The Crucible argumentative essay
“Always tell the truth- it's the easiest thing to remember.” (David Mamet). In Arthur
Miller's The Crucible, there has been a conflict arising dealing with the fear of witches after a couple girls were caught dancing in the woods, hence the Salem witch trials. Many of us have been told at least once in our lives, not to lie, since it was the wrong thing to do. In this story, that's not the case with Reverend Hale since he tells Elizabeth Proctor that no ethic, however glorious is worth dying for and he argues that it is better to give a false confession than to die for a principle of belief. In my opinion, this statement is paradoxical. Some people may assert that it is okay to lie to save a life or your own, however, I believe they aren’t seeing the big picture; first of all, when a person lies during these trials they are condemning others who may or may not be guilty, continuing the cycle of prosecution, destroying their own reputation, and sinning by lying.
First and foremost, in this play a lie, if supported by more lies, spreads like fire; A lie means more people dead, including those who were innocent. By this point in the play, many people were being sent to trial and sometimes dying, because of the lies told by the girls. In act 3, Danforth asks Mary Warren, “Then you tell me that you sat in my court, callously lying, when you knew that people would hang by your evidence? Answer me!” (Miller 97). She responds by stating “I did,”
Picture yourself in a situation where life and death were the only options you were given and in order to save your life, you needed to lie. In The Crucible, this situation occurred to a local farmer named John Proctor. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, was taken place in Massachusetts, 1692. Rumors of witchcraft arrive in the community of Salem and cause major chaos. The over exaggeration of events and witchcraft was caused by the Puritan’s extreme ideals. Puritan’s were a heavily religious group from the sixteenth and seventeenth century who wanted to add religious ideals to all morals. Many innocent people were accused for being associated with witchcraft and the court and high authorities were corrupt, leading to pure chaos. Proctor
Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out? I think I have made my point. Have I not?"(239-243). Reverend Hale is starting to believe that the girls are lying, and he thinks that the ones being accused should have a lawyer but Danforth just says the accused only rely on victims and witnesses. Danforth feels that he has much power and he wants it to stay that way by "defending" the people. "I cannot hear you. What do you say? You will confess yourself or you will hang! Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me!" (483-487). Danforth knows that he has the power to say if someone hangs or not so he's using it to scare Mary into telling the truth, or in this case the truth he wants to hear.
There’s has been people who either have been manipulated and then there’s people that have manipulated people. Being experienced with situation can make it easy for one to manipulate anyone. For example in “The Crucible” it demonstrates how one young child can manipulate everyone from children to an adult into believing her vengeance story. With the right situation experience one can manipulate with ease, but it shouldn’t be easy for one to manipulate half of the people in the town.
In both The Crucible and McCarthyism, people are accused of being either witches or communists. The accused are placed in such a dire situation where they are either forced to lie to save themselves, or to remain honest, at the risk of their social or physical lives. In The Crucible, John Proctor is accused of practicing witchcraft, and when asked if he is a witch, he responds,“Why it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot.” (Act IV pg. 140) He refuses to confess to something he did not do, even if lying means that he can save his life. During the McCarthy trials, people who were accused of being communists refused to confess that they were, although it hurt their reputation. In both
In 1952 a play was written by Arthur Miller, about events that happened in Salem in 1692. The play was about affairs, accusations, and innocent people being accused of witches. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail and Mary Warren are introduced as two separate people. Although people might see Abigail and Mary Warren as two separate people and nothing alike, they are more alike than meet's the eye. Abigail and Mary Warren have three things in common; they are both are deceitful, they both dishonest, and they are both apprehensive.
In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Reverend Hale states " No principle however glorious is worth dying for ". I strongly disagree with this statement and so do others. First off, there are countless examples throughout history of people putting their lives on the line for what they believe in. Secondly, in the play The Crucible there are many people such as John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Giles Corey who would rather die than to cowardly admit to witchcraft just so they won't be killed.
All eyes on them, some even with tears, and the three thick ropes with a noose on each end. They dangle there waiting… This was happening now, it was really happening. His heart was beating out of his chest and his palms were sweating, as he stepped up, step by step until death itself was palpable. As he looked out into the crowd, he felt the rope being placed around his neck, then as the rough rope got tighter he could feel the relief of his sins. He knew he was doing right by god, he was ready. As they said their prayer in unison, one by one the floor beneath them all was swept away and all that was left was the three bodies hanging silently.
People are often told that lying is the wrong thing to do; it is evil, inhumane, and overall terrible. Despite this fact, lying has been shown to hand people multiple benefits. These benefits can be anything from getting out of doing house chores to looking cool in front of classmates. Because of this, many people use this form of deception to remove themselves from unwanted problems in the community. The Crucible, a play written Arthur Miller, portrays a disrupted society where people are accused of witchcraft for any abnormal activity. The accused witches are either forced to “confess” to their involvement with witchcraft or be executed in the gallows. The characters in the play display to the readers that lying provides protection towards people in different ways.
The Crucible was created to described what really happened in these witch trials, and the effects it had on the Colony itself. There was more than 50 men and women accused of witchcraft but less than 20 were hung. The town embraced their trials as a template for their envy of hate.
The phrase “honesty is the best policy,” applies to Arthur Miller’s history-based drama, The Crucible, in a variety of ways. The accusations throughout the story build on lie after lie after lie from those trying to protect their own name, thus putting the whole town in a state of confusion and chaos. Nobody in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts knows whom to trust anymore, after all of the false allegations made. There are three characters in particular in the story that, if they had told the truth from the commencement, the town would have been in a state of peace rather than mayhem. If Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor had been honest, many innocent lives could have been spared and Salem would not be in such
If someone told you that your light in your room is flickering, because of witchcraft and not the simple fact that the light bulb is burnt out, would you believe them? Well in Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible they did if something out of the ordinary happened and couldn’t be explained they turned to witchcraft. People were being accused without any proof which leads us to the theme of this play that is to not believe false accusations or accusations that have no proof. The author, Arthur Miller is trying to convey in this story that the government can sometimes get too powerful over the people and rule the people in ways just to benefit themselves. In today’s world there is a lot of debates about whether or not
When John Hale notices the accused people of the town who tell the truth are being threatened and killed he begins to encourage the indicted ones to lie. For example, Rebecca Nurse, one of the most honored people in the town of Salem, was arraigned of witchcraft and told the truth but was still executed. On the other hand, people who didn’t actually do anything and said that they did do witchcraft when accused just had to ask for forgiveness from god and were able to continue on to their lives. In result of this, John Hale seeks to get people such as John Proctor to lie and confess even if they didn’t do anything. He tries to convince Proctor to confess so he can continue his life with his loving wife and children. To
Arthur Miller conveys an intrusive community where characters strive for a clean name in The Crucible, which is still evident in modern day through the action of politicians and celebrities maintaining their images using different communication techniques. The Salem witchcraft crisis reflects the personal reputation of the characters, similar to how Americans make decisions based on their appearance on social media. The Crucible is useful to modern Americans because they can learn from the past through mistakes and common themes that are presented in the play.
Even if he knew what was true and what was false keeping his reputation in tact was more important. Contrasting from both of the first characters Reverend Hale was more of a guy who wanted to do right. He knew that his job was on the line but instead of worrying he tried to find justice for the people who were being hanged. His name wasn’t as important to him as getting justice was. In act four Hale finally starts to realize all what he's been doing wrong, and so was watching those innocent people getting blamed for something that wasn’t even real. When trying to give Elisabeth advice Hale says, “Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, earring gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Beware, Goody Proctor- cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. LIfe, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God’s judgement in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that
Proctor. For the first and only time in the play we see Abigail as her