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Salem witch trials summary
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The Salem Witch Trials was indeed one of the most disturbing events to have ever occurred in history. Though the madness was short-lived, it left a devastating impact on the village that rippled through all Massachusetts. One of the most prominent figures who hastened the end to this climate of hysteria is none other than Giles Corey. A simple and uneducated farmer, Corey serves as a paradigm of unparalleled fortitude and resolve; a hero who lived for what he believed in until the absolute end. In the beginning of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, it is evident that Giles Corey is a shrewd and rational man, who is able to see through the mass hysteria. He remarks, “It suggests to the mind what the trouble be among us all these years…Wherefore
In the film, “The Crucible”, Arthur Miller portrays Giles Corey as a "knotted with muscle, canny, inquisitive, and still powerful. He didn't give a hoot for public opinion, and only in his last years did he bother much with the church. He was a crank and a nuisance, but withal a deeply innocent and brave man.” In the following essay, I will explain how Giles Corey acts as a foil to John Proctor and how Corey serves to illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of the main character.
It can be inferred that throughout both the play and film alike, the two share similarities yet contain contrasting differences that set the two apart when comparing and contrasting “The Crucible”. Through adjustments made to enhance the storyline, intensify the role between characters, and changes in script, the film version of “The Crucible” contrasts to the original 1953 play version. Through the work of writer Arthur Miller, the story of the search for honesty and truth in a Puritan society is carried into the 1950s era of McCarthyism and still flourishes in literature today.
Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is centered around the mass hysteria created by accusations of witchcraft in the Puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. These accusations can be blamed on Abigail Williams' affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges that neighbors hold against each other, and the physical and economic differences between the citizens of Salem Village. Because suspicions were at an all-time high, petty accusations were made out to be witchcraft, and bad business deals were blamed on witchery. Among the grudges that help spur the resentment and hostility in the village is one between Giles Corey and Thomas Putnam, who argue about a plot of land and its ownership. Once the accusations begin, everyone has a reason to accuse someone else of witchcraft. When Putnam's daughter accuses George Jacobs of witchery, Corey quickly notices a motive and claims that Putnam only wants Jacobs' land. Additionally, even the slightest offhand remark can result in the suspicion of one working with the devil. In another example of hasty accusations, Giles Corey casually mentions that when his wife is reading, he is unable to say his prayers. However, Reverend Hale takes Giles’ claims the wrong way and Martha Corey is quickly arrested and convicted for witchcraft. In Arthur Miller’s haunting play The Crucible, Giles Corey often announces his feelings without considering the consequences, but redeems himself by refusing to allow the defamation of one of his friends while keeping his property and dignity intact.
Miller, A. (1996, October 21). Life and letters why i wrote "the crucible". The New Yorker, 158. Retrieved December 02, 2013 from http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1996/10/21/1996_10_21_158_TNY_CARDS_000373902
“More Weight!” Said Giles Corey, a character from The Crucible, as he was being pressed to death for not saying yay or nay to the accusation of witchcraft. Giles Corey was an 83 year old man, and very stubborn. He was arrested for contempt of court and because he would not give any names. Then someone accused him of being a witch from being in jail. Giles Corey and I share a few personality traits such as being loyal to family and friends, very comica and prefer to instigate situations
In The Crucible, the mass hysteria surrounding the witch trials caused paranoia amongst the people of Salem. Miller uses the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as a symbol and allegory of the fear surrounding the spread of communism during the 1950s in America. The community’s sense of justice was blinded by the mass hysteria and for some, a desire for vengeance and personal gain. The Putnams
In this essay, I intend to analyse the historical context of The Crucible and its relevance in today’s society. I believe that Arthur Miller’s life and his experience of McCarthyism strongly influenced the writing of The Crucible.
Through time it can be seen that the world’s history has a nature of repeating its self. Author Miller, was aware of this as he experienced a repitition of history of society’s flawed government. In the text The Crucible, the writer, Author Miller has identified and illustrated the problems society faced during the 1950’s setting by drawing parallels with the setting of the 1962 Salem witch hunt. This setting helps readers to understand the characters of John Proctor and Giles Corey.
The play “The Crucible” is an allegory for the McCarthyism hysteria that occurred in the late 1940’s to the late 1950’s. Arthur Miller’s play “the crucible” and the McCarthyism era demonstrates how fear can begin conflict. The term McCarthyism has come to mean “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty”, which is the basis of the Salem witch trials presented in Arthur Miller’s play. The fear that the trials generate leads to the internal and external conflicts that some of the characters are faced with, in the play. The town’s people fear the consequences of admitting their displeasure of the trials and the character of John Proctor faces the same external conflict, but also his own internal conflict. The trials begin due to Abigail and her friends fearing the consequences of their defiance of Salem’s puritan society.
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
As advised by Shannon L. Alder “ If you want to discover the true character of a person, you have only to observe what they are passionate about ”. The true character of a person can be hidden by the way they act. A shy person could be very generous, or a comical person could be selfish. Under certain circumstances a person is forced to cease masqueradeing and reveal their true character. In The Crucible, Corey Giles’ solemn and bitter character displaced his adolescent character when his wife was arrested.
Emma Gulliford once said,”Reading a good book is like taking a journey…” and that is what Arthur Miller has done in his novel The Crucible. Arthur Miller has helped us take a journey with his novel for 64 years. He has done this by creating his own style, which is the author's use of word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement to establish mood,tone, and meaning in the text. Arthur Miller’s novel, The Crucible, has been around for so long ,but it is still loved because of his amazing use of culture, sociology, and allegories.
He uses the story of the Salem Witch Trials in the The Crucible as an allegory for the Red Scare. During both the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials, the dangers of mass hysteria are illustrated by the consequences of both historical occurrences; specifically, The names given up by others. Those names could undergo dangerous consequences according to pbs.org “Some had their passports taken away, while others were jailed for refusing to give the names of other communists. The trials ... could often destroy a career.” The dangers of hysteria are seen here as not having a job which some relied solely on. Miller encrypts his lines to include the same dangers by mentioning Giles Corey. Corey was a man that refused to accuse, he is pressed for information and comes to the conclusion of two words which he states on page 135 “More
The power of the mind is truly extraordinary. It allows humans to learn new things and do good for the world. Contrarily, it drives humans to create conflict and initiate tempting desires. The Crucible explores many of the mind’s capabilities as it tells the tale of a series of witchcraft accusations and the ensuing drama. The play itself is an allegory of McCarthyism and truly shows why understanding the power of the human mind is so essential if mankind wishes to coincide peacefully. In his play The Crucible, Arthur Miller expresses Freud’s structural model of the psyche through characterization.
Writers often have an uncanny ability to drown out the outside world and isolate themselves in strenuous periods of releasing their emotions in order to create a literary masterpiece. For Arthur Miller, he utilized the outside world and his environment to pen a play that showed how fear is the spark that ignites racism and, in some cases, xenophobia. His 1953 production regarding the Salem Witch Trials carried a deep, underlying message beyond living a pure and holy life. His ultimate goal was to prove the irrationality behind the Red Scare that was occurring at the time. However, his play can also be historically connected to events not directly occurring during his lifetime. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible can be analyzed and criticized using