Arthur Miller's The Crucible Arthur Miller demonstrates the familiarities of the life he lived in the 1950's and of everyday life we live in through his plays. He communicates through his work to the way people are in society. The extreme witch hysteria deteriorated the rational and emotional stability of its citizens. This exploited the population's weakest qualities, and insecurities. The obvious breakdown in social order led to the tragedy that saw innocent souls hang on the accusation of witchcraft. Miller's way of writing plays which relate to our lives and the way in which we do things and treat one another is very interesting. He seems to see the world a different way to most people and expresses our everyday …show more content…
All Millers work is symbolic of other conflicts of conscience taking place in our very own society. Millers earlier work such as- "The Death of a Salesman" - uses similar social criticism and all his work relates to our living environment in which we are all a part of. Set against the background of the Salem witch trials of 1692, the play centers on the story of John Proctor, a local farmer. The dilemma of whether to save his own life or follow the dictates of his own conscience. The basic plot of the crucible surrounds the facts of John's adultery with his family's seventeen-year-old servant Abigail Williams. John's wife, Elizabeth Proctor, who has been "cold" towards him after John, was tempted into sleeping with young Abigail. Elizabeth dismissed Abigail and the Proctor family kept the reason a secret, as it would ruin John's reputation in the community. Abigail Williams and some girls of Salem were caught dancing in the woods of Salem and were accused of witchcraft. The council prosecutors arrange trials to condemn and prosecute witches and Reverend Hale; brought to find the backbone of the witchcraft among the villagers and to provide the council of Salem with an opinion. The characters of The Crucible change vastly throughout the
The Crucible is a historical play by Arthur Miller, and is set in the town of Salem during the late 1690s. The main characters are John Proctor, the protagonist, and Abigail Williams, the antagonist. The conflict occurs when Abigail falsely accuses others of witchcraft. This leads to hysteria in the town, with people turning in innocent people for witchcraft. Many people including John and Elizabeth Proctor are arrested and put on trial, despite their innocence. John Proctor is sentenced to death after refusing to denounce his friends as witches, forgiven by Elizabeth for his affair with Abigail, and restores his reputation of being a good man. The Crucible delves into the extent people will go betray others in order to benefit themselves
Their differences would also become evident when Abigail William goes on her path of vengeance. This trait becomes evident as Abigail Williams does whatever it takes to get her name cleared, including lie or commit murder. She then accuses Elizabeth of being a witch in an attempt to take her bed from her. Elizabeth, however, becomes the light of reason and sanity as she refuses to judge her husband, even to save his life. She knows that her husband is a good person and refuses to take that away from him. This was a very different view as compared to Abigail. Abigail held on to the notion that John Proctor would choose to run away and be with her instead. Wherein Abigail Williams had a somewhat weak background and character, which fed off of the fears of others, Elizabeth Proctor has a relatively strong character. Elizabeth refused to surrender her beliefs in the face of hardships, whereas Abigail would abandon her beliefs in order to save herself. Although Elizabeth spoke on the side of truth, Abigail would be the one that is believed because of her ability to change her belief to feed off of the fears of the community, a very powerful tool in puritan Salem.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the witch trials in Salem were a devastating time. The entire community was in disorder and chaos because of personal vengeance. This included accusations of innocent town’s people being called witches, so they hanged and were jailed. Throughout the play certain characters help the rise of witchcraft as well as the disapproval of all the innocent people who were being convicted for no reason. Reverend Hale is a dynamic character whom comes to rid of the evil spirits in Salem, yet he later tries to end the trials. Hale realizes the accusations are false, attempts to postpone the hangings, and persuade the victims to lie conveys that he is a dynamic character and changes throughout the play.
Arthur Miller is famous for many of his different play’s ranging from Death of a Salesman to The Crucible. His play’s all possess a certain type of character that relate not only to the common man but to those who are facing atrocities in society. The Crucible was a very impressive play that took place in Salem in early day America, mainly focusing on the witch trials and the early American thought. While it was heavily historically based, it was also based off of the times of current day America when the play was wrote. He basically critiqued the hysteria of Red Scare and how it affected people. He also went on to write Death of a Salesman, a play that was even more controversial due to its blunt acts. Unlike his other
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play set in the late 1600’s. The play is based on the events that occurred during the “Salem Witch Trials.” As a result, the council members bring the townspeople to the church to confront the problem at hand. In the play, a group of girls accuse townspeople of practicing witchcraft. One of the main characters, John Proctor, has an affair with a young girl named Abigail Williams. As a result of Proctor ending his affair with Abigail, Abigail accuses Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth Proctor, of using witchcraft to stab her. Therefore,as a result from the stabbing, Elizabeth is arrested. In an attempt to free his wife, Proctor self-admittedly confesses his affair. When the church council brings Elizabeth Proctor forward, she denies the accusations in order to protect John’s reputation. Following the accusations of witchcraft, proctor is then arrested. John is given the option to confess to witchcraft, whether it is true or not, in order to save his life. After signing the confession, John is informed that his confession must be made public. After
Arthur Miller's verifiable play, The Crucible, depicts the recorded occasions of the Salem witch trials through a swarm of life-changing characters. Trepidation drives these Puritans to uncover their actual feelings while confronting their informers in the predisposition courts before coldblooded judges. While in the long run all the individuals of Salem get subject to this frenzy, two ladies emerge above the rest. Retribution and disgrace live in the heart of the young adulteress, Abigail Williams, while truth and exemplary nature dwell in the soul of Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor's dedicated wife. Although they both elevate the strain and tension of the play, Abigail William's and Elizabeth Proctor's disparities lead to turmoil because
Salem Massachusetts in 1692 is a dark period of disseminating hysteria. As exemplified in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, witch trials took place. Members of the community claimed to have seen a person’s spirit performing witchcraft, a crime that would cause a person to be sentenced to death. A character named Abigail in the play acquired immense power, and manipulated the situations in the witch trials. At the same time, John Proctor also strived to vindicate his reputation and refused to confess. Several themes were thoroughly displayed in the story through different characters, including the power of falsehood and deception, preservation of self-image,
The Crucible was based in 1692 in and around the town of Salem, Massachusetts, USA. The Salem witch-hunt was view as one of the strangest and most horrendous chapters in the human history. People that were prosecuted were all innocent and their deaths were all due to false accusation of people’s ridiculous belief in superstition and their paranoia. The Puritans in those times were very strict in personal habits and morality; swearing, drunkenness and gambling would be punished. The people of Salem believed in the devil and thought that witchcraft should be hunted out.
to the dead and she had asked her to speak to her dead babies and out
In the Drama “The Crucibles” by Arthur Miller, creates an intensifying and motivating situation that keeps readers on their toes eager to find out what happens next. Miller gives a dramatical attitude and emotion in the situation that is scattering in Salem. Miller emphasizes the plot/situation in the text through a few specific characters, their conflicts, and transition of the plot in every act. Miller describes the plot through 3 main characters; John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams. I liked how throughout the play miller focused on the conflict in between the 3 characters which impacted the overall plot of the play,
Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 when people believed in witchcraft. The Crucible is a play of how a teenage girl, blinded by jealously, accuses the wife of the man she had relationships with, of witchcraft, creating thrill throughout the entire town. John Proctor took part in adultery with Abigail Williams, whom was his and Mrs.Proctor’s former maid. Abigail William’s illustrates a selfish and manipulative personality throughout the play who puts use of her past affair with John Proctor as an emotional appeal. Proctor was known as an honorable, but a sharp-tongued farmer who applies logical reasons to the play such as claiming he did not have mutual deep affections for Williams.
In The Crucible a historical fiction play by Arthur Miller, Miller describes what life was like in the town of Salem, Massachusetts in the year of 1692. In Salem there were multiple accusations of witchcraft. These accusations were made by a small group of girls who were only seeking attention. Though it may seem harsh coming from a group of puritans, from these accusations came imprisonment, and death. Throughout the play Miller portrays each of the characters as either static, or dynamic. Elizabeth Proctor, who is John Proctor’s wife is accused of taking part in witchcraft. Her accuser being Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams, as in the woman John Proctor has had an affair with. Throughout the play Elizabeth is revealed to be a dynamic
The Crucible is a book about the salem witch trials on the surface, but in reality it is so much more than that. In this book Arthur Miller makes historical references like the Red Scare and the hysteria of communism, as well as in the book the hysteria is about witches. He also makes some biblical comparisons in the book. The characters are very complex just like the book, knowing this, let's dive in. In The Crucible there is an ongoing hysteria of witches in Salem. This is all because one girl named Abigail Williams decides to make accusations when she lusts for a man named John Proctor and in an effort to get closer to him she tries to get rid of his wife. In the book the reason for everything that she's doing is her lust for John. In
Arthur Miller writes The Crucible a play based on the witchcraft that occurs in Salem, Massachusetts. The small community was condemned and accused if they’re found guilty of performing any witchcraft. This lead to the deaths of many citizens in Salem who were falsely charged in court. Abigail, one of the main characters, is the cause of all the witchcraft and blamed others for her actions to avoid any punishment. She is an orphan and an unmarried girl who had an affair with John Proctor. The first step for Abigail to gain power over Proctor was having an affair which led to her trying to take Elizabeth’s place. Abigail begins to plan her vengeance towards Elizabeth Proctor which affected the whole community who believed her accusations.
Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible to show the widespread hysteria that can occur when people panic. The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during a time when neighbors were throwing accusations against each other about forming pacts with the devil and drinking blood. It is said that Abigail Williams is the main antagonist because she commenced the perjury that happens in the play. Being aware that Abigail 's faults and flaws are quite obvious in the play, she most certainly does not deserve the blame for the outcome because the supporting characters of Reverend Parris, John Proctor, and Tituba and the other girls accused of witchcraft, all added their own deception to the pandemonium that occurred and were just as responsible for the play’s outcome.