Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is about the witch trials in ancient Salem, and how one girl’s love interest caused many people, including the one she loves, to be hanged due to being accused as a witch. Half Hanged Mary by Margaret Atwood is about Mary Webster, a woman accused of witchcraft and hanged for the crime, but managed to survive the night. In both of these texts there is evidence of a corrupted leadership. The Crucible has evidence of a corrupted leadership as found in act 4 scene 5, when the text states “Danforth: (in deep concern, raising a hand to Hathome) Pray you.
In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote the famous play The Crucible, in response to a fear of Communism The “Red Scare”, was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was afraid of communist takeover. The Crucible a play in which Arthur Miller changes some events of the Salem witch trials of 1692 to the problems that were happening in his own society. In this essay we’ll see the ties between The Crucible, McCarthyism , The witch trials and Puritans. Arthur Miller, was born in Harlem, New York City, NY on October 17, 1915 to parents of Polish and Jewish descent. His father was successful coat manufacture.
The Crucible Act 1-4 Reading Response Journal 1.a. Speaker: The speaker is Arthur Miller, who was the author of the book, as well as a popular essayist and playwright during the 20th Century. 1.b. Audience: Miller is addressing the reader of the book 1.c. Context: At the time the quote was written, Salem had been established for forty years and was involved in trade amongst other nations.
But to what extent are people willing to go under herd mentality? In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Miller uses the Salem Witch Trials to demonstrate how social pressure can influence innocent people to the extent of confessing lies in order to protect themselves from punishments or death. In the play, it has said that large number of accused have confessed in order to save themselves from execution; however , confession only prevented execution, not time served in jail (A. Miller). Most the the people confess before the court and are freed from execution; those are the majority of the survivors (Brater). However, there is one exception, John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth Proctor.
In the Miller Transcript, Arthur Miller is convicted for his suspected association with communist organizations during the 1950s anti communist hunt led by Joseph McCarthy. Arthur Miller’s conviction was not based on any evidence linking him to communism other than attending a meeting with a group of suspected communist Hollywood writers whom Arthur Miller refused to identify. His trial is a great example of the unjust trials and convictions of innocent people under the suspicions of being communists during the McCarthy period.
Is manipulation key for personal advancement or simply a selfish act of destruction? Artifice is nothing new, used in times such as the Salem witch trials, and even dates back to even later. Though the strategy is not dead, but can also be seen more recently amongst individuals, including our President Donald Trump. Artifice can be used differently between people, while their motives may be the incentive of personal gains such as revenge or popularity, while the results of using artifice, may vary. However no matter how it is adopted, the reason behind it, and/or the outcomes artifice should not be used.
People tend to justify their actions, regardless of the outcome. With knowledge of their actions, people misemploy their authority. A remarkable playwright of the American theater, Arthur Miller continues to capture his audience with The Crucible. In the play, Miller portrays several characters, who abuses their authority. However, of the very few, Miller creates a character who makes an important contrast to these corrupt people.
Another book read and added to Goodreads, but why was The Crucible chosen to be read in class? What is the importance? This book not only made you think and reflect on your own life, but to see how things are applied and revealed in different ways. The Crucible by Arthur Miller fits its name because of the conflicts the story contains and yet can still connect today with the “crucibles” we face such as revenge and pride.
One Choice Can Change Lives Who knew one seemingly innocent lie could cause 19 deaths and pit an entire town against itself? That’s exactly what happens in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Authors often use similar plot devices, and their favorite one is having their characters face a test. In a small town called Salem in early America, something terrible is happening.
Arthur Miller constructs his play upon the famous Salem witch trails. Miller's Crucible was written in the early 1950s. Miller wrote his drama during the brief reign of the American senator Joseph McCarthy whose bitter criticized anti- communism sparkled the need for the United States to be a dramatic anti- communist society during the early tense years of the cold war. By orders from McCarthy himself, committees of the Congress commenced highly controversial investigations against communists in the U.S similar to the alleged Salem witches situation. Convict communists were ordered to confess their crime and name others to avoid the retribution.
Goodness and nobility is determined by an individual’s morality and their willingness to follow a virtuous path in their life. It is also determined by the ability of an individual to acknowledge their shortcomings and become more self-aware. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a good man as he showcases righteous morals and principles. This is shown, as he ends his affair with Abigail, protects his wife and his friends’ wives, and dies to preserve his integrity and honour. First, John Proctor shows his goodness, by refusing the physical advances of Abigail, who wishes to continue their love affair.
Everyone longs for success. They desire the acceptance and approval for following their moral compass, being rewarded, and being acknowledged. However, one cannot maintain success without a purposeful and achievable position of power. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the power of society is bound upon a pronounced hierarchy. Men naturally are deemed as having higher status than women in society.
Power in our society nowadays is very misgiven and abused. When people have power they tend to use it for their own benefit and to manipulate people into believing them. In the play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller dramatizes the Salem witch trials of 1692 in order to show his audience how easy it was to be accused and hung for witchcraft. In the Crucible a group of young girls were caught dancing in the woods and in order to not receive a punishment they lied saying they got witched. The girls blamed many people of the town of being witches and caused conflict all over the village.
As said in the documents I read, the theme is "the fundamental and often universal idea of a literary artwork". One major theme that I have learned throughout this play is Intolerance. The society set in The Crucible is theocratic. That means that the church and the state are one.
Power is defined as “The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as as a faculty or quality.” Throughout history, women have significantly lacked not only power but the ability to be recognized as equal to their male counterparts. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, women are somewhat able to successfully gain power from society due to the fact that they use manipulation, deceit and their sexual desire (especially the character of Abigail) to acquire positions of power in their largely patriarchal society. Women are able to attain this power through using their intellect to express manipulation, and lying in order to receive attention that translates into power.
