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Examples Of Hyperbole In The Crucible

Decent Essays

In 1951, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, a play referring to the time in Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials. The Salem Witch Trials was a time period when people were being randomly accused of being witches by one another. The people who were accused of being witches had to either give false confessions or were executed in terrible ways. In The Crucible, the accused were sentenced to death by hangings, pressings, died in prison. In the play, nineteen people were hung, about thirteen died in prison, and one died by being pressed. In the play, the author Miller uses many examples of hyperbole and exaggeration as the characters are talking . The author also used imagery to describe the settings in the play. In The Crucible, the author wanted to give us a real life description of how that time period might have been. As the story goes on, we see the craziness of the salem witch trials and how absurd it was. One literary device that Arthur Miller showed in The Crucible was hyperbole. Throughout the play many parts are shown where the dialogue shows examples of hyperboles. For example, this quote said by John Proctor, “Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!” (p.27). This quote by John is not to be taken literal but at the time John and Elizabeth do not have a great relationship. This is due to the fact that John Proctor committed adultery by falling in love with one of the local girls, Abigail Williams. Another great example of a hyperbole is “How high did she fly, how high” (p. 69) At this time Betty, a girl who was a part of the series that began the salem witch trials was asleep and could not wake. One of the townspeople, Mrs. Putnam said she had heard Betty had been seen flying over Mr. Collins barn. The townspeople were quick to start rumors of witches in the town. They thought that young Betty had been cursed by a witch and that she why she could not wake. The people of the town were starting to go crazy and were letting their fear go to their head. Lastly John Proctor says “Why? I have no business in Salem” (p. 89). He is talking to his wife Elizabeth after he has been gone all day. His wife thinks he went the town but John said he did not. He says that at this time he has no business

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