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Who is danforth in the crucible
The crucible arthur miller analysis
Connecting the crucible and mccarthyism
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“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor” said by Sholom Aleichem. The quote implies that one can have a good life if one has power or if one is judicious. Also, it is a game for the illiterate, a joke for one that is rich and powerful, and misfortune for needy. In the book, The Crucible by Arthur Miller has certain characters and beliefs that is a part of a huge calamity. It was labeled as the Salem Tragedy because in Salem, plebeians and uninvolved people were accused for witchcraft they never committed. Nineteen people were hanged and liable for the witchcraft. A character in The Crucible, Danforth, honest in his own perception is one of the attribution for the Salem tragedy. Also, Abigail, shrewd, perjurer is culpable for the Salem catastrophes. It was also, the society’s ignorance was responsible for the Salem disaster.
Initially, Danforth, stern yet practical man more interested in preserving the dignity for the Salem community is accountable for the tragedy. First, magistrate, Danforth has pride of his status as a judge. As a judge, he denies to give a thought for his actions that can lead to the death of innocent lives. Danforth says, “12 others have already been hanged for the same charge; pardons for the remaining convicts would be unjust and crack the voice of God's law with "whimpering." Hale says a week's postponement would seem like mercy to the public, not weakness. Danforth doesn't listen.” This proves how Danforth won’t postpone the hangings because he won’t allow himself, his government, or his God, to look weak. He thinks reputation is more important to him than standing up to save innocent lives. Next, when pride and arrogance comes in between ...
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...tain character and ignorance. Danforth is stern and practical at the same time and is a cause for the Salem catastrophe .Abigail is a liar and deceitful, therefore she is culpable for the Salem adversity. At last, the society’s ignorance is liable for the calamity. The reasons prove how people are clever, thoughtless, shrewd, and gullible-due to the rank of people. The crucible is related to McCarthyism, a campaign against alleged communists in the US government. The Crucible is like McCarthyism because both used lack of evidence to convict people without regard to any what was truly happening. The Crucible was about witchcraft and the hunt that went on for witches during the Salem witch trials and accusing others. McCarthyism was about finding scapegoats and blaming innocent people for things they did not do. In Crucible and in McCarthyism lives were ruined.
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller. This play centers around the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. In Act II, Abigail and her friends accuse several innocent people of witchcraft. Once they leave the court, Reverend Hale goes to John Proctor’s house to inform Elizabeth Proctor that people in the court have mentioned her name. Then officials of the court, Herrick and Cheever, arrive at the Proctor’s house. They claim to have a warrant for Elizabeth’s arrest because the court declares she practices witchcraft. After, Herrick and Cheever take Elizabeth to jail. Injustice in Act II prevails because of the inability to see the truth. Reverend Hale and John Proctor illuminate the theme that closed-mindedness
During the early years of the colonies, there was a mad witch hunt striking the heart of Salem. Anger, reputation, and even religion play an important part during the play of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. The author allows us to witness the vivid idea of the hysteria taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, and why it was so vulnerable during the time.
Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have specific human flaws that cause the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem villagers exhibit failings, including greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the downfall of their town. Many villagers, especially Abigail Williams, take advantage of the opportunity to seek vengeance on others through the trials. Greed for power and land often holds precedence when the hysteria takes over. Fear of being arrested or put to death is the key motivation in turning others in as witches. From these three human flaws, the town of Salem falls into chaos with many innocent people paying the price.
In the play: The Crucible Miller reveals the effect of the Salem Witch Trials on the people due to their growing fear. Miller shows that fear exasperates man’s innate vices of self-preservation, greed, and hypocrisy. In The Crucible Miller demonstrates these vices through Danforth, a prestigious judge that should represent the peak of human morality and reason.
One’s greed for power blinds their sense of pity for humanity which creates chaos in society because of their ignorance. In the text Danforth explains to Francis Nurse, “But you must understand sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (Miller 94). In this quote Danforth explains to Nurse that a citizen of Salem cannot be against the court’s justice system: One must comply with its rules or else they will be counted as guilty. Danforth claims power over the people through the court and anyone who does not obey his demands will be persecuted which shows that this trial is for himself and not for the town. For the sake of his power, Danforth apprehends innocent individuals who are not compliant thus foreshadowing the misfortunes of uninvolved people who are suspects. Without knowing, Danforth intends to create a disorder in society because of his need for more control, which justifies his inexperience and his abuse of authority. Danforth also tells Nurse, “And do you know that near to four hundred are in the jails from marble head to Lynn, and upon my signature? […] And seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature?” (Miller 87). Here Danforth attempts to intimidate Nurse by bragging with h...
In The Crucible, the mass hysteria surrounding the witch trials caused paranoia amongst the people of Salem. Miller uses the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as a symbol and allegory of the fear surrounding the spread of communism during the 1950s in America. The community’s sense of justice was blinded by the mass hysteria and for some, a desire for vengeance and personal gain. The Putnams
The statement,“The Crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth,” is proven true numerous times, throughout the play. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, about the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts, between the years 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch trials consisted of many hangings, lies, and complete mass hysteria. The citizens of Salem followed the religion of Puritanism, and the ideas of predestination. The root of the mass hysteria comes from their belief in the sense that in something happens then it must have been planned by God. In Miller’s portrayal of the story, Abigail Williams was the ringleader of the witch trials, and she used the idea of predestination to cover up her own sins. Abigail was a very manipulative girl and ruined many lives. John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor were just a few of the victims in Abby’s game. John, Mary, and Elizabeth exhibit the traits courage, weakness, and truth, whether it was in a positive or negative way.
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
BEGIN The root of the problem in both The Crucible and McCarthyism was an extreme desire for power. In the novel, Danforth and Hathorne instantly gained power as they sentenced the accused to jail and death. They were so caught up in the power that they were gaining, that they listened to outlandish accusations, not stopping to think if they could be false. Danforth and Hathorne were seen as heroes to the people that were caught up in the chaos and paranoia of witchcraft. This was their motivation in their prosecution. Also, Abigail and the other girls were driven by selfishness. Ruth and Betty accused innocent people of the crime because they did not want to get in trouble, as did Tituba. Abigail accused Elizabeth Proctor because she wanted to be with John. Mary went along with the girls for fear that they would turn on her. No one with power had the courage to speak up and admit what they were doing was wrong (The Crucible). Because of their abuse of power, the town was destroyed. Power in the hands of a selfish person is disastrous.
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 is a novel based on the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, written by Arthur Miller. The Crucible demonstrates forbidden temptation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams, honor and dishonor in the town of Salem, ruthless revenge, and the strive for high social status. The narrative style of this play is standard 1950s everyday language. The Crucible is set in a theocratic society of Puritanism in 1692.
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.
This shows how Danforth is desperate to protect his power, authority and his good name because if he postpones the hangings, the citizens of Salem would begin to cast doubt
The Crucible is a play with many underlying messages and themes. One of which is the idea of power. Power is a very important term in this play in that whoever holds the power, holds the fates of others. The hysteria within Salem has directly effected society. Everything has turned upside down and has gotten distorted. Arthur Miller is telling us that all the power in Salem is given to those who are corrupt and their abuse of it is directly shown through: the actions of Abigail throughout the play, the corruption and desires of Parris, as well as the witch trials held by Judge Danforth.
In every conflict there always seems to be at least one person to blame. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many problems arise that deal with live and death. Many innocent people in this play were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials. Of course, there are many people that may be blamed. In The Crucible, one may find Abigail Williams, The Putnams, and Mary Warren to blame. Abigail was manipulative, The Putnams were very jealous, and Mary Warren was weak-willed.