Tenderness In The Crucible

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A crucible, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is “a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.” Miller experienced the pressures of the United States government and felt the need to speak up about the issue of McCarthyism in the country, which was the reckless blaming and imposition of Communism onto politicians during the period of time after World War II without proof or evidence. The Crucible, written as a response to McCarthyism, uses the Salem Witch Trials to show that the irrational accusations that the American people were making about Communists are a direct reflection of the events in Salem in the late 17th century and will lead to chaos and recklessness. Just …show more content…

She asks to have a “soft word” with him, implying that she wants him to show his love for her. Using the stereotypical character traits of tenderness and submissiveness, Abigail attempts to regain John’s love and rekindle the affair. Abigail fails and John Proctor sternly tells her, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby” (22). Abigail is desperate to get her love back and brings John’s wife, Elizabeth, into the conversation, calling her “sickly” and claims that she is “blackening” her name. Although Abigail seems angry with Elizabeth for ruining her reputation, in actuality she is filled with jealousy at the fact that Elizabeth is married to John. With Abigail’s goals of keeping her name clear, and the lust of John Proctor in her eyes, this combination reveals her true motives and leads to a wave of fraud and deception. In Act II, Abigail enlists Mary Warren with the task of planting a poppet with a needle in it in the Proctor household to frame Elizabeth for witchcraft later on. Mary gives it to her as a gift and Elizabeth accepts it. Later, Ezekiel Cheever, the clerk of the court, informs the Proctors that Abigail has charged Elizabeth as a witch and arrests her. It turns out that while at dinner at the Parris house, Abigail fell to the floor, writhing in pain, and a needle

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