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Comparing Sin In The Scarlet Letter And The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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In both “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, there is an overarching motif of sin and the effects that sin has on the characters and the prose itself. Throughout both pieces of literature, the effects of sin are a large driving force that both progress and enhance the plot. In order to attain a deeper insight of the role of sin in both pieces of literature, it is necessary for the reader to not only look at the sins of the characters, but also look at the background and context of both prose, the treatment of the characters due to their sins, and the overall character development throughout the story. While the focal point of this essay will be to compare and contrast the role of sin in both prose, it is necessary to first look at the backgrounds and …show more content…

This is exemplified by Hester Prynn’s gradual strengthening of herself, and the ways that she tries to protect Pearl from the sins that she herself has committed. It is also shown by Proctor’s feeling of guilt by committing adultery with Abigail, and his attempt to relieve his own guilt by throwing blame onto her, and then eventually deciding to confess to something he did not commit in order to save his wife. While the characters in both prose commit similar sins, it is interesting to investigate the differing ways by which their attitudes and motives develop. Sin plays a major role in both “The Scarlet Letter” and “The Crucible.” The motif drives the plot and lets the reader analyze the developments that occur throughout both pieces of literature. The similarities and differences of the sins committed in both prose also allow the readers to see how differently the sin played a role in the treatment and development of the

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John Proctor, a well-respected farmer, has to make many difficult decisions that affect himself, his family, and the community of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The tragedy of Salem trials begins with John Proctor. He is a middle aged man, a farmer, a husband, and a father who also committed a truculent sin. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible demonstrates the effects of hidden sin on John Proctor's character, on his family, and on his community.

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As the crowd watches, Hester Prynn, holding an infant, walks down from the prison door and makes her way to the scaffold, where she is to be publicly condemned. Both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible were intended to teach and instruct through didactic texts. The authors conveyed this through bringing attention to specific details and the decisions of the characters in their writing. Three lessons that were included in both the play and the novel were the overcoming of the stereotypes and bias of characters in The Scarlet Letter, the corruption of not only the ones who govern, but also susceptible to even the common citizens in The Crucible, and the perspective of faith and morality of the characters in the story who determine good versus evil through irony. First in The Scarlet Letter, we were taught by Hawthorne about overcoming the initial stereotypes and biases of specific characters in the novel including himself.

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The movie version of The Crucible brings to light new information that demystifies a formerly vague storyline, and is more effective in getting across its meaning than the book. The scene in which Abigail visits Proctor in prison adds context to the plot that one cannot gather directly from the book, explains the motivation behind Abigail's actions in the play, and is very well acted. It also provides a clearer depiction of Proctor’s loyalty and devotion to his wife, Elizabeth. The character development that takes place in this scene gives the viewer a more in-depth understanding of Abigail’s manipulative tendencies and of John Proctor’s sense of obligation towards his wife than is derived from the book. First and foremost, the text of

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The Puritans are a group of Christians who originally came from England, where they were persecuted and scorned for their beliefs. In the 16th and 17th centuries, they moved to the colonies in America to create a new life for themselves where they could practice their religion freely. One of the most famous Puritan communities is Salem, which is in modern Massachusetts. Salem is well known for the Salem Witch Trials where countless innocent people were hung on the accusation of witchery. Both The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne take place in Salem.

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In the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne was a character of high integrity. She lived by her own values and merits no matter what the consequence, and refused to give in to the abundance of temptations that were presented to her. The scarlet letter also provided lessons that Hester needed to learn in order to continue her development as a person. Men living by Dimmesdale’s standard, hiding the fact they have sinned and having to be pushed to the edge to confess, feel integrity takes a back seat to getting what you yearn for. For them, their moral code is only a guide, seldom

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Both Authors portray a character who is so guilt ridden that they start to take it out on themselves. This is largely based on the characters own doings, they feel so bad that they end up making choices that affect them for the rest of their lives. Because of this self-inflicted cruelty, they only have one option in their minds for how this guilt can be fixed. In “The Crucible '', John Proctor's only way to get rid of his guilt about his affair is to confess, and in The Scarlet Letter, the only way for Arthur Dimmesdale is to admit his sin of adultery. Both instances begin to build up in the characters until they can no longer take it and they break.

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In Arthur Miller's’ The Crucible, jealousy and mistrust are the most dominant emotions Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor shares for one another. Their jealousy and mistrust are rooted in their desire for John Proctor's love, which inevitably leads to the compromise of their Puritan morals of their society. At the beginning of the play, Betty Parris confirms Abigail Williams true motivation to kill Elizabeth Proctor. “You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor” (Miller 19).

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For example, The Scarlet Letter obtains the theme of sin, where the characters’ true personalities and emotions are

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Within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, antagonist Hester Prynne is subjected to the opinions and treatment of 17th century’s Massachusetts Bay Colony as a result of her sinful act of adultery. In the Puritan colony, it was important to be faithful, both to thine spouse, and most importantly, to God. Hester’s adultery issued her public ridicule and shunning, and a physical reminder to be forever worn; an embroidered ‘A’ placed upon her bosom. The symbol served to alert all of her faithless act, “It had the affect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (page 74). Throughout the novel, Hester’s treatment is obvious, and she makes many efforts to not let her choice, and her illegitimate child Pearl, define her.

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Obsession, Love? The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play which contains a multitude of complex characters . In the play, the characters’ motivations and inner processes are explored. Because of the historical setting, the characters live in a society of judgement and extreme religious devotion. This is a factor that places any of the characters’ choices and morals in a public balance to be judged by others.

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The Witch Hunt Leading a life of regret is a challenging existence for any man for guilt weighs heavily on the soul. John Proctor, the protagonist in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, is burdened by an immoral act, a torrid affair, which has cost him his name and integrity. Forgiveness comes at a great price, one that he must come to terms with. John Proctor undergoes a transformation from a man battling internal strife to a man who rediscovers his personal integrity.

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The story follows the village of Salem, Massachusetts through the accusations and exploitations of the Salem Witch Trials. In The Crucible the commitment of the seven deadly sins of two main characters lead to their own demise and that of many others. John Proctor is one example of a character whose sins and actions lead to deadly consequences. The first illustration of John’s sins is his lust towards Abigail. John and Abigail have an affair and even when he told her to forget that it ever happened “[Abigail’s] concentrated desire destroy[Ed] his smile,” (Miller 1108).

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Effect of Sin and the Chance of Redemption Sin is a powerful action that has an everlasting consequence of guilt. Once done, the person wants to forget about his felonious actions; however, hopefully a person’s conscience is a constant, nagging reminder. In order to be free of the constant pain, redemption is pursued for even the person who sinned in public or private. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves that the truth of sin eventually need to be confronted in order for a person to stop suffering.

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The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, functions as an evaluation of Puritan ideas, customs, and culture during the 17th century. Through this evaluation, we can get a good idea of what core values and beliefs the Puritans possessed, as well as the actions they take in cases of adversity brought about by “sinners”. Some Puritan virtues created stark divisions between groups of people, some of which led to discrimination under certain circumstances. One of the most prominent of these is the treatment and standards of men and women, a concept that surfaced during some of the major points in The Scarlet Letter. The divisions that were created by Puritan standards of men and women played a great role in shaping the plot of The Scarlet Letter, determining the fate of many of the characters.

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In the “Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays hypocrisy of the Puritan society, where the protagonist Hester Prynne face many consequences of her actions and the how she tries to redeem herself to the society. During the seventeenth puritans believe that it is their mission to punish the ones who do not follow God’s word and it is their job to stop those from sinning. Therefore, the hypercritical puritan society punishes Hester harshly for committing adultery, but in Hester’s mind, she believes that what she did was not a sin but acts of love for her man. Eventually, she redeems herself by turning her crime into an advantage to help those in need, yet the Puritan society still view her as a “naughty bagger.” (Hawthorne 78)

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