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Society in the crucible
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How would it feel to be falsely accused of something that wasn’t true? Two white females claimed they were raped by nine african american teenagers on their way to Memphis from Chattanooga on March 25, 1931 (Linder). Four young whites and five African Americans were looking for a rumor of government jobs, but on the way back from an unsuccessful job search, a white youth accidently stepped on the hand of Haywood Patterson who was hanging off the side of the train (Linder). A stone-throwing fight occurred, and a posse stopped the train (Linder). Dozens of men with guns rushed to the train and rounded up every African American (Linder). Nine African Americans were captured and tied together with plow line and were taken to jail (Linder). …show more content…
Victoria Prince and Ruby Bates were also greeted by the posse and told them they had been raped by twelve African Americans with pistols and knives (Linder). On March 25th, Victoria pointed out six of the nine Africans who raped her (Linder). A couple of days after the arrest the first trial occurred which ended in a hung jury (Linder). There was a second trial which ended in mistrial, and the third he was finally convicted for manslaughter and sentenced to six to fifteen years in jail but he only served one until he died of cancer on August 24, 1942 (Linder). In the crucible, several girls are caught dancing in the woods by reverend Parris, and then his daughter Betty suddenly becomes ill (Miller).
Parris calls reverend Hale to come check on Betty, and tells him he thinks its from supernatural explanations, but rumors come up that Betty’s illness is due to witchcraft (Miller). Abigail threatens to kill the girls if they spoke a word about what happened in the woods, and when Hale asks the girls about what happened in the woods they start blaming others for consorting with the devil (Miller). Mary Warren made a doll which she gives to Elizabeth, little does she know it has a needle in it so Abigail says Elizabeth's spirit stabbed her with a needle in the belly (Miller). Ezekiel Cheever goes to Elizabeth and asks if she has a doll (Miller). She gives it to him and it has a needle in the belly, so she is arrested (Miller). John Proctor tells Mary she will confess to the court that she never saw any spirits, but when she does, Abigail and the other girls say that her spirit in a form of a bird, and is attacking them (Miller). She didn't wanna be hung so she cries to Abigail and tells the judge, John Proctor is consorting with the devil that's why she is being the way she is
(Miller). “The Crucible” and “The Scottsboro Boys” both had many trials (PBS). The first trial was a hung jury for the scottsboro boys (PBS). March 27th, 1933 was the second trial for haywood patterson and it continued until April 9. (PBS). The second trial in “The crucible” got more people killed (PBS). Ruby Bales, like Abigail Williams, confessed their wrong, but Abigail blamed others and got them killed. (PBS). Haywood Patterson was also convicted of manslaughter and sentenced six to fifteen years, but he only served one year before he died of cancer and John Proctor was hung (PBS). Accusations cause more problems than people think. Dont blame others for something your just as guilty for.
The focus of Miller’s The Crucible is an appalling witch trial that morfs the once-peaceful town of Salem into a cutthroat slaughterhouse. As a lucrative playwright and a not-so-subtle allegory author, Miller is a seasoned wordsmith who addresses people akin to himself, and is not secretive about that information. The Crucible best serves its purpose as a learning device and a social statement, especially at the time of its publishing. Miller‘s piece showcases the appeals in an easy-to-identify manner that is perfect for middle or high school students who are new to the appeals, or for English majors who have no problem pinpointing them, making this play ideal for a classroom setting.
The Crucible was a rather strong book, it had battles both internal and external, there were also betrayals and vendettas… but a few stuck strong to their morals of what was wrong, and what was right. After the girl’s acts were, undoubtedly, in the eyes of the law, seen as entirely real, people who would not otherwise have been accused of witchcraft were now eligible to be under Satan’s spell. One John Proctor, saw himself above the nonsense, that witches could not exist in Salem, his wife, his children nor him; But, when Mary Warren said to the court that he used his spirit to drag her into court to testify against the girls, the judges deemed her word more truthful than his. After actively and repeatedly denying the claims, he was sentenced to death, for only a witch could lie in the face of god.
Is there any idea worth more than a human life? In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor decides that he has nothing left to live for, and therefore becomes a martyr. The question for him or one in his position would be whether or not there exist causes worth dying for and if his position is one such case. There is no principle worth more than a person’s life and therefore principles worth dying for, only principles worth living for.
and shame. Early in the drama, it is revealed that Proctor has been unfaithful to his wife, Elizabeth, indulging in an extra-marital affair with a servant girl, Abigail. Suspecting the affair, Elizabeth dismisses Abigail amid rumor and innuendo, and Proctor confesses to his wife. The value of truth in their marriage is sorely tested when Elizabeth cannot find it within herself to forgive him. As the chain of events surrounding Abigail and the dancing girls in the forest leads to mounting self-protective lies about their activities, many women in the community, including Elizabeth, are accused of the practice of witchcraft. When the magistrate comes to arrest Elizabeth, the charges revolve around a doll made by servant girl Mary Warren and Abigail’s claim that the doll is Elizabeth’s devilish instrument of torture. Mary Warren’s awakening to the truth about Abigail’s lies causes her to question he...
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.
The Rebel. The Caregiver. The Innocent. In the form of a contentious play, Arthur Miller’s, “The Crucible” parallels both the Salem Witch Hunts of 1692 and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s “Red” (Communist) hunts of 1950, exploring societal inconsistencies in character and practice. Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory, a model interested in moral reasoning and cognitive development, as well as Jungian Archetypes, further reveal universal themes and human nature displayed in The Crucible’s female characters. Throughout the novel, Arthur Miller uses the role and treatment of women to convey the integral theme of human tendency in the presence of corruption and the unknown. Specifically, through archetypes and moral development, Abigail, Elizabeth and Mary Warren are employed to expose humanity’s contrasting movement
Great events, whether they are beneficial or tragic ones, bring change in a person. These scenarios can give one an entirely new perspective on life, and turn around his way of thinking. Events such as the Salem Witch Trials show the people involved what they could not see before. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor gain valuable insight into themselves, as well as others.
After Abigail Williams and the girls are discovered dancing in the forest by Reverend Parris, there are rumours of witchcraft among them, when Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam are found "witched". Once the girls discover this, they become more and more frightened of being accused of witchcraft. Abigail is the first to "admit" to seeing the devil, and all the other girls join in, so the blame will not be placed on them. "I saw Sarah Good with the Devil. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil. I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil."
Right when he finds them, Betty becomes sick and won't talk or open her eyes, about this time other people's daughters become sick too. Rumors spread that witch craft is involved in Betty's illness and the development of the plot begins. Important to the major development of the plot is the fact that in the forest, Abigail and the others were just playing like witches. But they were following Abigail because she wanted to try to put a curse on a lady named Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail was in love with Mrs. Proctor's husband, John Proctor, and she wanted to some how get rid of Elizabeth.
The Crucible starts out in the bedroom of Betty Parris, the sick daughter of the towns preacher Samuel Parris. The village people began to spread the rumor that witchcraft is the cause of Bettys illness. The Reverend John Hale is sent for by Mr. Parris to find out what is happening, because Hale is a investigator on strange events involving witchcraft. Samuel accuses and questions Abigail Williams, his niece, of dancing and chanting around a fire in the woods with Betty and his slave, Tituba to conjure up evil sprits. She denies these claims and says that she and the other girls were only dancing. The other girls are then threatened by Abigail to keep them from telling what really happened in the forest. Later in the scene, John Proctor enters the room, and Abigail talks of their affair.
When Mary Warren is in the court testifying against Abigail, Parris prompts Mary to faint as she said she was pretending before, “Then no see no spirits now, and prove to us that you can faint by your own will, as you claim” (99). Parris wants to continue to support his story about the girls in the forest and so he targets Mary as she is fearful and weak. She is not able to faint as it was an electric impulse she felt with the girls and the power of suggestion that made her faint at the time. As the girls pretend to have Mary’s spirit on them, Parris joins in, “Cast the Devil out! Look him in the face! Trample him! We’ll save you, Mary, only stand fast against him and-” (109). Parris is insidious as he pretends that the devil is in Mary to convince Judge Danforth of Abigail’s lie. Parris manipulates the courts along with Abigail to discredit Mary’s story. On the other hand, Elizabeth is willing to accept culpability even for the sins she has not committed. Elizabeth attempts to tell John that she cannot decide whether he should confess or not for him, “I have read my heart this three month, John. I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (126). Elizabeth has been away from John for three months and in this time away from
Pretend you are Arthur Miller, who just finished writing his play on the Salem witch trials called “The Crucible”. Wait, why did you pick the name crucible out of all the names in the world for your play. What does that word mean, well Webster's dictionary defines a “crucible” as being, “a container in which metals are heated, involving a change." and "a severe test or trial.” Now knowing what it means, why do you know why you picked the word crucible for your the play?
Good vs Evil, Reputation and Injustice, as well as fear and hysteria are all key themes in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Significant events throughout the course of the play were used to highlight and illustrate the importance of these themes within the duration of the play.
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller in the Early 1950’s. It was written during the “Red scare, when McCarthyism was established. Many anti-communists wanted to prevent communism from spreading just like in The Crucible many wanted to get rid of witchcraft. Many would accuse others of witchcraft in order to not be accused just like many would accuse people of communism. In The Crucible witchcraft would be punishable by death. Many were scared to be accused; therefore many would admit practicing witchcraft in order to save their lives. The Crucible is considered a good play because it is based on real life events during the Salem witch Trials and shows how fear played a role in the individual’s life just like during the “Red” scare.
Throughout a persons life, the need to make someone aware of something may present itself numerous times. As is shown in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, there is a right way and a wrong way to do so. The concept of intervention arises several times throughout the play. An example of this is Rebecca’s attempts to intervene in and stop the Putnams sinning. However, Rebecca does not do this outright. She decides to place subtle hints throughout there conversation. This frustrates the Putnams. Due to this, when Rebecca hints to the Putnams that they have sinned, tension is created which ultimately leads to accusation of Rebecca as a witch.