“He who has great power should use it lightly.” - Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Power in Salem grew in 1962 at the start of the Salem Witch trials. Two people started to abuse there power. One, Ms. Abigail Williams. Two, Ms. Mary Warren. Three, Deputy Governor Danforth. Why do they abuses there power in the court? The power that Abigail Williams has on the town, maybe fatal. Abigail plays a very important role in the crucible. In fact it is likely with out her it would not exist. she is the source of everything that goes wrong in the play. Her attempt to defend her self form the consequences of her actions may ruin other lives. For example, with her affair with John Procter, that was still unkown to the rest of the town intill the end of the play. And because of her actions the rumors of witches wouldn’t have started. In conclusion, Abigail Williams draws our interests thought her deceiving actions and mendacious, wicked character, and words showing us how hysteria or crazieness can be made by one person, causing the death of so many innocent people. The second person who abused their power was Mary Warren, who goes from a quiet farm helper to a big voice in the court. She is a kind and basically honest girl who tries to do the right thing, saving her friends from harm. However, throughout Acts I and II, Mary is a follower who allows Abigail Williams to negatively influence her good judgment. To make matters worse, Mary is terrified of Abigail’s threats. Because of her weak will, the reader isn’t certain if Mary will maintain the courage to help John Proctor to win his court case in Act III. But when she becomes a official of the court she dosn’t let anyone talk down to her. For a time, Mary becomes more assertive in Act II because she has gained attention as an official of the court and feels important. She demonstrates her new forcefulness by telling John Proctor that he cannot stop her from going to Salem each day. The third person whom abuses their power was Deputy Governor Danforth who speaks with imperious authority. To demonstrate his power, he asserts rhetorically, as he quotes “Near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature" (Act III).
Godbeer, Richard. A great idea. Escaping Salem: The Witch Hunt of 1692. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.
Mary Warren is justified in her decision to switch from the girls side to Proctor’s as she was trying to make the right decision even though her fear was holding her back. Mary Warren finds it very hard to side with Proctor, but he tells her “You’re coming to the court with me, Mary.” Mary cries out “I cannot charge murder on Abigail…she’ll kill me for sayin’ that!” (Act 2, 107) Even though Mary Warren had the fear of being
Mary is in court because Proctor wants her to tell the truth so that they will left his wife go. She tells Danforth that she as well as the girls were all lying about everything. Danforth is suspicious of Mary and Proctor because he thinks Proctor is threatening Mary into telling everything that she is saying. Proctor reminds her about Angel Raphael because he wants her to believe that she is doing the right thing.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows how authority is a characteristic that can easily become a problem throughout a society. Many subjects were addressed in The Crucible such as guilt, hypocrisy, justice, hysteria, and courage. However, the most important subject throughout the play would be the nature of authority. There is a fine line between the concept of having authority and having power. In the book, the authority weakened and led to the antagonist Abigail Williams leading the law as opposed to the law leading Abigail Williams. At the instant that Abigail was granted authority over the townspeople she acted on it in order to have power. Not only is there power that comes with authority, but there is also responsibility which was demonstrated
What do you fear in our twenty-first century society? Terrorism, inequality, losing your home, or injustice? Salem, Massachusetts during the seventeenth century feared injustices among the government. Individuals hid and lied to keep safe from being condemned as witches. This era of history is known as the Salem Witch Trials. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores the Salem Witch Trials while following the lives of several individuals. The fear and mistrust among the seventeenth century Salem society can be directly related to today’s twenty-first century society. Americans have lost hope and belief in their government creating individuals who are scared to stand up for what is right. Glancing into our twenty-first century world comparisons can be made among the Salem Witch Trial era. Today, compared to seventeenth century, realization of fear of governmental policies, erratic and chaotic life styles, and the condemnation of individuals standing up for what is right become evident and similar in both societies.
Salem Witch Craft In 1962 the penalty for witchcraft was to be hung or smashed. There was a big outburst of witchcraft and spells that were going around among the people of Massachusetts in 1962. Some of the women of Salem began the witchcraft, many people started to catch on and follow them. A lot of these people were hung up to what the Bible said about the wrongs of witchcraft.
The period of the French Revolution known as the Reign of Terror was similar to the trials and tribulations faced by the characters of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The cycle of oppression, opportunity, and fear created the struggle for power that was key to the outcome of both events.
The Salem Witch Trials. This period in history is known for its witch craziness and it
...ecause it would be a lie to claim that he has never lied. Elizabeth says that she has her own sins, and only a bad wife would want lechery. Finally Proctor decides that he will confess himself, and then he asks if what he does is even evil. When Proctor agrees to save himself by admitting to witchcraft, Danforth demands a written confession and says that he must prove the purity of his soul to others, so he demands that Proctor accuse others. Hale says that it is good enough for Proctor to confess to God, but Danforth still wants a written statement. Proctor refuses, because he wants to keep his name good for the respect of his children. Danforth refuses to accept his confession, and orders that he be lynched. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with Proctor to sign a confess, but Elizabeth claims that Proctor now has his goodness, and nobody should take it away from him.
The desire for power and authority has always been a part of the human nature. Today’s society most often use power to dominate one another and fulfill one’s personal intentions, which can affect other people in many ways. Having power and authority is truly gratifying but it is terrifying if abused and used for selfish acts. The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is an example to illustrate the consequences of abuse of power. The characters Abigail Williams, Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris use their power over society by manipulating people and using their authority to fulfill their personal intentions, like material gain, vengeance, maintaining social status and reputation, and attention, which eventually lead into a mass hysteria.
During the time of the Salem Witch Trials the intertwining of religion and government did not allow citizens of Salem, Massachusetts the right to a fair trial, so it was the states responsibility to separate the two. In the 1600’s the Puritan religion was greatly enforced by the government. It wouldn’t be until many years later that separation of church and state became a law.
"Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Action. In "The Crucible" composed by Arthur Miller control, power, fear and greed were the main factors that began the Salem witch trails. Power brings out the true nature of a person and we see that happening to Abigail throughout the play. That brings me to my next point fear, Abigail used the fear of accusing people of being witches to gain power and control. It all started with Abigail misunderstanding lust for love. John Proctor thought softly of her and she began dreaming of replacing his wife willing to go to any needs necessary.
The destructive force that the play showcases the most is greed because the town of Salem is destroyed, and many people are hanged. Greed is a major part of the story and is shown throughout the play by many different characters. The people of Salem are affected and the town is eventually destroyed because of the selfish acts resulting from greed.
Salem is an isolated village in Massachusetts where power is one of the main driving forces that contribute to the dynamics of the community and how people interact with each other. Authority and power is dominant in two main areas- The Church and the Males.
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.