Superego In The Crucible

The power of the mind is truly extraordinary. It allows humans to learn new things and do good for the world. Contrarily, it drives humans to create conflict and initiate tempting desires. The Crucible explores many of the mind’s capabilities as it tells the tale of a series of witchcraft accusations and the ensuing drama. The play itself is an allegory of McCarthyism and truly shows why understanding the power of the human mind is so essential if mankind wishes to coincide peacefully. In his play The Crucible, Arthur Miller expresses Freud’s structural model of the psyche through characterization.

Abigail Williams represents the first of the three parts of the subconscious— the id. Id is basic human desire and is the fundamental root of

what every person wants. It has little to no sense of conscience, thus making it everyone’s ‘inner child.’ Abigail meets the definition of id because she does not suppress the un-Puritan desires that all in Salem typically do. Because of this, she finds herself attracted to John Proctor, whom she sees frequently while working for Elizabeth Proctor. If she followed the Puritan mindset, she would have hidden her being wanton and avoided sin. However, she ultimately pursues Proctor and successfully seduces him. Furthermore, Abigail diverts all accusations of her being a witch by accusing others of devil worship and witchcraft. Her selfish intentions show her feeling to only support herself and not aid others, a notable sign of being the id. In addition, Abigail does not even confront the problems that she has created after her plan to marry Proctor by having Elizabeth hanged fails. She simply flees Salem, leaving Proctor in the dust. This, again, shows her selfish intentions and desire to fulfill herself. Though her character is very one-dimensional, Abigail is quite clearly Miller’s intended id.
The character of Elizabeth Proctor represents the id’s opposite— the superego.

Superego is the repository of all socially imposed behavior and sense of guilt, and is quite different from id in that it is not inherited. Rather, it is learned via parental example and general function within society. It develops easily if an environment of criticism and morality is readily present. Elizabeth is very virtuous and always seems to follow the strict social rules of the prohibitory Puritan lifestyle. However, her efficacious qualities also result in negative ones. She is very inhospitable and grows suspicious quite easily, especially when she catches whim of John’s adulterous behavior with Abigail. Her resulting action further supports her desire to always be morally correct and principled: she removes Abigail from the position of being her maid. This then causes Abigail to turn and accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft, essentially plotting Elizabeth’s murder. Though Elizabeth is ultimately accused of witchcraft, she is dismissed from being sent to the gallows because she is pregnant. Many think it is a lie, but Elizabeth is, again, too composed and moral to allow herself to lie…except in court. She tells the judge that the affair between John and Abigail never occurred. This, conclusively, results in Elizabeth realizing that she has been a cold wife, showing her ability to feel guilt, a cardinal sign of being the superego’s representation. She is even able to forgive her husband, and

helps John forgive himself, too. Despite her character’s coldheartedness, Elizabeth is truly a virtuous character that epitmomizes the superego.
The last, and most necessary part of the subconscious, the ego, is well-represented by the play’s protagonist, John Proctor.

Ego essentially focuses on reality, and is the balance between id and superego. It takes actions desired by the id and ‘filters’ them through the superego, thus resulting in actions that satisfy all parts of the subconscious. The ego realizes that the id must be satisfied, but there are more definite socially acceptable ways of achieving that vindication. John meets the requirements of being the superego because he is stuck in the middle. He is aware that he has committed adultery with Abigail and feels the guilt associated with it. However, he lacks the capacity to forgive himself. This shows that he is above the basic levels of desire associated with id, but below the intense morality that comes with the superego. In addition, he is tormented by the fact that he must reveal his transgression. He fears of losing his good name, and guilt and regret already consume him. If he is to reveal his wrongdoing, he believes that his guilt can multiply. Ultimately, though, he reveals the sin and actually shows his ability to be good-natured. He willingly sacrifices his good name in order to protect his wife. Because of this, the author shows readers John’s capability of balancing his temptations through social acceptance. By the end of the play, he even goes as far as letting the court nail his false confession to the church door, exhibiting his integrity.

Before he is lead off to his execution, he finally forgives himself and regains self-respect, which demonstrates John’s effectiveness in balancing id and superego. John genuinely represents reality and its necessary balance between temptation and righteousness.
Freud’s theory is essential to psychoanalysis, and Arthur Miller does an excellent job portraying it throughout The Crucible. The play holds many lessons for everyone to learn: do not lie, guilt can be relieved through forgiveness, and balancing the subconscious is essential to sustaining humanity’s balance. Though the mind is not completely understandable all the time, it is still very important to learn about its presence in daily life. It never ceases to exist now, then, and in the future. Without it, there would be no reasoning, no learning, and most importantly— no drama.