Characters And Beliefs In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

What are some principles or beliefs that you are willing to die for? Most people would answer with something very meaningful and significant to them. The play “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller portraits how important principles may be. Hale, a character in the play, states that “No principle, however glorious is worth dying for”. His statement and opinion is wrong. It is not better to give a false confession than to die for a principle or beliefs that you value strongly. Characters like, Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey, and John Proctor shows how important it is to stand and die (if necessary) in order to protect their moral values. If the belief was strongly valued, then it should be stood for disregarding the consequences. People of all ages have principles of their own. Rebecca Nurse is a well-respected, wise, and strong old lady in Salem. However, she becomes a victim of witchcraft when the Putnams accuses her of dealing with the devil. “I am one of nine sons; the Putnam seed have peopled this province. And yet I have but one child left of eight-and now she shrivels” (Miller pg. 33)! Even when the Putnams accuses her of witchcraft, Rebecca Nurse remains honest as she replies, “I cannot fathom that” (pg. 33). In the end, she is hung for not confessing to the false accusation. This shows how Rebecca Nurse is willing to die in order to

H is an old farmer who causes his own wife to being accused of witchcraft. “I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife’s name once and I’ll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute” (pg. 92). Giles Corey disobeys the court’s orders and follows his own principles instead. He dies later on in the play because he sustains his position in refusing to give names and to follow the court’s orders. His last words are “more weight” as he sticks to his principles strongly and protects his