Effects Of Puritanism 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

A society that praises moral righteousness and piety is destroyed by a series of witch trials that are ironically immoral and unfair. The Salem Witch Trials are fueled by personal motives and feuds that emerge because of the restrictions in Puritan society. The society nurtures a culture of fear and distrust that stems from dread of the devil and strict adherence to the Bible. Salem is the perfect environment for fear and vengeance to spread through witchcraft accusations, because people have no other means to gain power or get revenge on enemies. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays how the Puritan society in Salem influences the witch trials and increases their impact, because of the religion-based justice system, women and

In Massachusetts during the late 1600’s, a series of prosecutions accusing people of witchcraft was a prominent event known as the Witch Trials (Salem witch trials, Wikepedia.com). As a result, many literature pieces, books, and poems were written based on the Witch Trials in Salem particularly, like Arthur Miller’s novel, The Crucible. The Crucible is well known for its incorporation of the Puritan community, making it an extensive novel, as noted by Susan Abbotson, an author who critiqued Miller’s work. Ms. Abbotson notes that much of the story is spent outside the courtroom and in the society as a whole. Consequently, her remark founded the discussion about the idea of power- hungry characters and corruption in The Crucible. In The Crucible

The purpose of my paper is to compare and contrast Arthur Miller’s The Crucible with the actual witch trials that took place in Salem in the 17th Century. Although many of the characters and events in the play were non-fictional, many details were changed by the playwright to add intrigue to the story. While there isn’t one specific cause or event that led to the Salem witch trials, it was a combination of events and factors that contributed to the birth and growth of the trials. Some of these events included: a small pox outbreak that was happening at the time, the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter by Charles II, and the constant fear of Native attacks. These helped in creating anxiety among the early Puritans that

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, focuses on the inconsistencies and injustice of the 1692 witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts. The restrictive Puritan society of Salem in the 17th century was based upon religious intolerance, where faith was demonstrated through physical labour and by strict adherence to religious doctrine. Material, physical and sexual desires were considered the Devil’s work and a threat to the very fabric of society. In summary, it is said that Puritanism discouraged individualism on all levels. The literal way in which the Bible was interpreted by the Puritans, provides a paradox within the play. This is because although the Bible says “thou shalt not kill,” the people of Salem are willing to sentence innocent

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a historical play set in 1962 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. As you may know, you've all placed your trust in the words and actions of someone close to you. And what do they do? They betray you! It's rarely justified, and can happen to the best of us. Based on authentic records of witchcraft trials in the seventeenth-century this play explains how a small group of girls manage to create a massive panic in their town by spreading accusations of witchcraft. These rumors in turn are the causes that many citizens are hung for. This essay will show how the lies and betrayal of a few individuals eventually leads to the downfall of Salem and its society.

Hysteria is the vital aspect in the act “The Crucible” about witchcraft which spreads throughout the small town called Salem and involved having tragic events without any facts. Abigail Williams is a major character in the play “The Crucible” Arthur Miller, but she is portrayed as an great antagonist who drives the wheel in the play. She has an unnatural power to manipulate others and gain control over them. Abigail states "I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil! (Miller 48). While confessing to witchcraft gets Tituba positive attention, and makes her a believable to accuse others, along with Betty she uses same technique to develop trust toward others. A major theme of the play is blame, revenge, and mistaken innocence. Abigail shifts the focus away from herself by accusing others of witchcraft. This furious act of selfishness soon becomes Abigail drive of power.

Have you ever felt like you were among frauds and liars in a group supposedly full of devotees? The people living in late 1600s Salem were known as God-fearing, yet often projected their personal vendettas onto one another through the witchcraft trials. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller utilizes characterization, dramatic and verbal irony, and symbolism to the the convey the conflict of piety and corruption, therefore exposing the hypocrisy of a theocratic community.

Arthur Miller based his novel, The Crucible, on a true set of events that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. Salem had become a town where neighbors and enemies would blame each other of witchcraft, without actual evidence to support their accusations. Most of the accusations led to the victim being guilty. If the Puritans thought you were guilty, you had to either confess or be hanged. The Puritans believed that if you confessed, God would forgive you, which suggests the way of life for the Puritans. The Puritans were big believers of God and the bible. They believed that no one should commit sins, but if you confessed God would forgive you. The great belief in the bible insinuated the start of witchcraft and superstitions, because the bible expresses how one should not live with a witch. The Puritans also had no way to explain the unnatural things that occurred around them, since they weren’t as smart, that’s why they turned to blaming “witches” and

One distinguishing component of the disorder known as mass hysteria is what can cause it. Two elements that can induce mass hysteria are confusion and fear. The people of Salem do not know what is happening, so fear is sparked and they start to believe that the devil has possessed certain people and is using them to do his bidding. This causes the people of Salem to start accusing innocent people of witchcraft. In a conversation among Reverend Parris, Reverend Hale, Thomas Putnam, Abigail Williams, and Betty Parris, Abigail and Betty accused numerous townspeople of witchcraft. Hale instigated the accusations by declaring to the girls, “Take courage, you must give us all their names”(l. 189). Abigail and Betty went back and forth, offering up the names of anyone who came to mind,

The root cause of the hysteria that overcame Salem in “The Crucible” was the town’s fear of the devil/evil. Hysteria consumed the community of Salem and it came to the point where it surmounted the voices of the few rational people in the town. The fear of evil is present throughout the entire play. It is first seen at the very beginning when Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam will not wake up. Reverend Parris is sitting next to the bed his daughter is lying in, when his niece Abigail arrives back from the doctor’s house and gives the news, “Uncle, the rumor of witchcraft is all about; I think you’d best go down and deny it yourself.” When the town heard of the girl’s condition they immediately thought it must have been the work of the devil. The

Throughout the text of The Crucible, author Arthur Miller portrays the Salem Witch Trials as an occurrence based in emotion, rather than logic. Although the church maintained an influence in the trials, the main cause of witchcraft convictions was not religious fear. Rather, the trials stood as a testament to the enormous amount of vengeance inherent in society, be it today, or nearly four centuries ago. Much of the same forces that drove the witchcraft hysteria of the 17th century drive the social climate of the present day. Among these problems in society include fear, particularly prominent in The Crucible with allegations both commonplace and irrational. Jealousy, too, is a driving force in the witch trials with regard to the social status of the higher clergy, or over a land dispute. Overall, fear, jealousy, and greed contribute to the witchcraft hysteria by strengthening the cause and prolonging its control over society.

In ¨The Crucible¨, hysteria starts after the young girls of the village of Salem, Massachusetts are caught dancing in the moonlight in an order that they believe will kill Proctor's wife, because Abigail has feelings for the proctor . After the girls are caught by mary's dad , Reverend Parris, they blame their actions and influence of the Devil, and that Tituba, Parris' slave who teaches the girls about spirits, was

In only a few short months, a small town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692 underwent an extremely trying test that resulted in the complete decay of society and community relationships. With the Salem Witch Trials ending in the execution of fourteen women, five men, and even two dogs, this short-lived event was shocking enough to leave a deep scar in American history, inspiring famous works such as the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller and forever representing the reaction of civilization in times of chaos. Many wonder how events could have spiraled so harshly and quickly, and several scholarly articles have been published that analyze potential causes. One majorly reviewed and established claim is the influence of a restrictive and suppressive theocratic Puritan ideology that defined life in Salem. Such an ideology came with values of hard work, absolute religious devotion, and total unification; from which if any strayed from, could serve as viable incriminating proof. This way of life left Puritans with little room for leisure, individual expression, or questioning of their faith, and while characters like Rebecca Nurse did not demonstrate its adverse effects, others, including John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Tituba owed their accusation and suffering primarily to the ideology.

One of the many works written and driven by Puritan influence, The Crucible by Arthur Miller has continued to influence life and thinkings. Its story tracing the 1692 Salem Witch Trials has been widely read, received and understood, along with influencing the reader and their ideals. The play has manifested into more than words on a page and has become of the greatest influences, even sixty years after its publication. Though its story has not changed and is merely a retelling of the original itself, its themes have greatly impacted its universal and enduring state.