Passion Play Sarah Ruhl

History shows a pattern of change in relation to religious involvement of governmental affairs. As religion becomes less a part of American life, the court develops new laws to accommodate our new society. Look to the communities we live in presently and ask yourself if the American people are facing oppression of religious freedom, a freedom listed in our Constitution under the First Amendment. This spirals into an abyss of politics. Is same-sex marriage a personal matter or a public one? Is the Republican Party fair in opting to end abortion? Should a woman have contraceptive included in her health insurance plan despite the religious views of her employer? This is one of the areas in which

In the preface to “Doubt: a Parable,” John Patrick Shanley describes a significant factor to consider when reading his play: “I’ve set my story in 1964, when not just me, but the whole world seemed to be going through some kind of vast puberty” (Shanley viii). During that period in time, America experienced vast growth across all areas of life- from the home, to schools, to politics. Even the Catholic Church seemed to be embrace this time of change with the new attitudes developed from the Second Vatican Council. The Church set out to break from the old, rigid structures of the past and take on a more relatable and approachable presence for its surrounding community. In spite of welcoming these

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.

This play directly correlates to the Red Scare of the 1950’s. People getting accused for communism and being sent to jail in the 1950’s just like people were getting tried and accused for witchcraft in the 1600’s. At the end of Act I of the crucible Abigail went around accusing people of witchcraft (page 42) and trying to get the court to execute the accused similar to how the government was accusing people in the 1950s of communism and getting them sent to prison. When the government in Salem and in The Red Scare would try the accused there was really no real trial they would just accuse them and

Arthur Miller wrote the play in the 1950’s at a time where America was undergoing strife under the anti-communist regimes of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The time was riddled with right-wing views, whirlwinds of

very common human conflict that is dealt with on all levels of humanity. The emotional environment that man grows and develops in plays

In the United States, there is supposedly a separation between church and state. However, this seems to be untrue for many circumstances in U.S. politics. The political culture in the U.S. is infused with opinions and symbolism that show candidates/ elected officials’ adherence to religious beliefs. This is especially true when officials are campaigning for elected office. Politicians try to identify with voters’ religious beliefs, especially in local elections, where one religion may be fairly dominant. Sometimes this is a cynical pitch for votes but in other cases may represent that individual’s profound beliefs which result in their political views. This is evident through politicians trying to be photographed at religious services, with famous religious leaders, or even publicly announcing their denominational affiliations. Many of our founding documents relate in some way back to God. The official motto of the U.S. is “In God We Trust,” and it is printed on U.S. paper currency. This motto relates back to Judaism and Christianity through several bible verses. These many instances show how religion has been and continues to be used in American political life. Religion in the United States has been infused in American politics since its founding and will continue to play an influential role in American democracy even though there is this “wall of separation” between church and state.

The tony-award winning play “The Crucible” is a play written by Arthur Miller. The Crucible came to be in the 1950s, a time where the fear of Communists in the country was rampant and creating unnecessary chaos through the United States. The hysteria reminded Miller of the Salem Witch Trials, the setting of the Crucible, where the paranoia of witches among the Puritans sent the town into a hurricane of chaos, leading to multiple catastrophic and unnecessary deaths. The perfect storm of brewing conditions launched one of the most foolish, traumatizing events in American history. With the conditions seen today, another one of these “witch hunts” is possible in our modern day time period. In fact, the Bible foretells of one to happen very soon, described as the Great Tribulation. Similar to the Salem Witch Trials, the Bible foretells of a time when unstable conditions would abound, a certain group of people would face persecuted, and people will have to confront a moral dilemma similar to the one presented in the Crucible.

possibility that zombies might in fact have souls through the description of a nearly four hundred year old ritual called the Passion Play that is performed once each decade in the city of Oberammergau, Germany. This play, which is enacted by the people of Oberammergau is part of a tradition that was started during the days of the black plague in Europe in the early 1600s. In an attempt to increase the realism of the play, the community decides to crucify a zombie in place of the normal actor who would normally play the part. A lone priest, Father Meyer, believes the zombies are creatures of God that deserve the same sort of considerations and care that humans do. This is in stark contrast to the position held by the drastically changed Catholic

Both Arthur Miller and Geraldine Brooks use the texts to explore and ultimately condemn the role of religion in a changing society. The climactic events in The Crucible and Year of Wonders involve religion playing a large part in advancing the crisis and enhancing the severity of the consequences. In The Crucible the protestant views shared by the town of Salem are criticized by Miller as the townspeople fail to make a distinction between church and state. Their theocratic society is the cause for much of the unhappiness in the play, beginning with its restrictive rules which guide the people of Salem that cause first the desire to rebel from the young girls who go dancing in the forest, then the

A government that is totalitarian controls the ideas and actions of its own citizens. In the book the High authority the demands of the citizens go to church every single day and work and pray and everything else is bad, similarity, in the US during the 1950s government controlled all the views of communism. In the crucible, those who oppose the government were also opposing God, this is because then living by the government own rules and those who went against the rules were sometimes whip or punished. For example when coney and the other speak out about the trials no one was allowed to have the freedom of speech. Another example is when women were initially accused that they are witches and they didn't have a voice to speak for themselves

Throughout the ages, humans have proven themselves countless times to be disloyal , selfish, and underhanded. It is with a degree of smugness and superiority that we often regard events such as the cruel, corrupt governmental systems of the past, abuses of the church, and mass murders in the name of religion. We tend to believe that we have made improvements in areas such the definition and protection of personal freedoms and we have faith that our journalists will uncover and reveal the very beginnings of corrupt governmental behaviors. Our society looks at both the present and the future with optimism and their unflagging confidence in our own ability to create something superior to those governments that have come before us. This causes us to neglect to face the corruption present in our own lives. Most people can recall when they first learned about the Salem Witch trials that occurred in 1693 because they were shocked and horrified that the townspeople let these events take place and spiral. What people do not realize is that they are like the townspeople in Salem, Massachusetts and similar injustices and dangerous abuses of power in the name of government and religion are happening right around them now. Lies, deceit and corruption, have always reverberated throughout American history and people need constant reminders to stay vigilant and aware. As a writer, I am able to reach a large audience with this reminder and I saw my play The Crucible “as a vehicle for

In current American society, the political fanaticism reflects the blind religious fanaticism in Moliere’s Tartuffe, which shows the play’s relevance to today’s human condition in relation to

Annie Ernaux wrote Passion Simple in 1991 drawing from excerpts of the personal diaries she kept from 1988-1989, while engaged in an affair with a married man, known only as ‘A’. The subject Ernaux chose to write about differed from her previous novels, where abortion (Les Armoires vides, 1974), a woman’s position in family life (La Femme gelée, 1981), and parental relationships (Une Femme, 1989, La Place, 1990) were central. Instead, Ernaux chose to record an affair, and gave particular attention to the passion and desire she felt throughout. What this essay will examine is how female writing, specifically Ernaux’s writing, was permitted to represent a woman’s passion and desire. Firstly, by looking at language, and how it is used by the patriarchal

On its face, organized religion is the pillar holding up the foundations of society. Throughout history, the concept that ones religion was superior to another led to the rise and fall of many empires and dynasties, and was the catalyst that incited numerous wars from the time of Ancient Rome throughout the Middle Ages and up to today. The religion someone associated with was a substantive part of their identity, and imposed on them how they should live, their laws, and social rank. It hasn't been until recently, however, that men and women have risen to dramatize the weakness organized religion imposes on a society. Two such men are Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller. Hawthorne's book The Scarlet Letter is rich with descriptions about the early Puritan way of life, their strict and severe punishments, and the effects of such punishments on an ordinary women. In addition, his book provides an insightful view on a hypocritical man of faith held in high regard. This theme of corrupted faith is also apparent in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, which revolves around the mass hysteria of a deeply religious town led astray by minsters and ordinary people seeking personal benefit. Both authors view organized religion with trepidation, not in the sense that it is fundamentally flawed, but when it is used as a manipulative force by corrupted men only striving to save face, or weakened by the influence of their townsfolk.