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More handpicked essays just for you.
Arthur miller a tragic hero
Comparing and contrasting the historical Salem Witch Trials with the way that they are portrayed in The Crucible
Life in salem during the time of the crucible
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Self preservation is one of mankind's base instincts and is ever present in everyone. This animalistic instinct can cause a person to do things seen as morally wrong by others or some will go to the most extreme lengths to keep themselves alive. Within the story The Crucible by Arthur Miller onse such character displays a very evident sense of self preservation and that character is none other than Mary Warren. Within the story Mary Warren is very guilty of raising hysteria amongst the town because of her actions due to self preservation.
Courage, weakness, and truth are personality traits that many authors incorporate into their characters. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller has three characters that are strong representations of these character traits. The Crucible is about these three things, which are represented by Giles Corey, Mary Warren, and Reverend John Hale. Corey represents courage perfectly in The Crucible. Corey has enough courage to accuse Thomas Putnam of “reaching out for land” in court (Miller III,1074).
Arthur Miller implemented heroism in the play, The Crucible, using the characters; John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Giles Corey. The first person to display heroism is John Proctor. John Proctor did not want to have his confession nailed on the church door and explained why, “I blacken all of them, when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence.” (Miller 143). This shows that John is heroic because he chose to not let the church use his confession and let innocent people die because of it.
Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, analogizes Salem to a crucible with violent witchcraft accusations and chaotic events predominating everyone’s lives. For instance, the protagonist, John Proctor, is forced to make a choice at the end of Act Four—to falsely confess of communicating with the Devil and live to take care of his family, or to be convicted and have a pure reputation. Proctor’s ultimate decision to deny the false confession is virtuous because it restricts his inner guilt, saves his reputation, and shows a valiant stance against the insanity of Salem’s witch trials. John Proctor’s affair with Abigail Williams haunts him with internal guilt and tarnishes his reputation, but his decision to sacrifice his life solves these
Pride and the Downfall of Salem A crucible is a laboratory instrument used to heat off any excess water. In the same sense, when “heat” is applied to the Protestant society in Salem, Massachusetts, the readers can see the true characters of the townspeople. The readers see whether the characters are motivated by greed, by pride, by integrity, or by other impulses. Most people are motivated by pride in one form or another.
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.
Caleb DeHart Mr. Peddicord English 3 January 3, 2023 Individual Voices In the Crucible, there are many different motifs displayed. However, the main one is that the power of an individual voice can be terrifying. This means that individuals who are not powerful and are weak can still have a powerful voice. This suggests that all people throughout humanity have some power and that one’s voice is their greatest weapon.
Many people would think that a play about the ultra-religious Puritans would not revolve around so many sins and sinners. During this time, if one was caught doing witchcraft, it called for immediate death. However, as clearly displayed throughout the drama, some Puritans were willing to break the rules and others had to take the fall for the rule breakers. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many of the seven deadly sins are shown, but pride is most prevalent. John Proctor shows a lot of pride for himself in this play.
The author of The Crucible, Arthur Miller, develops the characters of Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor through dialogue and actions, revealing their moral dilemma, their motivations, and the consequences of their choices in the trouble in Salem. The oppressive atmosphere of Salem is vividly portrayed through imagery, contributing to the characters' feelings of paranoia. For instance, Miller describes the courtroom as "solemn" and "cold," symbolizing the unforgiving nature of the town. This imagery not only emphasizes the characters' sense of dread but also highlights the power dynamics at play, where desperate neighbors are pitted against each other in a fight for survival. Moreover, the dense forests surrounding
Everyone knows it's hard to tell the truth, but how many would if faced with death? Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, starts with one bad deed that ultimately effects everyone and leads to their death. Throughout the story, John Proctor shows courage by confessing to his wife, trying to convince people the girls are liars , and decides not to sign his confession paper for dignity. Although it's often hard, Arthur Miller uses The Crucible to show it takes courage to tell the truth. Opening up to his wife,
Hero: A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; however, heroism is not synonymous with perfection. Man can be a hero in spite of having some flaws. This is apparent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a story about the Salem Witch Trials in which Abigail Williams accuses dozens of innocent people of witchcraft. Despite being flawed, John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Elizabeth Proctor can demonstrate their heroism in The Crucible. John Proctor is shown to be both a hero and a flawed man in regards to his lechery.
Soon many were accused including some of the most respected people in Salem, testing the courage of many. The major theme in The Crucible is that standing up up for something you believe in takes great courage; as demonstrated by the characterization of John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Rebecca Nurse.
Christopher Paolini once said that “without fear there cannot be courage.” In “The Crucible,” John Proctor was put up to the ultimate test. During the Salem Witch trails if one was unable to cry real tears, unable to recite the Lord’s word, or seen with the “Devil’s Mark” then they would be accused of being a witch. Since witches are not real, it can be concluded that all who were accused were innocent. So, common ways that the public forced innocent people to confess about being a witch was to torture them, sexually abuse them, and have the threat of death looming above them.
Even though John Proctor betrays Elizabeth by having an affair, Elizabeth remains loyal to her husband. Her loyalty shows in Act Three when John is asked if his wife is honest and responds, “In her life sir, she will never lie.”. Although Elizabeth is an honest woman, she then lies in court for the sake of her husband’s fate. Her dishonesty results in her husband’s death despite that being the opposite of her intentions. Elizabeth shows that she will do anything for her husband as a loyal wife even going against her own morals.
Although Elizabeth was not the best wife at some moments, she loved her husband so much that she lied for him. When questioned by Danforth if Proctor committed lechery she said faintly “No, sir” (Miller 113). Elizabeth lies for the first time to save her husband because she is loving and cares about him. Although Elizabeth is not truthful, she protects her values by doing what she feels is right for her husband. Abigail is revengeful throughout the play at Elizabeth.