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Comment on the theme of deception
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I believe that one theme that is clearly displayed in the Crucible is deception. As we look through the text of this play we are shown how falsehood and deception reveal themselves in characters. Abigail Williams, young and beautiful, swoops into the text with her lies from the very first Act. Only 12 pages into the script we see her lie to her uncle by saying “ She [ Elizabeth Proctor] hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman.” (Miller 12). Abigail’s hate and envy of Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of her ex-lover, brings her to spread lies about her. Abigail loves John Proctor and will do anything to make him love her in return. Consumed by her lust and horrified about her reputation about the town, Abigail throws herself into the pit of deception. After a while, it is evident that she has gone past the point of no return. “ You see sir, she told me that she would stay a night with Mercy Lewis...” (Miller 126). This is takes place in the last act when Reverend Parris is speaking to Judge Danforth. Parris is explaining that Abigail has just run off and stolen all his life savings. Without …show more content…
even being in the scene Abigail’s deceitfulness shines through into other characters lives. She completely destroys everything around her by tearing apart individual’s lives and pretending to be possessed. We see this theme play out very vividly in the text when each of the girls, to save their name in the town, lies to the Reverend.
We also see it when Abigail continuously lies to save herself from looking like the town prostitute. This theme relates back to Miller’s underlying theme of injustice. Everyone believed Abigail Williams even though they had no reason to, just like most everyone believed the “ whites” in the 60s. There is an unspoken tone and message found in the Crucible that is easy to spot when and if you are looking for it. No matter what age or what time period injustice and inequality has survived and thrived and many people have tried to end it. The question is… Are you going to allow it to continue or are you going to do something about it to make it
stop? There are many themes in the Crucible, there are themes about hate, self image, greed and numerous others. However, the one that I think most clearly defines this play is deception.
They say “Honesty is the best policy”, but that isn’t necessarily true especially for those who lived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Honesty may have been a good trait for someone to have, but during the witch trials people rethought that. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrayed many people as good puritans. Always loyal and honest throughout their lives, and avoiding any sins that they possibly could. But there were people who had to sin to save their lives or even to save their reputation. Abigail Williams was just an young girl who turned to lying in order to save herself during the Salem Witch Trials. At the same time, Elizabeth Proctor was not agreeing with the witch business that she was accused of. You could tell lies during this time, and no one would think that you were turning too sins because the entire town was becoming obsessed about all those accused of possible witchcraft. While some were being accused, others were avoiding the truth when confessing. Like when Abigail never confessed to drinking blood when she was with Tituba and Betty. In The Crucible, Honesty was portrayed
Abigail Williams forms a continuous string of deceitful lies about the presence of witchcraft in Salem and her involvement with it, triggering the beginning of the trials and causing mayhem to permeate the town. Playwright Arthur Miller characterizes Abigail as "a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling"(8). Her fabrications induce calamity in Salem, and entangles many innocent people in her slanderous web of stories. In most cases, Abigail lies to evade discomfort or punishment. This pattern is first displayed when Reverend Hale interrogates Abigail:
In conclusion, the theme of honesty and truth versus scapegoat plays a huge role in the book The Crucible. Either a person will have to side with purity or take a different road to achieve his/her own goal. It is fascinating how the closest relative, neighbor, or friend can change character for the benefit of himself and their family. The people who understood the situation and tried to stay calm were able to handle the situations better. A person that would fit this criterion would an example of Reverend Hale. The most vital symbol in The Crucible would be the noose as it portrays fear, death and hysteria.
Foundations built on lies and deceit will never stand the test of time, In the play the Crucible by Arthur Miller, the conflict between the proctors and the theme of lies and deceit go hand in hand because it illustrates how their relationships were built on a foundation of dishonesty and falsehood causing them to break as time goes by.
The townspeople of Salem are beginning to suspect witchcraft so Abigail tells her uncle he must go talk to the people and convince them that there is no witchcraft involved with his daughter’s illness. Reverend Parris tells his niece that he can’t talk to the
Consequently, John is not alone when it came to deceit, though it’s clear that Abigail had
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, there are many themes concerning human actions and the driving forces behind them. Among the most prominent concepts represented in the play are courage, weakness, and truth. These concepts are seen in nearly all the characters through either a struggle for courage; an acceptance of, or escape from, weakness; or a fight against, or for, the truth.
Abigail Williams is least complex among the characters, but is the most insensitive character in the book. Abigail is a naïve young women who lies, and manipulates her peers to gain the power she lacks in society. Abigail is motivated by revenge, love, and power. Abigail and John Proctor had a meaningless affair in the past, but it was only “meaningless” to John. Abigail is intertwined in what she believes to be the truth: John is in love with her, and they are going to be, and are meant to be together. In Act One Abigail and John Proctor are having an argument on their “Love” for one another. Abigail says, “I have a sense for heat John, and yours has drawn me to my window, I’ve seen you looking up, burning in your loneliness. Do you tell me you’ve
Ideology is a motif that is portrayed. The characters all go off the same moral belief of religion in the play. This idea is dangerous and is the main reason for the deaths due to sinning. Another Motif showed is lying. It seems that almost everyone in The Crucible lie and each lie effects another’s life. “How were you instructed in your life? Do you not know that God damns all liars? (She cannot speak.) Or is it now that you lie? (Miller). Danforth is calling out Mary Warren for changing up here story so much. This goes back to the motif of lies and ideology because lying is a sin that is punished with death most of the times. A theme of the play is that even being honest does not always help out. Proctor experiences with this because even though he came clean about the affair and tried to call out Abigail he was not believed and still send to be hung. “On the last night of my joy, some eight months past. She used to serve me in my house, sir. (He has to clamp his jaw to keep from weeping.) A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is” (Miller). Proctor is admitting to the affair and begging the court to see that Abigail is a whore are nothing she says can be
“Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be… when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am” (Miller, Death of a Salesman). The word crucible has two definitions; a severe test or challenge of a person’s faith, and a container that is used to store metals when they are melted at an extremely high temperature. In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses both definitions to help support the major themes. One of the themes that I found most intriguing was that when faced with a choice, people will either protect their reputation or protect their integrity. Another theme I saw in the book was that, in the midst of a conflict, guilt and fear can either hold you back or motivate you to take action.
In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, emotions and drama are displayed. People who were guiltless, lost their lives because of one girl who was jealous and selfish. One of the main characters, Abigail, is to blame for the tragic events that happened to innocent people.
The crucible by author miller demonstrates three main themes. It demonstrates abuse of power, revenge and how lies can ravage a community with hysteria. These three themes are outlined by many characters. Making the book have to main sides of witchcraft vs common sense.
In Arthur Miller's play the Crucible the characters seem to lie a lot. The characters try to get out of trouble by lying but in the end it ends up hurting them more than it benefits them. Most of the time when the characters lie they think that it’s going to benefit them but it doesn’t the lie just piles onto everything else they have going on . They usually lie when they’re under pressure , in the cases that the lie does save them from something like death it also adds puts a burden on them to keep up that lie. Common sense seems to dictate that lying is a better way to get out of a mess then telling the truth, but in this play it does the opposite.I’ve always believed that honesty really is the best policy because when you tell the truth
The question that readers have to ask about The Crucible by Arthur Miller is what recurring theme played a major role in the witch trials? The motif of guilt is an underlying feeling in many of the characters in Salem. It drives their personal vengeance by creating a conflict between the character feeling guilty and the person they believe caused their guilt.
The Crucible, a tragedy, drama written by Arthur Miller, is an example of an allegory- a story with an obvious meaning, but when looking deeper into the story with a whole new meaning. All authors have a primary reason for giving their plays/novels a certain theme or setting. Miller’s intention for his work of The Crucible came from his wisdom of real events that happened through political and moral issues in the past. The Crucible is partly based on McCarthyism and the Red Scare during the 1940’s and 1950’s due to the Salem Witch Trials. The play has characteristics of good and evil, power and corruption, honor and integrity, and the disposition to establish a scapegoat for situations, just as the Red Scare did.