More handpicked essays just for you.
Witch hunts in the 16th century
Results of witch hunts in europe 16th and 17th century
Causes of witch hunts in the 16th and 17th centuries
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
This October 31st, eager children will fill the streets dressed in their black, pointy witch hats and striped socks, oblivious to the fact that only three centuries ago, those thought to be witches could be hung, tortured or burned at the stake. On that same night, fondly dubbed "Gay Christmas", LGBT members can roam the streets free of the harsh gaze of the militant religious. Throughout history, the label "Witch" has been synonymous with "Evil" and those with the label have endured extreme persecution, including the loss of their property, esteem and death. Today, those in the LGBT community experience similar conditions in that they have lost jobs, homes, reputation, and have even been physically abused, simply because of who they are. …show more content…
In The Crucible, land and reputation is an essential component in witch trials.
One's wealth and standing in the 17th century was based off of the amount of land your family owned. The owning of property was so imperative that with a final utterance of "More weight."(883). Giles Corey died an agonizing death in order to allow his prosperity to inherit his land, which, otherwise would have been taken by the government to bid at an auction. In today's society, the ability to lose land for being a witch parallels the ability to be evicted or fired for simply being gay. Only 17 states have laws protecting gay workers from job discrimination and in 28 states, a landlord can still oust a tenant for having a same-sex relationship. In the 1970s, landlords and managers would even go so far as to blacklist gay tenants and employees and restrict them from other career and housing opportunities, ultimately, ruining their standing in the …show more content…
community. In the times of the Salem Witch Trials, an illustrious reputation was the most coveted asset one could possess. This is evident by Parris's attempt to cover up his niece's participation in the witch-like dance in the woods. "Abigail...just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character."(834). Many gays in the 20th century took the same approach to their reputation, fearing; rightfully, that if they were outed, a society of religious zealots would deem them a lesser human being. This fear caused many LGBT members to stay in the closet for decades. They would rather lie about their true identity than deal with the mania and hostility that accompanied being a "queer." One of the main catalysts for the mass hysteria that caused the Salem Witch Trials was religious extremists.
In Salem, at the time, the towns lived strictly under God's authority which meant those convicted of being a witch were to be killed. "Men and women among you who act as mediums...must be put to death by stoning" (Lev 20:27) If one admitted to "Signing a compact with the devil"(847). they were exempt from execution; though they continued to face prejudice. However, if one plead not guilty but was convicted, like John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and others, one would be hung in accordance with the Bible. In modern times, scriptures and "religious freedom" are frequently used to justify discrimination against LGBT. Signs have quoted Leviticus' 18:22 "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination," at pride parades, celebrity events, and even funerals by some religious hate
groups. Salem concluded five years after the trials that the deaths of the accused "witches" was reprehensible and the jury even wrote and signed an apology for the pain and eventual death many accused had to face. Subsequent law changes were made in order to prevent such a frenzy of bloodshed from occurring again. In the LGBT community, such expressions of regret have been expressed from Pope Francis, however the United States Government has not issued and official apology for the struggles endured by LGBT members, and laws against gays continue to be news headlines. Gays are continuing to get more liberties today, and public opinion towards homosexuality is starting to sway, but not until there is no longer homophobia can the modern- day witch hunt of LGBT members end
Fatal flaws are personality imperfections found within characters. Tragedy was a common occurrence in The Crucible. Many of these great tragedies happening in The Crucible, were a result of a tragic flaw or flaws like lust and pride embodied by John Proctor during the play.These flaws could also be seen as noble qualities at times, and play a crucial part in his downfall and death.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. There are many theories as to why the witch trials came about, the most popular of which is the girls' suppressed childhoods. However, there were other factors as well, such as Abigail Williams' affair with John Proctor, the secret grudges that neighbors held against each other, and the physical and economic differences between the citizens of Salem Village.
Karlsen, Carol. "Witchcraft: Prejudice and Intolerance Targeted Gender During the Witch Hunts: Effects on Early Mode." setonhill.edu. n.p., 1998. Web. 18 February. .
In 1953, Arthur Miller, wrote a play called The Crucible. This play was written to compare the witchcraft trials to McCarthyism, which was the practice of holding people accountable for being communists without actual proof. The Crucible became very popular in the 1950’s due to the relatable plot of the story since most feared the accusation of Communism. This story takes place in the city of Salem, where people of a true Puritan community live. There, people have strong religious beliefs and restrictions to what is acceptable in the community. One of those regulations was children were not permitted to play; if one was ever caught disobeying they would face serious public punishment. This punishment became a reality for children when caught dancing in the woods. The entire town became hysterical while trying to find the root problem to the children’s behavior.The faithful people of Salem determined that they had found witchcraft. As the hysteria arose, people started to worry about their reputations, questioning the actions of others and becoming delirious in attempts to save
Honor, dignity, and integrity are traits that are becoming more and more rare in our society. The Crucible, a play written in 1952 by Arthur Miller, is based on the Salem witch hunts of 1692 and parallels the Red Scare and McCarthyism in the 1950s. In the play, Miller attempts to focus his themes around traits such as honor, dignity, and integrity, and as a result, the theme "is it better to die honorably or live dishonorably" becomes vital to the story and well conveyed throughout it. The characters that exemplify this idea are John Proctor and Giles Corey, both of whom die by the end of the play, and Reverend John Hale and Abigail Williams, who live through the trials.
When fear is struck in desperate minds, they are capable of taking action disregarding the lives of others as well as the basic rules of civilization. The play written by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, is a desirable example of society’s boundaries of “removing” innocent people who bring concern or unease into their lives, this hysteria is astonishingly relatable to the discrimination of Japanese- Americans/Canadians during and post WWII. As Nelson Mandela once said: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” [FOOTNOTE] This quote
In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, justice and injustice is portrayed through the characters of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. It is also shown through the minor characters of Mary Warren and Mercy Lewis, followers of Abigail Williams, and through Danforth and various townspeople.
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.
In the Crucible, we are introduced to the main protagonist John Proctor; the way that Arthur Miller presents him by rebelling against the authority in Salem. Out of the entire town he is the only person that speaks out, realising that the authority is unfair and unjust; he is not like everyone else in the town who keeps quiet to themselves. There are many situations where we the readers can see very clear examples of him rebelling against the authority that controlled Salem. One example of Proctor rebelling against authority in Salem was when he did not go to church on a Sabbath day and instead decided to pray in his own home ‘Mr Proctor, your house is not a church; your theology must tell you that’. That is one clear example of him rebelling
Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! (p73, The Crucible)
Oppression; an extended treatment of cruelty or injustice towards an individual or a group of people. If looked for, it can be found in every society expressed in a number of different ways. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, puts it in a way that is easy to understand. "It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions." This is evident in his play, The Crucible, demonstrating that within a society, oppression will always be present due to personal motives, disputes and misuses of power, as well as distorted religious beliefs.
Homosexuality has existed since the beginning of recorded human history and yet, attitudes towards gay and lesbian individuals vary extensively. Some societies tolerate them; others openly welcome and encourage them; and most blatantly condemn them (Bates, 46). Throughout our country’s history, homosexuals have been misunderstood and discriminated against, leading many to acquire an irrational fear of gays and lesbians. Known as homophobia, this fear has prompted heterosexual individuals with a feeling a superiority and authority when using the word “homosexual” interchangeably with the words pervert, faggot, sodomite, and so on. Homophobes typically perceive homosexuality as a threat to society. Nonetheless, the Gay Rights Movement has achieved impressive progress since 1973 when the American Psychological Association (APA) eradi...
The Lavender Scare is an event that was very similar to the Salem Witch Trials, yet it concerned only LGBT+ community. The word ‘lavender has connotations of a soft color usually associated with young children and innocence, but despite its name, The Lavender Scare was a dreadful occurrence. It was a time during the 1950’s where LGBT+ members who held any jobs were fired, searched for, and treated as if they were spies by the Government. It paralleled the anti-communist campaign known as McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare. Lesbians, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals were said to be security risks and communist sympathizers, which led to their removal from state employment. Many people were killed, trialed and fired for ‘being a risk
I believe that Abigail Williams is to blame for turning the town of Salem against many people, and I think it is her fault that several people were killed. Abigail Williams sends the town into a state of hysteria by accusing men and women of practicing the satanic art of witchcraft. Abigail’s flaws - her lustful desire for John Proctor, her deceptive habit of lying in order to retain her good name in the town, and her selfishness and obsessive aspiration for power – led her to be ultimately responsible for the catastrophe of the witch hunt in Salem.
“livestock die because of witchcraft, family members turn against each other because of witchcradt, servants defy masters because of witchcraft. For every ill in Salem, witchcraft is the scapegoat.’ (56)