Essay about Characters Tested in Michael Crichton’s Sphere

In the play The Crucible many of the characters learn things about themselves as well as others. Discuss the insight gained by the characters of Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor.

he mood and situtation that he was in. At the end (Act ]I[) John Proctor was

Beth is a static and flat character; she does not change throughout the novel, and, on surface levels, does not appear to want to change. She is stuck in her ways of wanting everyone to think her life is still perfect. At a party in the beginning of the novel she avoids questions about her son or answers them falsely to keep her imperfect life hidden from the outside world. One example of this is when other guests at the party asked questions about Conrad and she states “He was sick for awhile...He’s fine, now.”(661) this is one way she tries to avoid questions. She put out a false sense of well being to allow herself to feel better about others opinions of her. The fight within herself to accept everything that has happened, Buck dying and Conrad trying to kill himself, has shut her off into isolation. This self induced isolation has lead her to believe everything Conrad did was to hurt her. In a later fight with Calvin she expresses this by “That whole vicious thing. He made it as vicious, as sickening as he

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor, the protagonist, is a farmer in his middle thirties. The author gives little to no detailed physical description of him, but from Proctor’s speech, we can still picture him as a strong and powerful man who is able to keep every situation under the control, the kind of personality which earns him deep respect and even fear from the people in town. On the other hand, Abigail Williams, the antagonist, plays an inferior role as an orphan who has no social status in a place like Salem. Over the course of the play, John Proctor is absolutely awakened and transformed by Abigail Williams. In the end, he overcomes the crucible by releasing himself from his guilt of

A crucible refers to a harsh test, and in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, each person is challenged in a severe test of his or her character or morals. Many more people fail than pass, but three notable characters stand out. Reverend John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor all significantly change over the course of the play.

While speaking in private at Rev. Parris 's house, Abigail confess to Proctor her true intentions, and what she really wants. Upon finding out about Abigail still being in love with him, we start to see Proctor 's more aggressive side. This is shown when he says to Abigail after she speaks badly of Elizabeth, "shaking her: Do you look for a whippin '?" (Miller 24). This is not Proctor 's first time slipping up and over showing his rage and emotion. For he is a very emotional man and confident in his choices and ideas; well except when it comes to his mistake of engaging in any type of relationship with Abigail. After firing Abigail, Elizabeth continues to be suspicious of Proctor. We see this in Act II when Elizabeth starts arguing with Proctor over still having feelings for Abigail or sending her mixed/ the wrong signals. Proctor maybe feeling guilt for his actions but with no other better counter in the argument he turns towards his angrier side. This is evident in his words saying " with a violent undertone: You doubt me yet?" (Miller 54). Soon after this argument or should it be said during the mid-argument Proctor 's anger is now directed to Mary Warren upon her arrival in the house. This is better shown/explained by Miller who states " As soon as he sees her, he goes directly to her and grabs her by her cloak, furious... shaking her. I 'll whip you if you dare leave this house again!"

She screamed as though someone were bewitching her, and in this case maybe he was. Bewitching is the act of taking control over someone, perhaps that someone might be the devil. The intense feeling of fear is shared throughout the town of Salem when half the town is accused of witchcraft. Salem didn’t have much to fear except: being accused, having their family named ruined, and being marginalized by the community. Many individuals in Salem are scared of being accused because once one is accused, it is done and there is no way of denying it. After they have been accused, they then immediately accuse someone else. So, how does fear impact judgement? In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows how many characters crack under pressure and even under

After Mary Warren tried to reveal Abigail’s lies, Abigail still manages to convince the court that Mary is the one guilty of witchcraft. To save her own life, Mary declares to Judge Danforth, “It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I -- I promise, you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not” (Miller 110). Mary didn’t actually see spirits; she has been told she did, which resulted in her belief. Society can affect someone’s mental processes, as observed in Mary. Mary needed to confess to witchcraft in order to save her life. Her confession was done in front of a crowd, which had required a great deal of fortitude, considering it was a false accusation. Mary Warren’s true courage made her rise above the other citizens in Salem and become a confident

One example is Sophie 's resistance when it comes to her therapy. Resistance can be demonstrated through several ways such as showing up late or canceling sessions, wasting time during therapy, or avoiding certain topics. Sophie 's resistance appears mostly in the form of avoidance. This is seen early on when Sophie explains that she is thin because she likes feeling as though she can slip away. When Paul asks her what she means by this, she immediately attempts to change the subject. " I have a test I need to study for and a dentist appointment tomorrow." When Paul pushes a little more on the issue, she is straight forward and tells him that she doesn 't want to talk about it. There are also several instances during their sessions where Sophie displays avoidance through omissions, or absences of thoughts and feelings. For example, she never addresses the sexual abuse issue directly, but instead beats around the bush when Paul attempts to discuss it with her.

I have known her." (88) This implies that Proctor admits to his lechery in a desperate attempt to save Elizabeth. This is further increased when Abigail responds to it in a tacit way "If I must answer that, I will leave and not come back again." (89) The secrets are uncovered and the reader begins to wonder how will this have an effect on decision. Danforth reacts to this by bring out Elizabeth to confirm this but he puts her in a position where he gives her no hints about who accused him. This puts Elizabeth under pressure because if she agrees she'll be on Abigail's side and if she disagrees she'll be on Proctor's side. The tension is augmented because the reader is unaware of her choice, when she replies with "No sir" it is increased more because the reader is now worried about how this will affect Proctor. Hale tries to convince Danforth that Abigail is a fraud but she creates a dramatic spectacle by claiming that she sees a yellow bird which she claims is Mary's spirit. Abigail is aware that Mary is weak and will give in easier so she continues with the act and the other girls join in. They start repeating the words that Mary is saying to make it seem her spirit has possessed them and to make it harder for Mary to defend herself. Mary realises she has no strength so she joins them and accuses Proctor of being the "Devil's Man" which contributes to the dramatic tension because

She allows herself to believe all she is told. She also allows herself to believe that being treated as she is is going to make her better, when in fact it is only making her worse. Her being sent up in a room, like a penitentiary will add loneliness to her illness. Her being told not to write or not to go and see family and friends, again, adds to her loneliness. She is separated from society. Therefore, she feels as though she is alone in society. She gives into the fact that the male-dominated society would rather her alone, than be with lots of women and cause chaos. She gives into everything the world wants instead of listening to her inner self. She ignores herself, causing her to act out in madness. When one does not listen to one's inner self, he or she is then turning away from his or her conscience. It's like the "devil and angel" episode that has been seen in numerous cartoons. If the person listens to the little devil, it will end up being the wrong decision. It the person listens to the little angel, it will be the right decision. The narrator listens to almost neither. She allows what is happening to happen and does nothing but sit back. This would cause anger inside anyone.

Calvin thinks that Beth’s unwillingness to come back and join them in therapy is a threat to their relationship. He describes himself as powerless and abandoned by her. Also, Calvin is worried about Conrad well-being. He believes Conrad is too sensitive and does not want he blames himself as the reason for the marriage crisis.

Throughout the duration of this conversation it is evident by her short responses that Beth is not genuinely listening to what Conrad is saying and her body language shows her clear disinterest and anxiousness to exit the conversation. The lack of adequate communication between these two characters results in a shattered and distant relationship that leaves both Beth and Conrad in separate worlds of unspoken guilt and resentment toward one another that only grows stronger as time progresses. It is unclear if reason for Beth's resentment towards Conrad has stemmed from Buck's death or from the recent suicide attempt (or both), but her behavior towards her son shows her obvious distaste for him.

In The Crucible, how fear forces individuals to comply with the collective’s standards and beliefs are displayed through the characters’ struggles with their moral values and the belief of witchcraft in the community. When John Proctor demands that Mary Warren proves that Elizabeth Proctor is innocent by revealing that Abigail Williams stuck the needle in herself, Mary Warren protests, saying, “I cannot, they’ll turn on me---” (80). Even though Mary does not want Elizabeth to be hanged and knows that the spirits that Abigail and her friends claim to

Proctor. For the first and only time in the play we see Abigail as her