Examples Of Selfishness In The Crucible

Within the community of Salem, John Proctor is a well known member of the community who has a reputation of always doing what’s right. When he is confronted by Abigail about their affair, she insults his wife, Elizabeth, by calling her “a cold, sniveling woman…”(I.202-205). He does what is right by defending his wife’s honor by snapping back, “You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!” (I.197-198). Even

Another thing Miller illustrates, through the character of Parris, is that trying to keep a good reputation will make one focus mainly on themselves, making them less empathetic and blind to the struggles of others. Parris is not the only one guilty of this though. In a piece titled “Reputation of The Crucible” it says, “John Proctor and Parris both were very concerned that their reputation was at stake in many different instances in this play The Crucible” (Reputation of the Crucible). Our reputations, like the image of the characters John Proctor and Parris, are always at stake and it is important to be careful not to do things that will interfere with our status. Though not the only one, Parris is a major offender of letting his image and his reputation cloud his judgement and even get in the way of his duties as a father. The piece later states, “When the play first begins, Parris fears that Abigail, his niece, is convicted of being a witch because of her intolerable actions, and the witchcraft that associates with his daughter’s coma will cause much chaos and bring down his power as a Reverend in Salem. Parris feels that power and reputation is the most important thing to him as a

Reputation is a social phenomenon for individuals in every society. Every one of us cares how we are viewed at some point, and everyone else provides that view. Reputation has transformed largely over the centuries, and we can see a large theme of it in Puritan-based literature such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In the Puritan lifestyle, reputation was among the utmost importance to citizens. Keeping a good name through correct moral conduct was a very critical social aspect for Puritans. In The Crucible there is a strong theme of the importance of reputation which directly applies to John Proctor, Abigail, and Reverend Parris.

As we all know reputation is a really big deal in today’s society. Hardly any kid can be themselves because they are so scared they won't fit in or be popular. Many adults feel the same way. If there neighbor buys a boat, they feel like they should buy one to just fit in. In “The Crucible” it is the same way reputation is very important to them and they don’t want to ruin there reputation even if it is gonna sacrifice them being alive, they want to make sure they keep their good name in the community. In this novel there were a bunch of characters who cared about their reputation. Parris, Abigail, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The main two who cared about their reputation would be Abigail and John. Many characters in “The Crucible” are concerned about their reputations. Two of the main characters especially concerned with the betrayal of their reputations are Abigail and John.

The Crucible is a complex and intriguing novel with events, characters and themes comparable to almost every period of human history. It is common for humans to fear change and what is unknown, in the play The Crucible this is witchcraft and the devil, in more recent times it can be seen in post World War Two and Cold War United States, through McCarthyism. The themes in the crucible are as important to people in the 21st century as in Salem in 1692. These include justice, reputation, hysteria, intolerance and empowerment. All of these are common themes throughout human history. The characters in The Crucible are also important to people of the 21st century as they can teach us a little bit about people around us and their reactions when

In The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, John proctor and Rebecca Nurse were accused of witchcraft. John proctor and Rebecca Nurse are very humble, and they are very well respected by the people in Salem. When John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse got send to jail because they got accused of witchcraft ,their attitude were very similar, because they both want to keep their reputation. As we all know Abigail known by Abby and the rest of her friends are the main people that started this big problem of accusing everyone in Salem of Witchcraft. This is important because many people that get accused of a crime they tried to keep their reputation, but at the same time they want to save their lives and blame other people. In my opinion i think that a

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.

The witch trials allowed for those whose reputation was lowly to elevate to a position of power and authority. Abigail Williams is the character who takes advantage of this. She is consumed with having a good reputation because for her to rise to a position of power she must be someone who has a pure name. When Parris questions about her dismissal from the Proctor household she is enraged and insists that she did nothing wrong. “My Name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!” (Miller 13). Therefore, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of damaging her reputation. Abigail is cautious about her reputation because if rumors are going around that her name is soiled, surely people would not believe

Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have specific human flaws that cause the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem villagers exhibit failings, including greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the downfall of their town. Many villagers, especially Abigail Williams, take advantage of the opportunity to seek vengeance on others through the trials. Greed for power and land often holds precedence when the hysteria takes over. Fear of being arrested or put to death is the key motivation in turning others in as witches. From these three human flaws, the town of Salem falls into chaos with many innocent people paying the price.

In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the character John Proctor will not lie and confess to something he did not do. Thus, he is hanged for his principles. Proctor has two main principles he felt were more important to respect and uphold than his own life. The most obvious one was his reputation. In theocratic Salem, where private and public ethics are regarded equally, one’s reputation plays an important role. In such an environment where reputation is regarded so highly many are afraid of guilt by association. Various characters base their actions on the desire to protect their own reputations, in order to keep them in the best light possible. Towards the beginning of the play, John Proctor sought to keep his good name

There are many conflicts that arise due to decisions characters make. The characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller all have one thing in common corrupting the entire town and is all at fault for most of the actions decisions, and conflict displayed in the book. This corruption can be described in one word: Greed. Driving the town to go after one another greed in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is the true antagonist of the book, for it provokes most of the conflict in the book. This can all be proven with definitions and impacts of greed tot all of the characters, examples and how it relates back to the plot of the book.

Arthur Miller in the 1950s wrote a historical fiction play called The Crucible. he wrote this play as a disguise for what was going on his the 50s. The play is compared to the Red Scare or Red Hunt. The story revolves around a little town in Massachusetts in 1692 were the people in the town go crazy and start accusing random people of witchcraft for multiple reasons: selfishness, to save themselves, and revenge. While the play can be called historical fiction, it can also be described as a tragedy because the main character (John Proctor) dies at the end of the story. One common theme the play revolves around is lying about selfishness. These characters accusations all come from their thoughts of hatred towards other characters. This theme is a focal part of the plot.

One concept is capable of more destruction than almost anything else. It can change a person’s life, or end it. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play that is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the early 1690’s. The play revolves around the infamous Salem Witch Hunts and their proceedings both within the court and outside of the court. Within this plotline, a theme of greed functions in the play, influencing the actions of certain characters, including Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam, and Abigail.

Every human that has ever walked this earth has had a fatal flaw, whether it’d be greed, lust, or anger. This is commonly said in the phrase, “nobody is perfect.” In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible a town called Salem is in the middle of a witch problem. People blaming people with no evidence to support their claim; among them is a man named John Proctor and a woman known as Abigail Williams, the girl John had an affair with. Mr. Proctor is the protagonist, he is very easy to like and the reader tends to overlook his fatal flaw: selfishness. Throughout the four acts of the play John Proctor demonstrates his selfishness in different degrees, and by the end it escalates to a new level. He becomes too selfish to be considered a hero.

Reputation is extremely important in a town where social standing is tied to one’s ability to follow religious rules. Your good name is the only way you can get other people to do business with you or even get a fair hearing. Of course, reputation meant nothing when a witchcraft accusation was staring you in the face. But reputation is what made the Reverend hale begin to doubt whether the accused individuals were actually guilty. And it was for the sake of his reputation and his friends’ reputations that John Proctor refused to sign a false confession. He would, quite literally, rather die. Although John Proctor goes to his death falsely condemned as a witch, he gains his reputation and respect among those who matter, like his wife, because he refuses to falsely identify his friends and neighbours as witches. The loss of Abigail’s reputation toward the end of the play shows that characters in The Crucible eventually earn the reputations they deserve, despite the personal tragedies that might take place along the way. Having a good reputation is very important in The Crucible. It means you can be accepted by society. If you do not have a good name, you will be completely rejected. John Proctor would no longer be thought of a morally straight and righteous person. Reverend Parris would lose all his respect and not be accepted by society. Judge Danforth would be constantly questioned and lose his job. Keeping and maintaining your good name is an overwhelming theme in The