The Puritans in The Crucible are judgment filled hypocrites. Hypocrisy is one of the most ignorant and dangerous traps that we as humans seem to fall into and commit very frequently. This hypocrisy that many of the characters have in them has many terrible effects on the society of the town of Salem.
The characters in The Crucible are complete hypocrites. The Puritan faith suggests that love, compassion, and forgiveness should be normal habits of daily living. However, judgment ran rampant along many of the characters. One of the main characters that falls into the trap of hypocrisy is Reverend Parris. He preaches about hell and rarely mentions God’s forgiveness. Throughout the third and fourth acts, Reverend Parris looks for ways to help
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accuse the innocent and land them in jail. A pastor or minister should not look for sin in order to punish it, but in order to help redeem it. In the first scene, we see him standing over his daughter’s sick bed, but he is not worried about his sick daughter, instead he is worried about his reputation. “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just when some good respect is rising to me in the parish, you compromise my very character” (Miller 58). He is afraid that if people think there is witchcraft in his household, he will lose his position as minister of Salem. This shows his exceedingly selfish character and how he does not care about anyone but himself and his reputation. Parris’s pride blinds him from seeing his hypocritical ways. Another character that falls into the sad abyss of hypocrisy, but more specifically judgment is judge Danforth.
When he questions Mary Warren about her out of nowhere decision to speak up, he makes fun of her by saying, “How were you instructed in your life? Do you know not that God damns all liars?” (Miller 177). Judge Danforth believes that he is better than everyone else, therefore making him always wrong and them always right. He doesn’t listen to other people and their opinions or points of view because in his mind, he is the ruler of everything. At one point of the play he says, “I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just,” (Miller 213). In my point of view, Judge Danforth has come to realize that he has been wrong for killing those innocent people, but he feels since he already killed so many people, it’s only fair to finish killing the rest off. Also, his pride can’t take the pain of having to admit he was wrong to other people, so he decides its better to just make this mess bigger instead of fixing what he can. Danforth’s pride is what makes him blind towards his hypocritical accusations. This happens with many of us today, our pride makes us blind to our wrong actions and when we realize it, our pride is too strong to admit we were wrong and make a change. Other characters in The Crucible were full of judgment as well, like Abigail who lied at just about every turn and accused other people of witchcraft and having the …show more content…
devil in them, when she was truly the evil one. She is the one practicing witchcraft and committing adultery. She is being a hypocrite by going to church and pretending to be a Christian when she is not. Abigail calls upon evil spirits and drinks blood to try to kill John Proctor’s wife. She also tries to get Mrs. Proctor killed by sticking a needle in her stomach and saying it was Mrs. Proctor’s spirit. Just because people say they are good does not mean that they are. Some people did not start off as hypocrites, but were followers of hypocrisy.
Mary Warren is a follower, and when Judge Danforth and Reverend Parris resorted to hypocrisy, Mary followed. The Danforth is questioning Mary Warren in court she says, “I cannot lie no more. I am with God, I am with God,” (Miller 178). It seems to me that Mary is not sure of herself at all. When someone with authority is questioning her, she tries to tell the truth. When there is not anyone around to influence her on lying, she tries to tell the truth. But she is weakened when her life is at stake and I honestly don’t blame her. Its easy as a reader to judge Mary Warren and wonder why she could not just tell the truth and be honest and die with a good name, but we do not think about what we would do if we were in her shoes. It is so easy to fall into the dangerous cycle of judging when we would probably do the exact same thing if we were in the other person’s shoes. When Mary Warren feels the pressure of Abigail’s false accusations towards her, Mary yells, “Let me go, Mr. Proctor, I cannot, I cannot-“ (Miller 187). Mary’s morals are weak and they quickly change when she realizes that if she does not pretend to be possessed, then her life will come to an end. To Mary Warren, being a lying hypocrite isn’t something she is worried about when her life might be ending soon. We see John Proctor confess he is innocent at the end of the play although it will have him killed. We see that he values his
morals and wants to stay true and honest even if it means death. If Mary Warren’s morals were truly strong, then she would have stayed strong and kept insisting that she was innocent. In today’s day and age, judgment filled hypocrites rule the world. It is strange to find someone who is not a hypocrite in one way or another. Often pride is what turns people into hypocrites, as we see with Judge Danforth and Reverend Parris. Other times pride is not the reason, but greed or selfishness is, as we see with Mary Warren. In The Crucible, hypocrisy was often used as an excuse to save one’s life, or as an excuse to take one’s life. Morals seemed to be non-existent as people criticize others for one reason, and then commit the same crime themselves. Judgment and hypocrisy have never and will never be the answer to any of our problems. This play has a very sad ending as we see how many innocent lives were taken and we see how none of this had to happen if people would have stopped their hypocrisy, judgment, and would have just taken action with their humanity.
In The Crucible, there are many different and dynamic characters with varying personalities; one of these includes Reverend Parris. The author uses indirect characterization to describe Reverend Parris as a fearful, quick-tempered, emotionally unstable, and non-religious.
Unlike her peers, Mary Warren is innocent of and wishes to tell the truth, "We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things!" (Miller, Arthur. "Act 1." The Crucible. 50th Anniversary ed. Harmondsworth, Eng.: Penguin, 1976. 18. Print.). Upon hearing this, Abigail immediately shoots down Mary's request, threatening her life if she dare
Mary Warren’s first lie comes as a result of her wanting to fit in and feel like she is a part of something. She claims that Sarah Good, an old and poor woman who sleeps in ditches, sends her spirit out on her in court and chokes her to “near death”. She describes the courtroom experience to John Proctor and says that she felt “a misty coldness climbin’ up [her] back” as “ the skin on [her] skull began to creep” and she felt a “clamp around [her] neck” until she could not breathe” (57). It seems as if Mary Warren has convinced herself that witchcraft is real, just to fit in with the girls. Pretending that Sarah Good sent her spirit out into the courtroom has major consequences on the town as well as on Sarah.
Firstly, throughout the play Judge Danforth acts with pride and arrogance. At the commencement of act III Judge Danforth voices his view on the ongoing phase of the witchcraft trials by stating that “Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside?” (Miller 85). Here Danforth establishes an ultimatum to Giles Corey when he comes to defend his wife Martha Corey from the accusation of being a witch. Danforth sarcastically questions Giles Corey whether he has the authority to make any decision on the ongoing matter and thereby silences him. He makes it clear that no one else can determine what and how the court should act. In addition, the tone with which he delivers this dialogue is filled with arrogance as displayed by the movie “The crucible”. Overall, the picture profile of Judge Danforth created while saying these lines reveals his pride and haughtiness. Another instance where Judge Danforth reveals this attitude of his is when he snubs Francis Nurse for questioning his judgment and wisdom during the trials. In return Danforth replies “ And do you know that near four hundred are in jail... upon my signature”(Miller 87) and “ seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature?” (Miller 87). These lines show that Judge Danforth is proud of his actions and his power as a judg...
Injustice is something has become very common amongst us. People not assuming the responsibility for what they’ve done, the damage they’ve caused. In this case it occurs in the crucible. Abigail is not only the one to blame for the disasters that occurred in the crucible, but is also someone whose word can not be trusted.She has lied about everything, she went around dragging people with good reputations down without hesitation or any remorse. She blamed others for things they were free of guilt for, False accusations towards everyone were the only things that came out her mouth. Even though she was also accompanied by other liars who also took role in the murders of innocents she is the one that has to take the biggest blame for it all. She
The Salem Witch Trials, Who is Really Guilty? After all of the witch trials in 1692 concluded, a total of 20 people were hanged, all because of people craving attention and personal gain. There are three people depicted in Arthur Miller's The Crucible that are most responsible for this and they are, Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Thomas Putnam. Abigail Williams is mostly responsible for the Salem witch trials because she was the first person to start accusing innocent people of witchcraft.
Mary realizes that what Abigail is doing is wrong and she’s the only one who can put a stop to it. Abigail’s frustration grew as Mary announced to the court that, “She [Abigail] sees nothin’!” (121) and tried to accuse her of murder. Abigail saw Mary’s confidence building up as Mary kept denying using witchcraft after she repeatedly accused Abby of it. Transition here Abigail screaming at the “bird” on the ceiling because she thought it was Mary, Mary supposedly sent to attack her as Danforth asks Mary, “Have you compacted with the Devil? Have you?”(121) and Mary replies with, “Never, Never” (121). Mary Warren knows that if she does not admit to using witchcraft she could be hung, but she knows she must put an end to Abby’s manipulation. Earlier in the novel, Mary was too intimidated by Abigail and would never have had the courage to accuse Abby of lying about the events in the woods. To successfully accuse Abby, Mary had to admit that, “I never saw no spirits” (112) which put her own life in danger as well. Until accusing Abby of witchcraft and murder in the court with John Proctor, Mary Warren had no confidence in herself and did what everyone else wanted her to do. At the end of the play, Mary made decisions for herself and wasn’t afraid to go against what everyone else was doing.
It is always shocking when someone that was generally well loved and respected is ruined. Because such people usually have few enemies, often times, the cause of their hardship is out of control hubris. Excessive pride can ruin even the most morally upright person by motivating them to do things they would never do unless they stand to lo. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller utilizes the prideful nature of John Proctor and Mary Warren to demonstrate how arrogance can lead to the downfall of any kind of person, whether they are a moral person or a social climber.
Forgiveness is a process of inner healing. For most of the people in The Crucible, they did not need to necessarily forgive others; but forgive themselves. The Crucible is a story of mass hysteria in a period of time in which men dominated women. However, Arthur Miller portrays Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Procter as two women with drastic roles to play. John Procter is a man who has great influence over the people of Salem. They speak to him because he is a man of truth and integrity. There are many other characters in the novel although these three stuck out in my mind the most. I have definitely forgiven people in my life; but as a Christian I know I cannot forget.
When Abigail and the girls go against Marry Warren, they pretend that Mary is trying to hurt them through her spirit. They repeat whatever Mary Warren says and act like she will attack them. Mass hysteria can be seen during this scene. Overwhelmed, Mary, who was on John Proctors side, blames everything on him. “No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God. Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more!” (Mary Warren, Act 3, pg. 52) She goes back to Abigail and John Proctor is arrested.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
Parris: "Aye, a dress. And I thought I saw – someone naked running through the trees.” The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller had very many themes in it. Some of these themes stood out more then others. These themes would be hysteria, reputation, and hypocrisy. These themes were present throughout the entire play, from the beginning till the end. When you think of a Puritan religion you may think of a very good, morally perfect society. This wasn’t the case in Salem, Massachusetts. It was actually the opposite in the play, there was lying, cheating, stealing and just about everything else you wouldn’t want in your society.
Every character in The Crucible has a backstory that becomes well-known at some point during the play. For example, Abigail mentions, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart… And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” (150; Act One; lines 465-472). Abigail clearly displays her affection for John, which informs the audience of their previous affair. However, since John is married and Abigail is so obviously in love with him, she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep John to herself. Abigail even goes so far as accusing his wife of witchcraft, which leads to her imprisonment. But Abigail is not the only character seeking revenge, as Mrs. Putnam’s actions openly illustrate. Mrs. Putnam, a woman who has lost seven of her eight children, undoubtedly displays her need for vengeance when she utters, “I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three time. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shriveled in her hands,” (162; Act One; lines 1038-1041). Here, Mrs. Putnam demonstrates her tendency to jump to conclusions when she settles with any name she hears. Mrs. Putnam is eager to place blame on anyone for the death of her children, but will not accept that her children’s deaths were not the result of witchcraft. In a similar manner, Reverend Parris also has a background that affects his present day actions. Early on in the play, Parris states, “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character,” (144; Act One; lines 121-125). Parris recognizes that as a reverend, he is well-respected within his parish, and he fears Abigail’s
"Them that will not confess will hang. While I speak with God 's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and ocean of salt tears could not the resolution of the statutes." (Miller 129). Judge Danforth is not afraid to kill those that stand in his way. He is very similar to Abigail in that he will have innocent people killed to prove a point or to get what he wants. Its his way or the highway. If you do not cooperate, you will die. He abuses his power to get people to talk and give names. He is also very similar to Parris in his concern for power. Danforth holds all the power in the courtroom and basically forces you to talk and confess. If you don 't cooperate, then you will suffer the consequences. Ergo, it is a win-win situation for the accuser. "You are the high court, you word is good enough!" (Miller 143). Proctor later denounced himself for saying this, but the phrase is completely true. This quote is a reference to Danforth 's abuse of power throughout the witch trials. The high court deeply resembles the courts during the McCarthyism era. They held all the power and had the people 's lives in their hands. Danforth was prideful and believed himself to be a honest man. So whatever he thought was right, was declared as right. If they said you were guilty of being a witch, and hanged you, then no one in Salem did anything about it. They couldn 't say or do anything because the high court was always right. Many innocent people died because Danforth couldn 't admit he was wrong. If he did admit to being wrong, then the high court would lose power and it would of hurt his
Danforth’s has too much confidence on his ability to distinguish the truth. His strong puritan beliefs blinds him from reality and considers people who goes against him as suspects. This demonstrated when he says, “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.” (94). This quotation proves that his decisions on court is mostly bias and he is against anything that violates his puritan beliefs. In addition, he also uses his authority as a Deputy Governor to maintain his reputation. He does not want to accept his mistakes and try to correct it because he does not want his reputation to be tainted. He displays this character by saying, “you misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.” (129). Danforth is too concerned about his reputation and he is afraid to that he will lose it if he admits that he has made wrong judgements. His bias opinion on what is right plays a vital on the mass hysteria that happened in