Human Nature Illustrated in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Essay

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a rich and enticing play set in the late 1600’s describing the epic horrors and emotions through the events of the Salem witch trials. The Crucible, focuses primarily on the inconsistencies of the Salem witch trials and the extreme behavior that can result from dark desires and hidden agendas. The play begins with the discovery of several young girls and an African American slave, Tituba, in the woods just outside of Salem, dancing and pretending to conjure spirits. The Puritans of Salem stood for complete religious intolerance and stressed the need to follow the ways of the bible literally without exception. The actions of the women in

changes. When he first appears in the play, the end of act one, he is

The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is an intriguing novel about the witch trials in Salem during the 17th century. During the Salem witch trials, innocent people were accused of being witches just so that others could take their land and farms. The main protagonist, John Procter, stands up against the corruption and greed that has infested the very heart of Salem, and tries to overthrow Abigail Williams, a corrupt young maiden who blames and kills the accused witches. This novel explores the depth of evil in human nature through these main characters John Procter and Abigail Williams. But despite the corruption of Abigail and the town, the just emerge to try and stop this evil from occurring. The characteristics of John Procter are

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an interpretation of the Salem witch trials of 1692 in Puritan Massachusetts in which religion, justice, individuality and dignity play a vital role. These factors define the characteristics of many of the most significant characters in the play. Some of them being John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, Reverend Hale, Danforth and many others. The Salem witch trials were a result of the lack of expression of individuality and the fact that no individual could expect justice from the majority culture as a result of the deterioration of human dignity in the Puritan society of Salem.

How many people have you met in your life that is stronger because of a difficult experience they went through? Most people are because we take these difficult experiences and grow from them and become better people. This is the exact case is expressed in the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The story begins in Salem, Massachusetts 1692 right in the middle of a period of witchcraft hysteria. During this time many people were accused of being witches and wrongly convicted by judges Danforth and Hathorne. The characters in the story are struggling because of a girl named Abigail who gets caught practicing witchcraft and then starts naming and accusing others so that she doesn’t get in trouble; one of these people being a well-respected farmer, John Proctor’s, wife Elizabeth. The title, The Crucible, refers to a test, trial, ordeal, formation by fire, and vessel baked to resist heat, and the entire story is an allegory meaning it has a hidden meaning. John Proctor symbolizes a crucible by embodying the definition of one, as he went through a test and was formed by fire.

Purist Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 suffered from a rapidly increasing phenomenon: witchcraft accusations and trials. The Crucible is a play that recounts the times of this incident. For the most part, it follows a man known as John Proctor. He is a sensible, honest, and hardworking man who made the mistake of succumbing to lust which sets off a chain of events that leads to the witch trials, and to his own demise. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible’s protagonist John Proctor proves to be a flawed human being who struggles to make sense of his past relationship with Abigail, his love for his wife, and his pride.

The Salem Witch Trials were one of the most embarrassing moments of history. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible shows how people can throw away their judgments over fictitious ideas such as witches. The main character, John Proctor, overcomes challenges in life including the secret affair with a teenager, Abigail Williams. This event caused John to eventually come to admit his sin of adultery. John Proctor’s last act in the play was an act of honor. On the other hand, his actions through out the play were noble.

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.

Putnam is completely controlled by his greed and doesn?t care who is hurt or even killed, as long as he gets more land. The girls of Salem are also heavily controlled by their greed. The girls, especially Abby, are given an incredible amount of power during the trials. They are members of the court and anyone they accuse can be put to death: ?And folks are brought before them, and if they scream and howl and fall to the floor?the person?s clapped in the jail for bewitchin? them? (53). Abigail is not greedy for land, she just wants the power that has been bestowed upon her and the other girls. Abigail enjoys being seen as a saint: ??where she walks the crowd will part like the sea of Israel? (53). Girls in this time were used to being ignored and powerless. The trials forced people to give

In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Arthur intrigues audience time and time again with the historical context, social implications, and the Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials of 1962. Most members in Salem feel the need to prove their authority in ways such as accusing those who have done nothing or hanging them without proving their innocence first. The thing is authority is not made up by an authority figure, but by society. Miller’s The Crucible, demonstrates how people misuse their authority for cruel purposes through a fascinating plot, well-crafted characters, and well-set theme. During the hysteria of witchcraft trials in Salem, there were multiple figures of authority or per say the community who abused their power, Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris and Judge Danforth.

Arthur Miller writes about the tragic results of human failings in his play, The Crucible. He presents characters from the past and infuses them with renewed vitality and color. Miller demonstrates the horrifying results of succumbing to personal motives and flaws as he writes the painful story of the Salem witch trials. Not only do the trials stem from human failings but also from neglect of moral and religious considerations of that time. Characters begin to overlook Puritan values of thrift and hope for salvation. Focusing on the flawed characters, they begin to exhibit land lust, envy of the miserable and self-preservation.

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.

Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ utilises the four act structure explores the inextricable link between religious and political authority within Salem and its parallels to the conservative 1940’s USA politics and its abuse of power. Leading responders to understand the excessive political zeal that represses the individual. The play opens with young girls dancing naked in the forest caught red handed practicing ‘witchcraft’ and fear prosecution. Puritan’s strict theocratic environment believed that all suspected witches were worthy of death, conveying the social stigma associated with writing in the metaphorical “Devil’s book” and unholy activities. The humiliating practice of punishing criminals reflects the Puritan ideology of creating an idealistic, hyperbolised

The Crucible is established in a theocratic society, in which the church and the government are merged, and the religion is a harsh, austere form of Protestantism known as Puritanism. Because of the theocratic nature of the judicial system and community, the church was interwoven with the state and the operation of government: sin and the status of one’s soul in the eyes of God are issues of public concern. There is no leeway for nonconformity from societal standards, since any individual whose private life doesn’t coincide with the recognised moral and state laws presents a threat to not only the public but also to the rule of God and the Puritan religion. In Arthur Miller’s Salem of 1692, everything and everyone follows either God or the devil; rebellion is not merely unlawful, it is correlated with satanic devotion. Considering the evolution of today’s moral values, I’ve come to find that by reflecting on Salem’s societal mannerisms, I strongly believe religion should remain separated from government activity and shouldn’t pose as an influence to the judicial system.

Throughout history, common elements of human nature repeats itself in situations of distress. In the spring of 1692, the small town of Salem, Massachusetts is tormented by ideas of witchcraft and evil. A few of the young girls in Salem are found dancing and acting “possessed” in the woods. One of the girls, Betty, falls ill. Many of the townspeople believe witchcraft is involved due to their lack of medical information. The girls use this assumption, especially Abigail Reverend Parris is niece, to their advantage. These girls began accusing other townspeople of Witchcraft to avoid getting in trouble and began a widespread hysteria that leads to the execution of nineteen and prosecution of hundreds of others. This test of faith and honesty brought to light the personality of the people of Salem. Arthur Miller uses this time to reflect the modern times of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the Red Scare of the 1950s. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, elements of Greek tragedy including the tragic hero and a common evil advance the play's exploration into human nature.