeling of vengeance, or revenge drives the notion of law and government in Salem. All these tensions create conflict and stress throughout Salem. Elizabeth was not the first to be arrested and charged for witchcraft, it is very hard to tell who else will be arrested, or also how many more people will be sent to be hang. It is clear to see that this conflict that was started is developing to the point where it is considered a catastrophe, and the safety of the individuals is decreasing. Also the collective group is at a significant advantage because they are the authority, they have the power to arrest the people to their, or others, liking and self-wants. Since the safety of the individual is decreasing, the authority gets stricter and more precise in finding people that are in charge of being witches. Due to this the authority becomes exaggerated as

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