Examples Of Hypocrisy In The Crucible

People believe that actions happen for many different reasons and tend to blame others before themselves. Some believe that the devil is doing the work in the body of someone else, and some believe that the devil does not, and some even believe in witchcraft. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, nineteen innocent people are hung for accusations of performing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. A group of young girls go out into the woods which is forbidden in Salem. They are sent into a frenzy when the town’s reverend, Parris, spots them dancing in the woods. The girls are led by Abigail Williams, a young teenage girl who lives with her uncle, reverend Parris. Abigail is not the most truthful girl, which ends up causing 19 innocent people their lives. Previous to these events, Abigail was a servant in the Proctor household, but was sent off after Elizabeth Proctor found out about the affair between Abigail and her husband, John Proctor. In Abigail’s case the more lies she told, the more lives she ended.

Hypocrisy plays an internalizing role in the first two acts of The Crucible. It reveals the true personality of a character. Almost everyone is a hypocrite in The Crucible, especially Parris and Abigail, but the most hypocritical is the court and church. The puritans in The Crucible are complete hypocrites; they engage in the same behaviors they condemn others for. All of the hypocrisy shown in the first two acts of The Crucible revels the true natures of the characters, their internalizing roles.

Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible, writes “For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud” (I. 1153- 1156). Miller illustrates that there is a difference between men belonging to ignorance from having no options and men not taking opportunities to gain knowledge. The town of Salem is caught committing sins in everyone’s daily life. This town is running on fear and quick decisions because the citizens do not understand the inevitable power of God. These people have claimed witchcraft by the devil has taken these people and it is their job to prevent this on anyone else. The town quickly accuses anyone that shows a questionable action of

In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller made the plot develops through the conflicts by using high tension and climaxes. He ends each of the four acts with a climax. In addition, he allowed the protagonist to develop throughout the acts. “The Crucible” has many internal and external conflicts. The major external conflict is John Proctor trying to save his wife from being hanged by the town officials for supposedly being a witch. The major internal conflict is John trying to decide between saving himself and family from being hanged, or accept the death penalty for false accusations against him. The main conflict sharply differentiated good and evil as John Proctor, the protagonist of the play is faced with the

The setting took place at the time when the English immigrated to North America with the belief that the English church was not strict enough. Because the immigrants were extremely religious, they had formed a new church known as Puritan Christianity. In addition, the Puritans believed that there was no separation between the church and the justice system. One must follow the Ten Commandments strictly, or else they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The reverends or the judges, those who were responsible for resolving any legal matters, were said to be the ones pulling through God’s will. Ultimately, the punishments brought upon the accused were extreme, as they were either publicly whipped, had their ears removed, or were ordered to be hanged.

“The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself” (Addams). Immorality is a very subjective concept, but sometimes it is undeniable. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Abigail Williams is shown to be the most immoral character through her constant disregard of others throughout the different events of the story, furthering the point that when in fearful situations people will only think about themselves.

During the early 1600s Puritans migrated to the New World in hopes of starting a colony where religion placed god and church in the center of their lives. From there many citizens suffered from the strict consequences of their sins. Punishments ranged from public humiliation, being hanged, or shunned. In the books The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter they show just how damaging the Puritan culture could be on society.

These actions can not be seen by the whole Puritan society as this is hypocritical of their beliefs.

In The Crucible there are many that are accused or those who make accusations. Abigail is the number one character that uses scapegoating. She is smart, manipulative, and selfish. She does many things and yet isn’t ever caught or accused for the things she done. When the girls were caught in the forest dancing she made sure that the girls were not going to talk. “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” (Act 1, Lines 355-359). She made sure there was a fake story for all the girls to follow because she didn't want a blush in her name. From the beginning of the accusations abigail had someone to blame. She accused Tituba of making the girls dance in the wood and drink blood. “I never called him! Tituba, Tituba…”(Act 1, Line 880). She also blamed Elizabeth of witchery. She began to say that Elizabeth’s spirit came and stabbed her in the stomach. With all accusations abigail

“The arrogant are wise in their own eyes, but the wise will recognize their lies” (Anonymous). This quote accurately describes how the events in the Salem Witch Trials unfolded. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, places the reader into the city of Salem, Massachusetts. Arthur Miller tells a fictional story based on real events of how people who were wise in their own eyes used others to better themselves in a community based on honesty. Three characters from the story stand apart in their arrogance. Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Parris were conceited and cared only about their personal gains. These characters used their power to blame, but not to be blamed or accused of alleged witchcraft which resulted in the deaths of several townspeople. Arthur Miller used these characters to illustrate how simple lies and rumors can spread and become an unstoppable force. With these simple but powerful accusations, well respected citizens soon became the targets of these characters manipulation.

The crucible expressed the Puritan strict beliefs of a ‘religious, moral and societal reforms”(1). They disbanded for England’s church to create their ideal society. When they arrived in Massachusetts they believed that god had gave them the land to build their society. Due to their strict religious views,

The McCarthy hearings (The Red Scare) in the 1950’s with the political issues that were happening during those years could be depicted as the 1692/93 Salem Witch Trials. Accusing people of being communists is the same as accusing people of being witches. Arthur Miller, the author of the play,The Crucible, that was based on the Salem Witch Trials is a good example of a morality play. In 1692, there were accusations against innocent people in the town of Salem. In The Crucible, a group of teens accuse others of witchcraft even though, they are trying to cover up their mistakes that had been caused. After John Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams this had opened a full can of worms throughout Salem. The Crucible displays characterization and bold symbolism and is represented in good and evil morals during the Salem Witch Trials.

The tragic events of the Salem witch trials tested the morality of several individuals, who abided to a government based on religious intolerance and limitation. Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” highlights the detrimental effects of the religious court, and the impact Puritan societal norms had on its citizens. Reverend Hale, a protagonist in the play serves as a balance between morality versus and the religious conformity that took place within society. His transformation throughout the play demonstrates his true intention in doing what is right and abiding by the correct ideals, instead of following the damaging priorities enrooted in the theocratic system. Throughout “The Crucible,” Reverend Hale transfers from adhering to a theocracy to prioritizing the true value of life, revealing his maintenance of a strong moral code.

The next example of hypocrisy in The Crucible is Reverend Parris’s character. He is the spiritual leader of Salem, yet Arthur Miller characterizes him as being very greedy and selfish. He only desires money and a high status within the community.

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a great portrayal of humans and their struggles. This