Exploring the Concepts of Anger and Revenge in Miller's Play, The Crucible

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In the play “The Crucible”, Miller explores the concept of anger and revenge through the complicated relationships in Salem. Through the whole play, anger keeps increasing and sadly succeeds the people who wanted revenge. Miller shows us the idea that your anger can be used as a tool to your enemies for it blinds you from seeing things as it truly are. However, the triumph of revenge is only an illusion, for the dying of the characters shows that they had actually won through their persistence of their personal integrity. At the beginning of the play, Miller shows us the complicated relationships between the people in Salem. When Proctor went to Salem, Abigail meets him alone in the room, she says: “You love me John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” The use of tone shows us the increasing anger and desperateness of Abigail and also clues the audience of her past affair with Proctor. Other than this, the quote also shows Abigail as an opportunist who is loyal to herself and uncaring to her social appearance, which is an important characteristic that succeeds her revenge. However, Abigail’s knowledge of sinning in a place such as Salem is ironic, for as the play progresses; she is thought of as a saint in this public. This idea is then seen again in the quote: “I never knew what pretense Salem was…” Showing us the fierce loathing Abigail has for Salem and the overflowing anger in her heart. She thought of Salem as a hypocritical place where the Christian women teaches them of moral sense but lives an entirely different life themselves. Through her new found power, she revenges Salem and makes it pay. By the end of Act one, the audience can have an initial understanding of the cause of revenge and increasing ange... ... middle of paper ... ...esperate, further portraying the mental state Proctor is in now. This then shows us that Proctor thinks of his name more important than his life, for reputation is tremendously important in Salem. This action of his is unexpected, for Proctor turns from a weak man to a brave man who is willing to stand up for his personal integrity. On the surface, the revenge of Abigail and other people seems to be successful, but through this action, they had actually lost for these people stood up for their self values and died heroically. At the end of the play, Miller shows us that anger may be used by your enemies for revenge, but if you stopped yourself from raging, your enemies will lose their tool and then not lose. The triumph of revenge is then a misconception for although the characters had died, they had died heroically with their personal integrity and goodness intact.

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