Argumentative Essay On The Crucible

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Recommended: Social aspects of the Salem witch trials

My movie research essay is on The Crucible directed by Nicholas Hytner. The Crucible is about the Salem Witch trials that happened in Massachusetts. My argument is that the negative and often evil portrayal of women at the time period of Puritan New England was a main component in the Salem Witch Trials which The Crucible shows an example of. To put The Crucible in broader context, I read “Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England” by Elizabeth Reis and will use its main points to back up my thesis.
The actual history of the Salem Witch trials took place in Massachusetts, Puritan New England. It was a series of trials of people being accused of witchcraft/ crimes against religion, many of those accused were women. Mass hysteria
There are many displays of gender imbalance in society in The Crucible and the movie also displays the stereotype of the “Females are more innocent” TV trope.

“The essence of this trope is the suggestion that, while male villains can be evil by nature or by choice, such depths of evil are not natural for women, and so, if a female character has truly evil thoughts, a man must be ultimately responsible for putting them there, even if her actions and behavior don 't hint at it. Thus, when facing in-universe justice, she is more likely to receive a less severe fate for the same crimes as a male villain might.”

This is particularly true for Abigail Williams. She is, no doubt, the antagonist of the film. She has direct connections to the problems that plague John Proctor in the movie. Although she is portrayed as an evil woman, the root of her problems lie with John Proctor. John Proctor, who stripped Abigail of her hope and love when he ended their affair, is the man ultimately responsible for Abigail’s evil thoughts. Following this, Abigail did receive a moderately lenient fate for someone who is the actual antagonist. Abigail runs away with Paris’s money and does not seem to face the consequences for lying, scheming, adultering, or any of the sins she’s
“These characters (often female) are coping with a Cynicism Catalyst, or a Dark and Troubled Past by becoming ascynical, stoic, and/or badass as possible.” Abigail’s parents had been murdered in front of her when she was just a child. Not only this, but being rejected by someone she had loved whilst also securing her future as a town “whore” due to gossiping rumours is more than enough evidence to apply the “Broken Bird” trope to Abigail. How Abigail deals with this is by becoming manipulative and spiteful, trying to take control of things that aren’t

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