Life as a human is dictated by an inborn hunger or purpose, and people, in general, will act on this hunger for their own personal gain in their individual ways. This hunger, be it for wealth, land, love, power, revenge, or pride, can, and will be the undoing or failing of all mankind as Miller so clearly points out in his play 'The Crucible';. This essay will explore the motives of characters within the play and even the motives of Arthur Miller himself and therefore show how conflict stems from certain recognisable human failings including those mentioned above, fear, and hysteria. Reverend Parris is the character that initiates the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, in a community where authorities wasted no time minding the business of it's citizens, what should have been seen as teen frivolity was blown into one of the ugliest moments in American History. Parris sparks this by firstly acting on his own paranoia, which the reader would find in the introduction 'he believed he was being persecuted where ever he went';, and calling Reverend Hale in an attempt for self-preservation '….if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.'; This statement says a lot about the character of Reverend Parris: a greedy, power hungry man who is more concerned with his own reputation than the souls of his niece and daughter. He always acts on fear, a fear that he will lose his position of power in the community. Parris does not want the trials to end as a fraud because the scandal of having a lying daughter and niece would end his career in Salem. Salem citizens in general were afraid of all ungodly things with their Puritan views. They had no trouble believing that, because Parris had called Reverend Hale, (known for his studies in demonic arts), there must truly be witchcraft within the town. The play progresses and certain characters begin to develop: here is a community full of underlying personal grudges. Religion pervades every aspect of life, 'A man may think that God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now.'; but it is a religion that lacks the ritual of confession. Here and throughout the play we see how this affects John Proctor, a man so proud of his name that guilt eats at his very heart, as he will not let out his secret pain in a vain attempt to keep his integrity.
Crucible- a severe test, a hard trial or also could be define as a pot for melting metals. A severe trail could be as other then a physical it also could be mentally a severe trial like person verses self. In The Crucible, Miller reflects the theme that pressure can force people from there can force their morals. The characters in The Crucible have morals that they must up hold to be accepted into the town and church. It is a struggle to keep these values when there are moral hazards like desires, greed, hate, and obsession.
Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have specific human flaws that cause the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem villagers exhibit failings, including greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the downfall of their town. Many villagers, especially Abigail Williams, take advantage of the opportunity to seek vengeance on others through the trials. Greed for power and land often holds precedence when the hysteria takes over. Fear of being arrested or put to death is the key motivation in turning others in as witches. From these three human flaws, the town of Salem falls into chaos with many innocent people paying the price.
Fear, resulting in chaos, and overturned lives affected the personal decisions of John Proctor, thus creating inner conflicts, as well as desperation in the story. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, John Proctor's stand in a society where opinion drove fate created ignominy towards him and his beliefs. At first he hid his horrible sin inside, fearing the consequences. When he finally did, he was placed in a tangled labyrinth of feelings as to what his next action should be. Lastly, it's Proctor's defiance and integrity in his own self that proved him stronger than the entire community of Salem. Proctor's tremulous feelings and general unease of the situation built up to his defining point of confession. Theocracy came together to take coerce control Salem and it's actions. Proctor saw this and feared, for diabolism was a practice unheard of. Danforth states, "You must understand, sir, a person is either with the church or against it, there be no road between. We live no longer in the dusky afternoon and evil mixed itself with good and befuddled world. Now by God's grace the good folk and evil entirely separate"(63).
Reverend Parris’ fear of losing his job provokes him to cry witch. Reverend Parris’ daughter feigns to be in a coma. When the doctor bade Susanna tell Reverend Parris that he “might look to unnatural things for the cause of it” (9), he denies that possibility because he fears that rumors of witchcraft under his roof would help his “many enemies” (10) to drive him from his pulpit. Later, by supporting the Salem witch trials, Reverend Parris secures his position in the church. When John Proctor brings a deposition to court signed by Mary Warren that calls Abigail and her girls’ frauds, Reverend Parris urgently tells Judge Danforth that “they’ve come to overthrow the court” (88). When Mary Warren cannot faint in court, Reverend Parris accuses her of being “a trick to blind the court” (107). After Abigail pretends that Mary Warren is attacking her, Reverend Parris spurs on the accusations by telling her to “cast the Devil out” (118). Reverend Parris fears that if Abigail becomes exposed he will be punished for supporting an illegitimate court procedure. When execution day arrives, Reverend Parris fears that the “rebellion in Andover” (127) over hangings will occur similarly in Salem. Reverend Parris pleads to Hathorne that “. . . it were another sort that we hanged till now . . . these people have great weight yet in the town” (127). Reverend Parris’ last attempt at preserv...
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
John Hale is described as a middle-aged man with an abundance of energy, as well as an abundance of arrogance. He is well-known in the surrounding area as an expert of witchcraft, and is immediately called into Salem by Reverend Parris. Upon first meeting Parris, his haughty behavior is evident in all aspects. For example, while unpacking his books, he explains their weight by saying, “they are weighted with authority” (p.36). Hale maintains this irritating attitude throughout the first half of the play. This behavior influences his personal decisions as well as the irrational conclusions made about his overall purpose in Salem.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is an intriguing novel about the witch trials in Salem during the 17th century. During the Salem witch trials, innocent people were accused of being witches just so that others could take their land and farms. The main protagonist, John Procter, stands up against the corruption and greed that has infested the very heart of Salem, and tries to overthrow Abigail Williams, a corrupt young maiden who blames and kills the accused witches. This novel explores the depth of evil in human nature through these main characters John Procter and Abigail Williams. But despite the corruption of Abigail and the town, the just emerge to try and stop this evil from occurring. The characteristics of John Procter are well represented by his commitment to the pursuit of justice and truth, his persistence and persuasiveness, and his personal integrity. Even though, later on in the story John Procter is faced with certain death, he would rather die than compromise his principals or disgrace his name.
Reverend John Hale was an earnest man who believed in witchcraft when he first came to Salem. He exhibited certainty and assurance, and he was partly the reason why witchcraft was used as the reason for the afflicted girls’ actions. This man however changed as the play progressed. He became an anguished man whose certainty went down the drain. His realization that he was wrong about witchcraft turned him into a man who directly spoke against witchcraft. However, his sorrow disparaged him. He was not the confident man he once was, and his remorse led him to believe that the least he could do was try to save the lives of those who were falsely accused. Yet, his attempts to stop the witch trials were ineffective.
Persecution has been a round for sometime and can be traced historically from the time of Jesus to the present time. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith in the hands of the Jews. Many Christians have been persecuted in history for their allegiance to Christ and forced to denounce Christ and others have been persecuted for failing to follow the laws of the land. The act of persecution is on the basis of religion, gender, race, differing beliefs and sex orientation. Persecution is a cruel and inhumane act that should not be supported since people are tortured to death. In the crucible, people were persecuted because of alleged witchcraft.
In every conflict there always seems to be at least one person to blame. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many problems arise that deal with live and death. Many innocent people in this play were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials. Of course, there are many people that may be blamed. In The Crucible, one may find Abigail Williams, The Putnams, and Mary Warren to blame. Abigail was manipulative, The Putnams were very jealous, and Mary Warren was weak-willed.
Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale share this motive because it would save more individuals’ lives in the town and validate that there are witches in Salem. Proctor has a good reputation in the town; therefore, if he were to confess, others would follow his actions. Parris believes John Proctor’s name in the village “...is a weighty name; it will strike the village that Proctor confess. I beg you, let him sign it” (1230). Parris begs Proctor to sign his confession on paper to hang up on the church doors. He knows if the village and others being accused see John’s name signed for confessing, it would validate that there are witches in Salem and that Parris did not call Reverend Hale for nothing. Hale desires Proctor’s signed confession because others being accused of witchcraft would see Proctor’s good name and they will confess along with him. Hale believes the less people who get hanged for being accused of witchcraft, the less guilt he will have to feel for being involved with these trials. Hale still has guilt for the individuals who have already been hanged: “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!” (1224). Hale’s guilt starts to grow on him and he regrets his involvement in the witch trials. He knows he has already committed enough wrong doings, and Proctor’s confession would stop others from being hanged. Reverend Parris and Reverend
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.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play that discusses many issues and spurs contemplation within the reader. While reading this play, because of the controversy of many issues detailed within, it is difficult for one not to take a look at one’s own morals and determine what one would do if placed in a similar situation. The key issues discussed within this play, the effects of hysteria, marital betrayal, and the murderous powers of lies, are portrayed intriguingly and effectively. The lessons that can be learned from The Crucible are still quite applicable today.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
Reverend Parris has many enemies because he is very self-centered. He is always worried about what his reputation is. As the town's Reverend, it is his job to encourage people to be religious and be people of God. “I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character” (Miller 889). In this quote he is talking to Abigail Williams about how he is finally getting people in Salem to listen to him and how she is going to ruin it. He is so revolved around his reputation that he doesn’t really care if witchery is spreading around Salem. He just wants to have a better reputation than anyone else. Those who get accused aren’t really cared for by him. For example, his daughter was so called bewitched and Parris didn’t show much concern because that wasn’t his main focus.