More handpicked essays just for you.
Salem witch trials mini q essay
Critical interpretations of witch hunts in salem
Character study of Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Salem witch trials mini q essay
In the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller many characters were portrayed throughout the book. The two characters I am going to go into depth about are Elizabeth and John Proctor. Elizabeth and her husband, John Proctor, were accused of witchcraft, tried, and sentenced to hang. Elizabeth Bassett Proctor, was born to William and Lexi Burt Basset in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1652. She grew up to marry John Proctor, who was about 20 years older than her, on April 1, 1674.
Within Act 2, the most momentous event in my eyes was the warrant sent out for Elizabeth Proctors arrest. The element that surprised me the most was not the fact Elizabeth was arrested. But the fact that girls like Abigail are so afraid to get in trouble that they will do almost anything, including blaming it on other people like Elizabeth Proctor to avoid the truth. Because of the accusations they have given out, the town has put these girls on a pedestal where they have achieved an unnecessary and strange amount of authority over women in the Salem community. The following quote from Elizabeth on page fifty-five shows her awareness of Abigail and the other girls influence in the court, “The town’s gone wild, I think.
The Crucible had many times where the Character's were conflicted on what they should actually do. One instance of this is Act 4 with John Proctor. John Proctor was a man that performed adultery, which sparked this whole case of events to spark. His wife from the very beginning is very conflicted in whether she should forgive her husband for the sin he has committed. When Elizabeth is ordered to court the rage within Mr.Proctor arose and he exclaimed many things thought to be shameful by the people of Salem.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the setting is Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s where the town’s pious Puritan beliefs directly influence their government. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. As this hysteria begins to rise, other people such as Thomas Putnam, a rich landowner, start to also allege Salem villagers. In this play, the author illustrates the central idea that people should not allow jealousy to control their actions.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, most of the characters are those of weak values, afraid to stand up for what is truly right. They see the actions of others, willing to give their lives to show that the leaders have it all wrong, and continue to persecute innocent people. Elizabeth is not such a character; she is devoted, strong and sees what is wrong in Salem. She does not give in to the lies, despite it nearly costing her life. Elizabeth Proctor’s strength and bravery help her to endure a struggling marriage, an accusation of witchcraft, and her husband’s actions as a martyr.
The Crucible Analytical Essay In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller tells the story of the Salem witch trials taking place in Massachusetts in the very late 1600’s. The character Abigail becomes a known liar throughout the story by telling other that she sees the devil and makes accusations towards others about performing witchcraft. The story is an excellent example of lies multiplying. If a person lies, they will eventually create more lies because of the first.
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.
Human is a species that live in group, and conformity is one of the distinct characteristic of human nature. In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller investigates various natures in community throughout Act 1 and 2. The play took place at Salem, a town that primarily based on puritanism, the major plot of this play is about witchcraft and witch hunt. Miller conveys a essential message of people always search for conformity from society as a form to prove their identity, further, any rebellion would consider as outcast from majority. The author explores the theme by the use of conflict, this literary element best demonstrates changes of characterizations and complication between others and internal struggle.
Elizabeth Proctor, a protagonist in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, is a devoted wife and mother who tries her best to follow the teachings of her religion. She knows the Commandments, she attends church when she can, and she prides herself on her honesty. Elizabeth does possess a number of flaws, however. She is not always willing to forgive others, she lies when the truth is most needed, and she refuses to save the life of a family member. Elizabeth has for sure shown us a number of reasons as to why she is not willing to forgive others.
In Arthur Miller’s the Crucible, the lies told by the characters are human acts of self-preservation, sometimes told at the risk of other, and sometimes told to try and assist others, which begs the question, is it ever exceptional to lie? Miller’s play begins in Act I by presenting all characters whom instigate the Salem Witch Trails. The main protagonist and the character that can be mostly accredited for the lies and accusations which cause the uproar would be Abigail. Abigail’s character is static because her actions always appear malicious and she shows great will for self-preservation.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, placed in Massachusetts, explores the history of the devastating Salem Witch Trials. In the trials, 19 people were hanged, and it had to come to an end as people stopped confessing to witchcraft. The town realized that the girls were lying and the people were innocent. There are plenty of relationships affected in the play as people change perspectives and attitudes towards each other. In this story, Proctor and Elizabeth's relationship changes from a dreadful state to a peaceful solution.
The play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller demonstrates the implications of a society in complete chaos over an irrational fear of witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren resort to hypocrisy when no other options remain. Danforth and Mary Warren both embody hypocrisy, as seen when Mary says she cannot lie anymore and then lies when she becomes scared for her life, and Danforth when saying lying will send a person to Hell, but then forcing people to choose between lying and death. Mary Warren exemplifies hypocrisy extraordinarily well in the scene when she and Proctor travel to the courthouse so she can confess that the girls have pretended everything and they never actually saw spirits.
Arthur Miller’s portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall “The Crucible”, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. As Abigail begins to be accused she is pressured to deter from the truth. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth.
Elizabeth counts herself as “plain”, which exemplifies her character’s stereotype as a housewife (Miller 137). Puritan beliefs held that women served their husbands, which Elizabeth strives to do (Miller 50). At one point in the play, she finds herself unable to prevent a servant from leaving the home, which leads to her husband having to “hold back a full condemnation of her” (Miller 52). Elizabeth would be punished for this failure if she were any other woman with any other husband, but John shows an example of a better man in Salem, which only proves to show how misogynist Salem society is. Although not treated as poorly as some of the other women in The Crucible, Elizabeth stays within a certain behavioral pattern of
Sometimes there will be people who just seem to fit together flawlessly comparable to two dogs, but in the play it is like a cat being terrorised by a dog chasing it. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller there are two contradictory characters. Elizabeth and Abigail are important characters who have opposite traits. Elizabeth is an extremely sweet and truthful women, and Abigail regularly tries to lie and be jealous. Throughout The Crucible Elizabeth and Abigail express truly opposite traits only to follow the theme of protecting their integrity.
