Theocracy In The Crucible

The Puritans were one of the first Europeans who settled in the North America. These settlers were influenced heavily by the church and Christian beliefs. Through “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller, the readers could see how the Puritans reveal their strict beliefs in their lifestyle. Among those beliefs, the idea of unforgiven sins and the presence of the Devil in the community negatively affected the Puritans that caused the massacre at the Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692.

A society that praises moral righteousness and piety is destroyed by a series of witch trials that are ironically immoral and unfair. The Salem Witch Trials are fueled by personal motives and feuds that emerge because of the restrictions in Puritan society. The society nurtures a culture of fear and distrust that stems from dread of the devil and strict adherence to the Bible. Salem is the perfect environment for fear and vengeance to spread through witchcraft accusations, because people have no other means to gain power or get revenge on enemies. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays how the Puritan society in Salem influences the witch trials and increases their impact, because of the religion-based justice system, women and

Truth is oftentimes glazed over or obscured by the sweet words of the manipulator, and the journey to discover it is painful in the mental aspect by challenging one’s mindset or morals. To those who have faith in truth, however, it can be a savior shining a light onto the path of righteousness. In the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the eloquent lies of a single girl by the name of Abigail expands into full-blown witch trials where minister Reverend Hale is brought in to examine the markings of those tainted by the Devil. Within his time spent in the ominous village of Salem, the lies exposed to him begin to query his life-long standings of the Bible and God. As he further uncovers the truths, Hale’s role in the Salem Witch Trials undergoes a dramatic transformation from a certain accuser, to a precarious bystander, to the defender of the tried.

In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, he strongly outlines Puritanism and its effects on the village of Salem. The intensity of the Puritanism religion lead to an overwhelming sense of suspicion and paranoia coupled with personal issues in the tightknit community. It can easily be concluded that the witch trials started and quickly escalated due to the issues that branch off of Puritanism.. The most paramount of the effects from Puritanism include hysterical fear, personal grudges, and the struggle of upholding reputations.

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, focuses on the inconsistencies and injustice of the 1692 witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts. The restrictive Puritan society of Salem in the 17th century was based upon religious intolerance, where faith was demonstrated through physical labour and by strict adherence to religious doctrine. Material, physical and sexual desires were considered the Devil’s work and a threat to the very fabric of society. In summary, it is said that Puritanism discouraged individualism on all levels. The literal way in which the Bible was interpreted by the Puritans, provides a paradox within the play. This is because although the Bible says “thou shalt not kill,” the people of Salem are willing to sentence innocent

The Salem Witch Trials were a time of destruction and tragedy; the children and the people of the court were accusing everyone in their town of witchcraft. In The Crucible, a play about the Salem With Trials; Reverend Hale is an extremely dynamic character towards his beliefs and power. Hale changes throughout the story from being determined to find witchery in Salem to realizing that all the accused were innocent. The main problem for Hale in The Crucible is power: the level of it, how he uses it, and the issues it may cause.

The consequences of a patriarchal, theocratic state based on the foundation of Puritanism is first challenged by The Crucible, which evaluates its effect on the women in its society. This specific form of religion seemed unhealthy to Miller, as in the search for the perfect people, Puritans became obsessed with seeking out the damned and condemning them. Perfection was seen as a responsibility to these people as they wanted to ensure the Devil could not harm them, and the playwright attributes this paranoia as one of the main reasons behind the mass hysteria in Salem that followed. The townspeople were constantly looking for evil in everything that went wrong, and

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.

Both texts explore the immense influence of religion on those in society. The town of Eyam relies on religion to guide the community out of the crisis, however the the town could choose their own religion, and the growth of enlightenment meant that science began to affect the views and values of some individuals. Unlike Eyam in Year of Wonders, religion greatly dictated how the town would deal with the crisis in The Crucible. Many individuals in both texts either turn to their religion, or seek out new religions to try and comprehend the crisis. Due to the horror and hysteria present in Year of Wonders, certain members of the community began to question the religion they had always believed, and some became god fearing flagellants.

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible emphasizes different human flaws and their dangerous impact on Salem in 1692. By analyzing the effects of arrogance, blind faith, and guilt, Miller creates the dynamic character Reverend Hale. As Hale struggles with overcoming his own flaws, he transforms from a zealous man focused on gaining respect into the voice of reason amidst the chaos and corruption of the court. Throughout his character development, Hale challenges the authority figures of Salem as he becomes more skeptical, fights against his own Puritan ideals and accepts his role as a tragic figure.

It is believed, that in the hands of the Puritans, held a candle that would light the world. In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible he states, “They believe, in short, that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. We have inherited this belief, and it has helped and hurt us.” In many ways this belief has been inherited in everyday American society and it has indeed helped and hurt us.

Literature is. In the 1818 Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein, Prometheus Unbound, entails the ambitious scientist Victor Frankenstein as he unleashes his ambition to create life artificially through an unnatural creation who destroys his life. The myth Prometheus follows the story of a titan who bestowed the gift of fire on his creation, humans, only to be eternally tortured by nature. By reading Frankenstein alongside the Greek myth Prometheus, I have come to find a deeper understanding of Shelley’s critique of human nature and our inherent self-servance. I have also come to understand the destructive consequences of defying the natural law and to respect the boundaries placed on humanity by this natural order.

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.

Over the course of the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale has changed dramatically from the start of the play to the end. At first, Hale is convinced that he is an expert of witchcraft and the truth is found in his books. He also comes into Salem putting his faith into the court. As the play goes on, Hale questions his belief because he realizes that many people are being convicted without definite evidence. In the end of the play, Hale has no faith in the court. He realizes many people innocent people have died through the courts rulings and therefore he can not be a part of it. Hale’s character has changed significantly throughout the

Ernest Hemingway was one of the iconic American writers of the 20th century. He was part of the so-called “lost generation” of U.S. expatriate writers, who became adults during the time of World War I and settled in Europe (mainly in Paris) afterwards. His literary works include novels, short stories, and non-fiction prose, and they have earned him both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize. While many of the American expats Hemingway knew personally are considered founders or adherents of literary modernism (Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, etc.), he was not a modernist writer himself. In fact, he developed a distinct style of writing, which he called “The Iceberg Theory”. Before becoming a prominent writer, Hemingway worked as a journalist and