As time progresses, there are noticeable changes in the way that religion intervenes with the ideals and thoughts of any given general society. Numerous past problematic situations have now dwindled down to particularly that, no longer issues of the present. Regardless, the questionable issue of Adultery remains, standing true as consistently being the, “it,” scandal, being means for both religious and societal predicaments. Present to this day, the reputational damage done to an individual is massive, regarding Adultery, and people are left to decide what they can do about it, often left with very minimal choice but to accept or deny what they have done. Thus, by manipulating the clear-cut cross between reputation and religion, both the author …show more content…
With any plot, it is crucial how the author manipulates the way that each character deals with said issues. In, The Crucible, John Proctor, a major character, is forced into consenting to the reputational damage being thrown upon him. His wife, Elizabeth, is cried out as being a witch by Abigail, whom John has an adulterous affair with. It is clear that John takes his reputation into account very seriously; in a fight with Elizabeth, he exclaims, “Woman, am I so base? Do you truly think me base?” (Miller 62). Due to the affair, he loses much of the acquired trust he had with her, and does not take this very well, however, he is also aware of the fact that he will be unable to build it back, thus, leaving no choice but to heed consent to the overall issue. Furthermore, Proctor’s general reputation with the residents of Salem is at stake as well. In a scene where Reverend Hale questions Proctor of his true Christian faith and devotion, he panics and claims that, “She [referring to Elizabeth] do not mean to doubt the Gospel, sir, you can not think. This be a Christian house, sir, a Christian house” (Miller 70). Overall, the majority of the damage done is consented to a religious extent, specifically in the way that Proctor panics because he is afraid of loosing his grip of a …show more content…
Proctor consistently argues with numerous characters, showing absolutely no regard for what would be considered right or proper. In a chaotic scene that seals his fate, Proctor yells to the courtroom, referring to Abigail, “You are pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore!” (Miller 120). Proctor also prior to this willingly admits to having an affair with Abigail, knowing of the religious and moral tensions that will unfold, thus opening himself up to a multitude of possible punishments. Regardless of this, Proctor continuously rebels against the idea of a perfect Christian man, and supposedly does not attend Church as he is not fond of Reverend Hale, which proves that he has no care for the standards of his current society, and is his own person. Hester Prynne is relatively similar in this concept of rebellion as well, consistently showing to the reader that the A which should bring her shame, instead brings her the power of being “able”. Hester often dresses her child, Pearl, who was conceived out of wedlock, in red. Red represents here that Hester simply does not care if the scarlet letter is for adultery or not, and that Pearl is part of that gained identity. This is a major issue among townspeople, “Hath she not expressed this thought in the garb of the poor child, so forcibly reminding us of that red symbol which sears her bosom?” (Hawthorne 95). Hester is
In The Crucible, by Authur Miller, he was successful in fulfilling his purpose of the theme, truth versus faith. As known before, Miller wrote this play in relations to the Salem Witch Trials, and also, McCarthyism - two both very similar topics. Not to mention, both topics share a repeated theme of truth versus faith. Miller had a story to tell, along with the opinions of his own (indirectly, of course), and the only way he knew how to relate it to what was happening then, was to take something from the past. Truth and faith are two indomitable foundations, per say, that go head-to-head throughout the play. Truth is speaking without lies, while faith is confidence in what the speaker is speaking. However, faith is a continuous factor in why people are accused when they are innocent, and vice versa. Therefore, the truth is the only side to depend on. After all, truth is what tests our faith.
Firstly, John Proctor is not seen to be a good man because in chapter one is affair with Abigail is exposed. “Give me a word, John. A soft word. (Her concentrated desire destroys his smile.) From this it can be seen that before they did have an affair but now it is over. The personal pronoun ‘me’ shows how she wants him all to herself and that the meeting is held in secret. The word ‘desire destroy’ in the stage directions is then used to contradict her feelings as Miller suggests how their affair is now over but Abigail doesn’t want it to be and that she still loves Proctor. From this quote it is then shown that John Proctor can’t be a good man if he committed adultery. However, John Proctor also speaks to Abigail to mention how their affair is mentioned and how their affair to him was at his moment of weakness when his wife, Elizabeth was ill. As it was a mistake Proctor mentions how Abigail should, “Wipe it out of mind.” This shows that he wants to forget it ever happened and that he also doesn’t want anybody to find out about this. From this it shows that John Proctor is not a good and as when his wife was ill and when he was at his weakest he committed a sin. If the people of Salem were to hear...
In life everything is about choices whether it is a serious choice such as moving place to place because of your parents career or it being like wanting to eat a muffin or apple for breakfast. In the Crucible written about the Salem 1692 witch trials, John Proctor is one of the main characters in the play. John is 35 years of age and is Married to Elizabeth Proctor. A concept we have to understand is in this era Witch accusations were always coming from different people to random innocent women and men. These accusations are obviously false, but due to what they believed in, and how strong they were in religion, witch trials became of it. All the choices people made during the Salem witch trials, were always looked upon corresponding to John and the choices he made.
First, in The Crucible, John Proctor is very well known in the town of Salem. “John Proctor was not simply a farmer but a man of significant wealth derived from diverse sources: inheritance, farming, rents, tavern keeping, and commercial ventures” (McGill 5). The Proctors get their wealth from many sources which has caused them to be very high in the social class. “Miller does refer to Proctor as a farmer, notes that he has followed the family tradition of tinkering with inventions, and consistently implies that he and his friends represent a social element inferior to the Putnams” (McGill 5). During The Crucible John Proctor is constantly faced with the problem of preserving his good name. “Previously preferred over truth, his good name is now preferred to life itself” (Popkin 7). John Proctor’s reputation is very important to him and he consistently tries to maintain his status in Salem. When it comes to his trial he chooses to give up his own life rather than tarnish his ...
When 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...
To admit to adultery takes integrity. To tell the truth no matter what the consequences takes integrity. To stay true to one's morals and be able to accept any punishments to keep one’s integrity, is a genuine trait. During the Salem witch trials many were unable to keep their integrity, but there were some who did. The Crucible written by Arthur Miller takes place during the Salem witch trials, when many people were forced to lie in order to live. John Proctor is looked at in the play as an adulterer, and sinful man. Nevertheless, John Proctor's public and private selves differ dramatically, but overall Mr. Proctor is truly a honest and integrity filled man.
Oppression; an extended treatment of cruelty or injustice towards an individual or a group of people. If looked for, it can be found in every society expressed in a number of different ways. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, puts it in a way that is easy to understand. "It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions." This is evident in his play, The Crucible, demonstrating that within a society, oppression will always be present due to personal motives, disputes and misuses of power, as well as distorted religious beliefs.
The Crucible is a play with many underlying messages and themes. One of which is the idea of power. Power is a very important term in this play in that whoever holds the power, holds the fates of others. The hysteria within Salem has directly effected society. Everything has turned upside down and has gotten distorted. Arthur Miller is telling us that all the power in Salem is given to those who are corrupt and their abuse of it is directly shown through: the actions of Abigail throughout the play, the corruption and desires of Parris, as well as the witch trials held by Judge Danforth.
The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a historical play about the Salem Witch Trials. The play contains a historical allegory to the Salem Witch Trials and a political allegory to Mccarthyism. John Proctor is one of the main characters in and is considered the tragic hero of the play. Throughout Miller’s play, John Proctor is seen as the protagonist of the play because he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, even if no one else agrees with him. John Proctor’s intention to hang instead of admitting that he was consorting with the devil was an act of honor because he didn’t want to lie for the sake of saving his own life, but also wanting to prove that Puritan society has changed because of the Salem Witch Trials.
The Salem witch trials were a time period when any individual could be accused of witchcraft for numerous reasons. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller focuses on the deviation of the trials and how the town’s most religious and honest members of the community are tried with witchcraft. John Proctor, the town’s most honest man, is accused of being a witch and must decide if he should confess or not. Proctor’s confession will stop the town from rebelling and uphold the reputations of Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris. Hale also wishes for Proctor’s confession so he does not have to feel responsible if Proctor were to be hanged for his witchcraft accusations. The confession of Proctor would convince others in the town to confess to their
This reveals that the lies and deceit told throughout the play drive the plot, as characters, such as Elizabeth and John Proctor, in the play are significantly affected by the accusations made against them. This is revealed, as Proctor is too concerned with his reputation to confess his affair with Abigail and end the witch trials. Throughout the play, the imagery of God and the Devil is directly tied in with lies and deceit. The Crucible is set in a Puritan theocratic society, where every citizen is concerned with religious piety and purity.
In the Crucible, we are introduced to the main protagonist John Proctor; the way that Arthur Miller presents him by rebelling against the authority in Salem. Out of the entire town he is the only person that speaks out, realising that the authority is unfair and unjust; he is not like everyone else in the town who keeps quiet to themselves. There are many situations where we the readers can see very clear examples of him rebelling against the authority that controlled Salem. One example of Proctor rebelling against authority in Salem was when he did not go to church on a Sabbath day and instead decided to pray in his own home ‘Mr Proctor, your house is not a church; your theology must tell you that’. That is one clear example of him rebelling
Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible and Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian science-fiction film Children of Men both represent people and politics through an exploration of the concept of justice and conformity and non-conformity. Both texts represent people and politics in a unique and evocative way through their differing textual forms, contexts and techniques.
Sometimes people are so narrow-minded that they do not see the whole picture. People see what they want to see because they cannot handle the actuality or do not like the truth. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Danforth refuses to come to the truth that the witch trials in Salem were the result of a cover-up, and that the court hung a handful of innocent people because of a lie. Miller once said, “The tragedy of The Crucible is the everlasting conflict between people so fanatically wedded to this orthodoxy that they could not cope with the evidence of their senses.” In other words, the tragedy of The Crucible involved the theocracy’s failure to control Salem’s witchcraft mania. At the time, Salem was governed by a theocracy, in which the ministers also had judicial power over society. Because the judges were ministers, religion took precedence over realism and pragmatism; they were unable to come to their senses and realize that the accusations of witchcraft were out of human emotions.
How many religions are mentioned in The Crucible? To start, The Crucible is a play by, playwright, Arthur Miller (Burns). The Crucible is about the salem witch trials, which was a event in early America where people were falsely hung for practicing “witchcraft”. Many people believe that Miller chose that time as a metaphor about the red scare, as it was a current event during the release and writing of the play and cost him his career as a playwright. There are only two religions directly mentioned in The Crucible (“Themes”). One religion is Christianity, which is defined as: “Of, relating to, or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings” ("Christian"). The other religion mentioned is Wicca: “A nature-oriented religion having rituals and practices