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. Throughout the story there is a conflict between John and Elizabeth but they do not speak directly about it until later in the story. It started when John had an affair with another woman, Abigail Williams, who was working as a servant at the Proctor household. Elizabeth was hinted of the situation and she eventually fired Abigail. The conflict begins to be addressed when John refuses to report that Abigail’s witchcraft accusations are fraud to the authorities. John knows this because they meet in secrecy and he learns her true intentions which are to execute Elizabeth and marry him. Elizabeth is asking John to go to Salem and tell the truth but he refuses and says, “You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on …show more content…
Abigail” (52). John is guilty about his affair with Abigail. He is making himself believe that Elizabeth is being judgemental towards him and that is causing his guilt. In reality, all of his guilt comes from himself and “the magistrate that sits in his heart” (65) meaning his conscience is acting as a judge of what is right and wrong. His personal vengeance toward Elizabeth and the way he is treating her is only to cover up the guilt he has put on himself. Reverend Hale of Beverly is the witch expert that is called into Salem to examine the accused.
He is skeptical of the situation when he comes to Salem and gradually takes the side of characters supporting the witch trials. Later on, Hale sides with John Proctor and tries to thwart the witch trials. The guilt of signing the death warrants the accused is building and eating away at his mind. This causes him to turn completely against the witch trials. His “hand shakes yet as with a wound” (92) when he is signing the warrant, he tells judge Danforth. “There is blood on my head,” (121) he says. Hale is furious that Danforth refuses to postpone the witch trials. Hale’s personal vengeance comes by badgering the court to discount the accusations and postpone the trials. He gets so infuriated that he quits the court and leaves the town of Salem for many
months. Elizabeth Proctor is the loving wife of John Proctor who we discover cares about him no matter what he does. She sadly discovers the affair between her husband and Abigail Williams but she neglects to share that information with the court. Although, it would have proved Abigail’s accusations to be false, it shows that she cares for his name in the town. Towards the end story when John is speaking to Elizabeth about the affair, following John’s confession to it, she feels guilty that it was her fault that he turned on her. “It were a cold house I kept,” (127) she says, meaning that she believes his personal vengeance against her was the affair and it happened because of the way she treated him. Guilt is a powerful emotion and causes people to change the way people act in certain situations. There is no hiding the fact that guilt leads to many disputes in The Crucible. It causes personal vengeance from those that feel the guilt or from those that induce guilt on another. Whether it is John guilty about his affair will Abigail and taking it out on Elizabeth, Elizabeth feeling guilting that the affair was her fault, or Reverend Hale’s guilt about the job he has in the town and being able to do nothing about it but walk away. The answer to the question of what helped fuel the witch trials in Salem is guilt and personal vengeance. They are volatile connection that can only lead to conflict.
In the story Elizabeth feels that if John had been more loyal to her than the relationship with John and Abigail wouldn’t have been there. Like Elizabeth states on page (1055) “I think you should go to Salem”. What Elizabeth means by this is that she wanted
Reverend John Hale and John Proctor are the first to realize that the girls who started the accusations should be punished for their actions. Reverend Hale starts to change his belief when Mary Warren tells reveals that there is no witchcraft, and when the girls hear about this they start to turn against her. In the scene when John Proctor and Giles Corey are taken away into custody Hale says "I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!". Hale has now crossed a line between his old self who put all his faith into the court, to a man who has absolutely no respect for it. At first Reverend Hale leaves Salem, but returns to try and save as many of the accused as possible. While doing so, Hale tries to convince Elizabeth Proctor to get John Proctor To confess so that John doesn't die. Hale doesn't know yet but anyone who confesses will he sent to be
He is no longer enthusiastic and his attitude starts to change when he first came in the Proctor’s home. He was “drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now.” In first act, Hale was very energetic and excited, but at this point he seemed like he’s strained from guilt. He came with the mission to expel witchcraft, and the trails are supposed help with that, but he started to think that the witch trials are not the right way to go anymore. He started to realize that the trials are unfair and can ruin people’s lives and since he is a man of morals he starts to question the trials. When John Proctor came in and presented his case to the court, Hale tried to be rational and urged other to be so as well. He said to Danforth “stop here; send him home and let him come again with a lawyer.” Hale knows that the trials are unfair, so to prevent any more people from being hurt by the court, he wants the people to be represented with lawyers, so the process can be fair. The court wants to get rid of witchcraft, but Hale is the only one who thought about how it will affect the people being accused. As that trial continued, Hale exhibited courage because he left the court since no one wanted to change to things right. As he tries to talk to him, Danforth exclaims “I will have nothing from you Mr. Hale!” Now he was completely unvalued as a member of the court and
Elizabeth and John start to feel the tension when Elizabeth tries to convince John about going to court and persecuting Abigail but he refuses. When he disputes with his wife he argues, “you will judge me no more Elizabeth I have good reason to charge fraud on Abigail and I will think on it” (193). Proctor is not completely satisfied about throwing Abigail under the bus because he doesn’t want to initially hurt her and he would lose his respect in the town if he did. So he isn’t convinced about the fact that his wife is trying to get him to charge fraud at this point of the play. Soon afterward Mary the proctor’s servant comes home with news that Elizabeth has been convicted of witchcraft as well and was arrested by the sheriff in town to be brought to the trials.
Statements from Hale show that he has realized the error of his ways. He decides to “shut [his] conscience no more” (223) and quits the court. Hale can no longer suppress his beliefs about the court and in effect, like Pontius Palter, absolves himself from the court. Next, Hale’s Words are used to show the immense amount of guilt that rests on his shoulder. Hale walks the prisons of Salem and, in knowing that “there is blood on [his] head” (234), “counsels Christians they should belie themselves” (234) even though he is also belying his reputation as reverend by doing this.
He transforms from being arrogant to humble. Hale studies for several years and acquires the knowledge on various legal procedures that make him feel, “of himself much as a young doctor on his first call. His painfully acquired armory of symptoms, catchwords, and diagnostic procedures are now to be put to use at last.” (Miller 36, Act I). His ultimate goal being in Salem is to eliminate the Devil and is sure of himself due to the amount of legal training he acquires. However, we see his confidence start to fade when he witnesses the court accusing and murdering good people without any tangible proof. At this point, Hale starts to show signs of doubting his work. He realizes at this point that he has sent innocent people to their deaths. After reevaluating his soul he shows up to the jail where many people accused of witchcraft are being held, hoping he could help save lives and redeem his abilities. The reason being that “Life, woman, life is God 's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.” (Miller 132, Act IV). He is no longer confident in his ability to prove people guilty for being a witch and is willing to help save people because he knows it is proper justice to help the prisoners. After realizing that he let the thought of his legal training get to his head, he becomes more humble.
Because he is forced to accept that his beliefs have been messed with and realizes that he has sent people to their deaths, he loses faith in the law and questions his faith in God. Arthur Miller put many events into the story and tells about Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act I, Hale comes and what he is called by the townspeople “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft is going on. Hale arrives admired by the people who wants him to calm this nonsense of witchcraft down. He understands he being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s wrong doings. He also begins to see a weakness in the position of the townspeople of Salem and tries to not let common things be the support for his
Reverend John Hale is motivated by honor and righteousness, but at the same time by reputation and pride. He is certain about the witchery in Salem and while having doubts refuses to speak up. Hale before the executions start to get out of hand is all for the witchery theory and absolutely believes that the girls are telling the truth. Hale’s wavers on the witchery theory after his talk with John Proctor. Hale realizing his error decides to say nothing out of pride and worry for his credibility. In essence he starts to question his own certainty about the situation. Hale’s motivation slowly changes as the executions continue. Hale’s motivation changes from pride and reputation to honor and righteousness. This is especially evident when he quits and breaks all affiliation with the court. He
The Crucible – Forgiveness & nbsp; The Healing Power Of Forgiveness - The Gift of Reconciliation. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." --- Mahatma Gandhi & nbsp; 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.
Elizabeth Proctor has many moments which show how she is changing throughout the play. When she is trying to persuade Proctor to tell the court that Abigail said the girls were not practicing witchcraft, Elizabeth blurts out, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not." Elizabeth is confessing that she believes Proctor had an affair with Abigail. She is giving him no mercy by showing that she will never forget what happened. When Elizabeth is being accused of stabbing Abigail, she instructs Proctor to go to court, and tells him "Oh, John, bring me soon!" Elizabeth is gaining trust in John. She is forgetting his act of adultery and now has faith that he will defend her. At the end of the play, when Proctor is sentenced to death, Elizabeth says that "he [has] his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" Elizabeth is admitting that John was righteous to confess his sin of lechery, and she should have pardoned him. She considers herself impure for not showing mercy, and does not want to take away from his glory. Elizabeth has transformed from an ignorant victim of adultery, to a forgiving, loving wife.
To start, Reverend Hale experiences extreme guilt for helping with the witch trials. When Hale returns to Salem, he explains his guilt by saying, “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” (131). Hale is saying that he feels he is the cause of all the deaths in Salem. He is taking blame for them and is showing how remorseful he is. Second, Hale realizes that what he has been doing is wrong. He explains to Elizabeth that he is no longer with the court by saying, “I come of my own, Goody Proctor. I would save your husband’s life, for if he is taken I count myself his murderer” (131). Hale is finally owning up to his actions and seeing where he was mistaken. He is making up for his mistakes by trying to convince the accused to confess so they will not get hanged. Last, Hale comes back to work for the people to finally get his redemption. Hale tells Danforth, “I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel the Christians they should belie themselves” (131). Hale is able to regain his goodness when he helps the accused witches fight for their lives and confess to a crime they did not commit. He is able to walk away a better man, as he is able to help some people live longer, instead of signing their death warrants. In conclusion, Hale comes to his senses late, but he is still able to free himself of his guilt by working for the
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
Many characters in The Crucible fall under the trap of lying, if not to other people, then to themselves. The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in history, surrounding the Salem witch trials. It takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 and 1693. Additionally, Miller wrote the play as an allegory to mccarthyism, which is the practice of making accusations without evidence. In the play, Arthur Miller develops the theme of lies and deceit by showing Abigail lying for her own benefit, John Proctor committing adultery, and Elizabeth lying to protect her husband.
Vengeance is the main theme of The Crucible. The people of the town of Salem were not united, but instead, distrusted and disliked each other. During the court trials, the girls started accusing certain people that they didn't like of dealing with witchcraft. For example, Abigail Williams couldn't forget John Proctor even though their affair was over. She believed that if his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, was out of the way, Abigail and John would be together again. Therefore, she told everyone that Elizabeth's spirit was trying to kill her and accused Elizabeth of being a witch.
In “The Crucible” the small town of Salem is suffering from an overwhelming amount of people working for the devil. The punishment for conspiring with the devil was to be hung, unless they chose to confess & condemn devil and repent for their sins, many people would have rathered died with their name intact than have it ruined in the town. “The Crucible” brings up an interesting ultimatum; is it better to die with honor or live a life of shame?