Compare And Contrast Arthur Miller's Views On Puritanism

The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, is a chronological narrative including a large cast of characters with a constantly moving setting.* The Crucible is a dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and an allegory of the McCarthyism period. Throughout the play, Miller explores the destruction of freedom by the ignorant and tyrannical society in which his characters live.* By exhibiting how easily a member of the community can become an outcast, Arthur Miller displays social criticism in the Puritan society as well as in today's society in The Crucible.

The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, was a historical play written about the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692-93. The Salem witch trials created mass hysteria throughout the entire village of Salem, which was also mainly inhabited by Puritans. Puritans had a set ideal of firm beliefs that managed how they lived. Essentially, they were living as an elect, which meant they (referring to the Puritans) had a place in heaven for the righteous acts they have done in the physical world. Meaning, any sinful acts could potentially hinder the chances of entering heaven as an elect. The Crucible, questioned everything the Puritans abided by. It questioned the basic morals of a pure lifestyle, adultery and

Few people are willing to stand up to the overwhelming power of authority, especially during a time like the Red scare. Hardly any authors are able to recognize meaningful similarities between the present times and an event that happened many years ago—and write about it effectively. Only one has had the courage and intelligence to do both. Arthur Miller was an American author who wrote plays, essays, and stories and has published works dating from to 1936 through 2004. The Crucible, one of his most famous plays, premiered in New York on January 22, 1953 (InfoTrac). It is a historical-fiction story set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The witch hunt described in this play is similar to the Red Scare, an anti-communist movement led by

During the 1630’s, there was a group known as, the Puritans. The Puritans immigrated from England to America, for the sole purpose of religious freedom and their belief that the church of England needed reform. Puritan author’s, Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards, conveyed their messages and beliefs in their writing . For these two authors, they were working around the same foundation, Puritanism, for the intended messages. Admittedly, there is a disconnection in belief between the two. Edward’s writings take Puritanism to the extreme whilst Bradstreet’s works show a more traditional view in the religion while staying true to it.

Puritan literature captures not only their beliefs as a religion, but their beliefs as individuals. All Puritan literature is utilitarian, meaning it is useful, purposeful, and reflecting a non-ornate style of writing. One of the most prominent of early English poets was Anne Bradstreet. Her poems reflect the utilitarian style, but do so in a way that is entirely unique to herself and her emotions. Anne Bradstreet opens the bridge between her faith and her personal experiences in her poetry. In her poems “Upon the Burning of Our House” and “In Reference to Her Children” she reflects utilitarianism by recounting the conflicts between her love of her worldly things and her devotion to God’s eternity.

“Hale: Quail not before God’s judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws away for pride” (206). Reverend Hale’s eye-opening words make Elizabeth realize that John Proctor should do the right thing for God, even if that includes lying. This quote relates to the Salem witch trials because during this time, the court was getting involved with the town, so everybody had to constantly tell the truth. Overall, the play gives a feeling of the Salem witch trials by using facts and events relevant to the time period. On a similar topic, Arthur Miller feels that everybody is vindictive, manipulating, and betraying each other; therefore, Miller uses his troublesome experience to commemorate the demeaning investigations of witches. Miller’s high disapproval of the American government, especially how the court handles situations, is greatly represented in his play. The characters change throughout the story, and they start to realize that it is not all about what the government wants for their life. They soon enough start thinking and speaking for themselves which leads to big decisions and disapproval from the American government. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, he artistically manipulates the authentic facts of the Salem witch trials’ victim John Proctor to fiction in order to similarly represent his interrogation during the Red Scare while also putting a spin on the trials through his style, characterization and tone.

Both literary works were written about the same time period, the Puritan era, hence their strong views on women and their roles in Puritan society, though one is a larger extreme than the other. Arthur Miller and Anne Bradstreet both have God as a main theme in their works. Though the writers have Puritan life as a major theme they also have many differences in their writing styles. The Crucible was not written in the Puritan era, the story was written as an allegory to Communism (The Communist Witch Hunt); because in the 1950’s Arthur was accused as a Communist spy. Rather than Anne Bradstreet who lived in this time period. Also in Bradstreet’s writings she largely focuses, with her Puritan-related works, on more of the familial side of the Puritan lifestyle. When Arthur Miller writes more closely relate to the Puritan woman's relationship with her husband and the corruptness of Puritan society. In Bradstreet’s portrayal of the Puritan woman in her poem Upon the Burning of Our House, is an attached woman, to her memories in her possession and with reason she figures out that God is the only that is constant and everlasting in her life. Arthur Miller portrayal of the Puritan are at opposite spectrums of the Puritan, the loyal Elizabeth’s; which her husband knows when he says, “ That woman will never lie, Mr. Danforth.”(Miller 85), or

In puritanism, all people had to abide by strict rules set forth by the church in order to be granted clearance into heaven, had they been predestined to enter, and a communion with God was achieved in attendance of church services. In The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller who did not live in puritan time but went to great lengths to accurately depict puritan characters, Reverend Hale goes to Proctor’s house to question him about his poor attendance of church. He informs Proctor that "In the book of record that Mr. Parris keeps, [he noted] that [he is] rarely in the church on Sabbath Day,” he then goes on to urge Proctor to “tell [him] why [he is] so absent"

The setting is Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. Someone once said of the Puritans that they did not leave Europe because they were persecuted, but that they were thrown out of Europe because they persecuted everyone else. As you read Miller’s stage direction in the opening of Act I, how do you suppose he would respond to that statement?

you?" He asks first to see if he would be doing the right thing. After

The Puritans were one of the first Europeans who settled in the North America. These settlers were influenced heavily by the church and Christian beliefs. Through “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller, the readers could see how the Puritans reveal their strict beliefs in their lifestyle. Among those beliefs, the idea of unforgiven sins and the presence of the Devil in the community negatively affected the Puritans that caused the massacre at the Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692.

Miller and Proctor both had similar views about their situations of mass hysteria in their lives. Both men spoke out against the situations, Miller spoke against the Red Scare and Proctor spoke against the witch-hunt. John Proctor did not believe in witches much like how Arthur Miller did not believe that there were communists in the government. Arthur Miller created John Proctor as a reflection of himself during the 1950’s and his views on communism. Furthermore, both men were innocent but they were both held with accusations. Arthur Miller was accused of McCarthyism while having no affiliation with communism. John Proctor was accused of acting with the devil even while he was innocent and did not even believe in witchcraft. John Proctor represented Miller's position during the communist scare; innocent but being accused. Concluding with in both men’s cases they would have been freed if they lied but both stayed true to themselves and did not lie. If John Proctor lied and said he saw the devil, he could have lived a life with his family but he could not live with himself if he had lied. When John Proctor is hung for witchery, although being, innocent he is redeemed of his sins. He would rather have died telling the truth than live a liar. Arthur Miller creates John Proctor experience to mimic his own during the Red

Puritains were religious individuals who believed that all things would occur for one particular reason. The Puritan term was established for two groups that believed, “they should separate themselves from the “corrupt” of England.” Some of their notions were, “ God has chosen a certain few of the “elect” for salvation” , and also unlike other christians the Puritans fancy that just having faith was not enough. Jonathan Edwards, a American revivalist preacher, Congregationalist Protestant theologian. Edwards strongly held to Reformed theology (includes any system of belief that traces it's roots back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century) , such as the Puritans. Jonathan Edwards wrote a sermon entitled, “Sinners in the Eyes of an Angry God” ministries his sermon to his congregation on July 8, 1741 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Anne Bradstreet was another author that wrote about Puritan beliefs, Bradstreet was the first in England’s North American colonies to be published. She wrote her poem, “ Upon the Burning of our House”, on July 10, 1666.

In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, he strongly outlines Puritanism and its effects on the village of Salem. The intensity of the Puritanism religion lead to an overwhelming sense of suspicion and paranoia coupled with personal issues in the tightknit community. It can easily be concluded that the witch trials started and quickly escalated due to the issues that branch off of Puritanism.. The most paramount of the effects from Puritanism include hysterical fear, personal grudges, and the struggle of upholding reputations.

Puritans may have tried to give themselves the appearance of a perfect society, but it was really just as corrupt and full of sinners as any society today. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Crucible by Arthur Miller and “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet, there is evidence for this. In Puritan literature, although they try to hide it, sin is very common, in that Puritans do the opposite of what they preach, but still harshly punish those who sin.