Comparing The Crucible By Arthur Miller And The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

"In our nature, however, there is a provision, alike marvelous and merciful, that the sufferer should never know the intensity of what he endures by its present torture, but chiefly by the pang that rankles after it." This quote from The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Chapter two, applies widely outside that book, and most certainly to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. It is able to relate many characters, the community, and the play in general. This play and story compares through Puritan exclusion, tragedy and guilt, as well as a theme of pride and injustice. However, make no mistake they have their differences: flipped characters, response, revenge and reputation all play a different part in each story.

In a similar manner, each story

“In the Scarlett Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are…characters similar to Arthur Miller’s Crucible. They might not be similar physically or mentally, but they share [similar] attributes and feelings.” (Comparison in characters from The Crucible and The Scarlett Letter from College Term Papers) Several of the characters died of guilt, pride or both, as well. Both dealt with much guilt, internal dilemma, and adultery. Both Dimmesdale and Proctor are consumed by guilt for their sin throughout the play, as stated by The Crucible/Scarlett Letter Comparison and Contrast, Study Mode academic essay. However, “In each Puritan society, both men are well respected because of their role in the community.” (The Scarlet Letter and the Crucible – Comparison of Proctor and Dimmesdale by Write Work) In both, there are deaths, simply of a different kind. Several people are hung in Crucible, but in Scarlett Letter¸ they also die, but simply through the degradation of the spirit, such as Dimmesdale, Hester, and Chillingworth. Each let a part of them die in some way, and Dimmesdale finally dies of guilt at the end of the

First of all, is Hester and Dimmesdale certainly loved each other, less shamefully and more definitely than Proctor and Abigail. Despiter this, however, “Hester is dehumanized for her sin, while Dimmesdale is still thought to be the almighty minister.” (Comparison Between The Crucible And The Scarlet Letter by Essay Mania) When one examines the protagonists, in Scarlett Letter, the central character is Hester, whereas in Crucible it is Proctor, one female and one male; the antagonists are male in Scarlett Letter, but female in Crucible. With jealousy and revenge, there are several similar themes, however, in one, it is the jealous adulterer, yet in the other, it’s the jealous spouse. However, each other half is supportive, despite playing rather different roles in their respective story. For example, Chillingworth was far more subtle than Abigail. Similarly, Hester had far less secrecy in her crime than Abigail, as stated by Sins in the Scarlett Letter and the Crucible by Free College Essays. Whereas Chillingworth forgave Hester, Abigail held a grudge against both Proctor and Elizabeth, despite yet having feelings for