Fear In The Crucible

Authors often have fundamental reasons for giving their stories certain themes. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of literature inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. In the play, Miller displays people accusing each other falsely to save themselves from the high court of Salem and death. Fear causes people to do things totally out of character with whom they are. Miller wanted to convey the message of fear over reason and also warn of mass hysteria. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible with the intention of showing the audience how scapegoating, hysteria, and injustice can lead to chaos and disorder in society.

Throughout the book,

Miller is concerned with conscience and guilt. Through the character of Abigail Williams, Miller shows how people are willing to abandon their firmly-established values in order to conform with the majority and protect themselves. Those who refuse to part with their conscience, such as the character of John Proctor, are punished for it. During the time the book was written, people were preoccupied by a fear of the devil, due to their severe Puritan belief system. Seventy-two innocent people are condemned to hang on the signature of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has the authority to try, convict, and execute anyone he considers appropriate. The hysteria brought up by the witchcraft scare in The Crucible leads to the disturbance in people’s differentiation between right and wrong, fogging their sense of true justice.

Hale experiences a transformation more astonishing than any other character over the course of the play.

When he listens to what John Proctor and Mary Warren say, he is convinced that they are telling the truth and that Abigail is lying. Later, he realizes that the trials are no longer in his hands, but rather in those of the theocracy. Towards the end of the play, he returns back to Salem a desperate man. He pleads with the accused asking them to lie to save their lives as he feels guilty and responsible for their fates. He has seen the truth but too late and he has also lost faith in the law. He works hard to try and fix the misunderstanding, but it is an impossible task. Through Reverend Hale, Miller portrays the tragedy of the book. Miller tries to warn the audience about not getting caught up in the hysteria because it can snowball into unthinkable horror. Miller’s main message in this play is that people should be aware of how much people can get swept up in hysteria and what bad things can occur as a result. Miller says that people tend to lose their heads when they are afraid of something and as a result, they end up creating a chaotic atmosphere and also bring disorder into society. Miller’s concern with the shedding of guilt, loss of morality, and lack of genuine justice, is what makes this play so successful and very appealing to

people.