Research Paper On The Crucible

The Crucible Essay
Witches and warlocks, hanging and hysteria, but could it all be real in today's society? In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, we have a witch hunt in the town of Salem. It all started with a girl named Abigail and her friends and a little dancing, chanting, singing, blood drinking and wishing people were dead, but when word got out about children being “possessed” the town freaked out about it. The girls told little lies to cover up what really happened that night, but one lie leads to another. Sooner or later people were accused of being witches all over. Using several people like Abigail, Proctor, and Parris, Miller shows true human nature.
All people are not just one quality but some do their best, to do their

worst. One of which was Abigail, who instead of taking the blame dished it out to others and made a whole witch epidemic.

“Parris (to Abigail). Then you were conjuring spirits last night. Abigail (whispering). Not I, sir--Tituba and Ruth.” (Miller 17). This is one of the many ways that she shoved the blame from her to someone else, instead of taking the blame and shortening this problem. She also did her best to threaten and destroy people if they ever crossed her. “Abigail. Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night,

and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!” (Miller 20). This shows that she is not only desperate to keep herself the good girl but how far she is willing to go for this lie. She also does her best to hide the real reason why she drank that blood charm. “Abigail: (pulling her away from the window) I told him everything; he knows now, he knows everything we— Betty: You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that! Abigail: Betty, you never say that again! You will never— Betty: You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor! Abigail: (smashes her across the face) Shut it! Now shut it!” (Miller 20). This one thing causes so many problems because she doesn’t want this to get out because if it does she’ll be in double trouble for doing witchcraft and adultery. She is the symbol for nothing but trouble and so she resembles the part of society that just will do anything to get their way.
Not all times are humans trying to do the worst but try to get back from past mistakes because nobody's perfect.

John Proctor is a perfect example of trying to get back into good graces but in order to do that he messes up. “Abigail: I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now!”...“Abigail: ...Do you tell me you’ve never looked up at my window? Procter: I may have looked up.” Everyone messes up but it’s really what you do about your mistake that shows you're really willing to fix things. John tries to fix it but kind of gives up on trying to make things better. “Proctor: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more. I have forgot Abigail, and- Elizabeth: And I. Procter: Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!” (Miller 57-58). This shows that even though he tries to fix

things he doesn’t do it very well, because he tries to force forgiveness. However he does what he knows is right in the end. “(Proctor tears the paper and crumples it, and he is weeping in fury, but erect.) … Proctor:(his eyes full of tears). I can. And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor… (Elizabeth, in a burst of terror, rushes to him and weeps against his hand.) Give them no tear! Tears pleasure them! Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it! (He has lifted her, and kisses her now with great passion.)” (Miller 151). Proctor may not have been good all his life but he was forgiven because he did something so selfless. This shows that there is always a chance to be forgiven you just got to take that chance.
Reverend Parris is great example for trying to save himself and not his congregation. He so prideful that he’s willing to whip Tituba to death because she was “dirtying” his name with witchcraft. “Tituba: I don't compact with no Devil! Parris: You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba! Mrs. Putnam: This woman must be hanged!, She must be taken and hanged! Tituba: (terrified, falls to her knees) No, no, don't hang Tituba! I tell him I don't desire to work for him, sir. This shows he was willing to kill and more to the person who dirtied his name. The only reason why he cared about what Abigail did was because he took care of her so what she did was on his name. “Parris: (studies here, then nods, half convinced) 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. I have given you a home, child. I have put clothes upon your back—now give me an upright answer. Your name in the town—it is entirely white, is it not? Abigail: (with an edge of resentment) Why, I am sure it is, sir. There be no blush about my name. He shows this part of him a lot because he is very self centered, he only cares about his own image and keeping his power or influence.
All of these characters have one thing in common at one point or another and that is they all thought about themselves first before others. Abigail was always thinking about what she wanted (which was Proctor) and was willing to do anything to get it. Proctor only cared about getting forgiveness and what would happen because of that mistake he made until the end where he realized there was an even bigger purpose. Parris was always concerned about himself even when people were threatening him because he was helping to condemn so many people. They show that people naturally think about themselves first but it doesn’t have to be that way if you don’t want it to be.