The playwrights of ‘The Crucible’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’, were J.B Priestly and Arthur Miller, these plays are very different but have one in common which was the main theme of the play, this is what I will be talking about in this essay. The similar things about these plays is that both of them link to their playwrights past, such as J.B Priestly, he wrote a play that was set in 1912, showing that people who were selfish can change to someone who cares, this links to when he was at war as he recognised that the higher class was giving orders to lower classes and didn’t care about most of them, but after the war these people changed to someone who felt guilty, as they saw how devastating the war was. This is what Priestly wanted to show to …show more content…
his audience that people can change into someone who was ignorant to someone who is knowledgeable. For Arthur Miller, he wrote a play that was set in 1692 which was when the Salem witch-hunts took place, he specifically did this as he recognised his situation in 1950 had parallels with the Salem witch-hunts, as at that time America was accusing people of communism, and Miller was accused and saw the similarities to the Salem witch-hunts, this made him write a play about the Salem witch-trials, which included situations that he had to go through during the McCarthy trials. Within both of these plays, reputation and having a good name is the main importance and this is what I will be talking about in this essay. J.B Priestly and Arthur Miller has presented the theme of reputation and having a good name throughout the play, through each of the characters such as Mr Birling and Abigail Williams.
Arthur Birling is a man who is very big headed and unworthy. On the other hand, Abigail Williams is a vengeful, selfish, and a manipulative young lady, both these characters share a similarity, which is that they fail to admit their wrongdoings and keep secrets for the sake of their reputation, as he doesn’t want it to be ruined. Mr Birling cared most about his reputation, as he only cared about protecting his company and doesn’t see what he has done wrong, we know this as in the text it says “But I’d a special reason for not wanting any public scandal”. Through the play his selfishness gets the better of him, he is only worried about the public scandal and accuses Sheila of disloyalty, we know this because in the text is says “If you’d had any sense of loyalty” and he also wants to hide the fact that Eric stole the money as he said “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can” this shows that he is very keen on keeping his reputation in the public. For Abigail Williams, she believes she’s got a good reputation and she wants to keep it that way, we know this as in the text it says “My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled...” Abigail is a mean and vindictive person who always wants her way, no matter who she hurts. She began to accuse the townspeople of …show more content…
witchcraft, after she and the other girls were discovered in the forest dancing; she knew that they would be whipped. Abigail claimed that they were bewitched, as in the text it says “She comes to me while I sleep: she’s always making me dream corruptions!”, and she began to name names of those who were 'with the devil', as she says “...I saw Sarah Good with the devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil!”, she started manipulating her friends, just to protect herself from having a bad reputation. Gerald Croft is a very handsome man and is also an aristocrat, as he is the son of Lord and Lady Croft; this clearly shows that he is highly respected. On the other hand, John Proctor is a well respected farmer, who has good morals. The similarity that both characters have is that they both value their good name and try to cover up the mistakes they’ve done in the past. Gerald Croft denied on knowing Eva Smith, but was made to confess and told the Inspector she had feelings for her; we know this as in the text it says “All right-I did for a time. Nearly any man would have done”, he described her as “…young and pretty and warm-hearted-and intensely grateful”. Going back to reputation, Gerald has to keep his reputation as his parents are Lord and Lady Croft and he wants to keep his business in shape, so we learn at the end that he would rather be protecting himself rather than changing himself. John Proctor is similar to Gerald, as he didn’t confess about having an affair with Abigail Williams until he was asked to, as he said “I have known her sir, I have known her… God help me, I lusted…” John did this to save his wife, it was only when he found out that Abigail accused Elizabeth of witch-craft that he decided that he kept his affair a secret for too long and had to tell the court for them to believe him. Overall, if this didn’t happen, he wouldn’t have the courage to tell people about his affair as he doesn’t want to lose his good name. Gerald Croft is also similar to Elizabeth Proctor, as they both lied to save their reputation, however Elizabeth lied to protect someone else and not herself. Elizabeth is a virtuous woman who is steadfast and true. John Proctor, her husband, told the court that she never lies “…That woman will never lie…”, but Elizabeth lied as she wanted to save her husband, as she didn’t want him to have a bad name. Elizabeth had good intentions with the lie she said, but Gerald was just thinking about himself as he didn’t want Sheila to find out about his affair as it might ruin their engagement, and it did because he wasn’t honest the first time he was asked, as he couldn’t see how he could have been involved in Eva Smiths suicide “I don’t come into this suicide business”. Mrs Birling and Abigail Williams both care about their reputation and their good name than anyone else. Sybil Birling is a woman who is very intolerant and bitter. She is also a snob, who is very aware of the differences between social classes, but still doesn’t care about the lower classes. When Sybil found out her son was the father of Eva Smiths child she was shocked we know this because in the text she says “…Eric, I’m absolutely ashamed of you” this shows that she is ashamed of what Eric has done and of who he did it with, as Eva Smith was lower class, which made Sybil terrified of losing her good reputation within her town. Sybil and Abigail are similar as both of them had no remorse over the wrongdoings they have done, such as Sybil, she admits she was “prejudiced” to Eva Smith, but still saw it as her duty to deny her because she was disrespectful to her as she pretended to be ‘Mrs Birling’ and lied about her past life. For Abigail, she had no remorse on accusing John Proctor’s wife (Elizabeth) as she envies her on marrying John Proctor, the man she also loves. John tries to ask for mercy, but Abigail is ignorant and resorts to petty name-calling in order to cast doubt in John’s mind, we know this as in the text she says “She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman…” Eric Birling and Gerald Croft, both care about their reputation, however the similarity they both have is that they both used Eva Smith for selfishness and boredom. Eric Birling is a man who is half shy and half assertive. He played a significant part in Eva Smiths death, as the first time they met was in a Palace bar, he was so drunk that he forced his way to her home, and got her pregnant, we know this because in the text it says “I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”. When Eric found out Eva was pregnant, he wanted to help her, so he decided to steal money from his father’s business, as if this becomes public, their family’s reputation would be ruined. At the start of the play, he was just like the others, abusing his power over a working class girl and using her as an object. However, unlike Gerald, Eric changed for the better, and saw his responsibilities and felt guilty for what he has done as he says “The fact remains that I did what I did”. For Gerald, He rescued Eva from Aldermand Meggarty and felt sorry for her. Eva became Gerald’s mistress, and for a bit of time Gerald did love her “ All right-I did for a time…”,but it eventually came to an end. He was aware that Daisy Renton’s feelings towards him were stronger than his were towards her. This shows that he used her, as he was already in a relationship with Sheila. At the end of the play, he didn’t change his attitudes and take responsibility for his actions, even Shiela still didn’t have the courage to love him again as he forgets how poorly he treated her and Eva Smith. Lastly, The Inspector and Abigail Williams, are also very similar as they are both manipulative and sly.
The Inspector, has a reputation of a figure of authority and he wants to keep it. Inspector Goole is a man who is very eerie and mysterious. Like I said before, he is a figure of authority as he deals with each member of the family very firmly and several times we see him taking charge we know this because in the text (stage directions) it says “ taking charge, masterfully”. His character doesn’t change throughout the play, however, he seems to gain more control over the characters as the play progresses. He uses aggressive, shocking language to make the characters feel guilty for the part they played in Eva Smith’s death “she died in misery and agony”. At the end of the play, his final speech was a message for the family; he says “We are responsible for each other” and warns them of the “fire and blood and anguish” this means that that will be the result if they do not pay attention to what he has taught them. For Abigail Williams, she has an eerie sense of how to manipulate others, to gain control over them. For example when she manipulated Tituba to put a curse on Elizabeth we know this as in the text it says “You beg me to conjure! She beg me to charm…”Abigail's main skill seems to be finding people's flaws, and weaknesses, then manipulating them to her
advantage. In conclusion, both playwrights projected the theme of having a good reputation and having a good name in each of the characters clearly. Each character had different story lines, but led to them protecting their reputation. In An Inspector Calls, we can see that characters have changed into someone who was selfish, to someone who cares. However in The Crucible most of the characters stuck with their personalities of wanting to have a good name and protecting their reputation. Overall, Priestly and Miller showed the fight for a good reputation clearly and from looking at both plays we can definitely see two points of view, showing the difference from people who can change and people who stay the same.
Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, and the movie with the same name have many differences and similarities, all of which contribute to the individual effectiveness of each in conveying their central message.
In every family, there is one child that is always very misleading and evil, and besides that, they get away with everything that they do that is unsound. The certain person in the family may break on of you mom’s favorite plate, and then end up placing the blame on you, and then persuades your parents that he or she is telling the true. Abigail Williams is the poor duplicate of that sibling or relative. She influences everyone that she is an innocent teenage girl, but that is not the case throughout the play. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail is the bona fide misleading and evil teenage girl.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows how authority is a characteristic that can easily become a problem throughout a society. Many subjects were addressed in The Crucible such as guilt, hypocrisy, justice, hysteria, and courage. However, the most important subject throughout the play would be the nature of authority. There is a fine line between the concept of having authority and having power. In the book, the authority weakened and led to the antagonist Abigail Williams leading the law as opposed to the law leading Abigail Williams.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” People tend to behave and deal with life differently according to the situation that they are in. In most cases when a person is in a very blissful and comfortable point of his or her life, they tend to act pleasant towards themselves and other people. This is why it is not fair-minded to judge people when they are in a contented part of their lives. It is during times of trial and suffering where the true soul of a person is revealed and judgment can be made. Readers can see the actions that are made by characters through times of hardship that reveal what they truly are in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Crucible by Arthur Millar.
Few people are willing to stand up to the overwhelming power of authority, especially during a time like the Red scare. Hardly any authors are able to recognize meaningful similarities between the present times and an event that happened many years ago—and write about it effectively. Only one has had the courage and intelligence to do both. Arthur Miller was an American author who wrote plays, essays, and stories and has published works dating from to 1936 through 2004. The Crucible, one of his most famous plays, premiered in New York on January 22, 1953 (InfoTrac). It is a historical-fiction story set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The witch hunt described in this play is similar to the Red Scare, an anti-communist movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy that lasted from the late 1940s to the late 1950s (Broudin). During both time periods, most people respected high authority while a few dissenters challenged conformist views. The public was censored in what they could say because of the fear of being accused of witchcraft or communism. The hysteria of the times triggered a mob-mentality to emerge among the citizens, which influenced nearly everyone to join the terrible movements. Miller presents all of these ideas in The Crucible using his own experiences as influences. He incorporated many of his own traits into the characters’ dispositions. He also described many situations in the play that were similar to the ones he was in, including how he was censored by the Red Scare. Many people will often conform while only a few will challenge authority, will use censorship to prevent others from expressing their views, and are easily affected by hysteria; these characteristics influenced Miller’s life and are reflected by him in Th...
During Author Miller’s era of the 1950’s, the ‘cold war’ was happening. Senetor Joeseph McCarthy was completely against communism and began to arrest the communists and people assosiating with them. Those arrested were forced to either name names to identify those who were communists or thought to be, or else they would remain in jail. This was callef McCarthyism For many, being prisioned was a terrible frightening thought so they would name names including any that they could think of that could be innocent. Author Miller was arrested for associating with communists and refused to identify others, and wrote The Crucible, using it as an allegory to identify the problems of society and it’s flaws of the corrupt government.
Also important to the play is how Arthur Miller depicts how one selfish, evil person like Abigail Williams can bring others down and make others follow her to commit evil acts. These evil acts affect even the most honest people in the town like John and Elizabeth Proctor, and Rebecca Nurse who cannot fight the accusations made against them by those following Abigail. Those following Abigail are considered to be holy men that are full of honesty and justice, but the play shows that even those who are thought to be respectable and right, like people of government or community leaders can bring death to innocent people if they are driven by something wrong. II. Plot: The plot begins with the inciting incident where Rev. Parris finds his niece Abigail Williams and his daughter Betty along with his slave Tituba doing some dance in the forest.
The play “The Crucible” is an allegory for the McCarthyism hysteria that occurred in the late 1940’s to the late 1950’s. Arthur Miller’s play “the crucible” and the McCarthyism era demonstrates how fear can begin conflict. The term McCarthyism has come to mean “the practice of making accusations of disloyalty”, which is the basis of the Salem witch trials presented in Arthur Miller’s play. The fear that the trials generate leads to the internal and external conflicts that some of the characters are faced with, in the play. The town’s people fear the consequences of admitting their displeasure of the trials and the character of John Proctor faces the same external conflict, but also his own internal conflict. The trials begin due to Abigail and her friends fearing the consequences of their defiance of Salem’s puritan society.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
In the Crucible, Arthur Miller shows us how fear and suspicion can destroy a community. As the play develops, Miller shows us how fear and suspicion increase and destroy the community. Throughout the play it becomes apparent that the community gets more and more divided as time goes on. In the beginning there were arguments about ownership of land between some of the villagers. As the story progresses people fear for their own safety and begin accusing their neighbours of witchcraft in order to escape being hanged.
The Crucible is a play which brings to our attention many timeless issues. The nature of good and evil, power and its corruption, honour and integrity and our tendency to create scapegoats for all manner of problems are all brought up through the course of the play - sometimes in very dramatic fashion.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play that was first performed in 1953 in the United States of America in the midst of the persecution of alleged communists during the era of McCarthyism. Although the play explicitly addresses the Salem which hunt, many find that the play is an analogy to McCarthyism due to the striking similarities in which the people behaved. Miller highlight the different groups of characters in order to reveal overlying ideas of the play such as: Self preservation, power, and hypocrisy.
To further complicate matters, John decides not to reveal to the court that Abigail has admitted to him in private that they were just sporting in the woods. Abigail spreads additional accusations and false rumors about her neighbors. These accusations have no basis in truth and their only purpose is for Abigail’s own benefit. Furthermore, Abigail is jealous of John’s wife, Elizabeth, and she schemes to get rid of her in order to take her place. Abigail’s plot is to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.
Parallels between Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, and his article Why I wrote the Crucible, can easily support Miller’s reasons for writing this classic play. Miller’s purpose in writing both the play and the article was to emphasize the similarities between the 1692 witch hunt and the 1950’s Red Scare. Miller simply wanted to convey the message of fear over reason, express himself in a new language of old English, to warn of mass hysteria, and most importantly compare his life in the 1950’s to the irrational trial in 1692. Miller’s reasons are numerous, and while they are all stated flat out in his article, they are also clearly stated and understood in the play.