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.
Abigail is one example of a character that allows jealousy to control her actions. For example, when John and Abigail talk to each other at the beginning, Abigail keeps broaching the topic of their love and also calls Elizabeth “...a cold, sniveling woman” (Miller 24). This shows that Abigail still loves John and hates Elizabeth because she is John’s wife which embodies jealousy. There are also many people in Salem that Abigail could have accused and Elizabeth has a good reputation which makes her a smaller target. Therefore, it is conspicuous that Elizabeth’s allegation was not coincidently by the girl her husband had an affair with, but instead completely out of
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This is clear because all people can, have, and will feel jealousy whereas topics like religion can only apply to readers that aren’t secular. Additionally, this lesson is essential to modern society. It is especially important for people with siblings because siblinghood is a constant battle to see who gets more attention, who receives better luxuries, and who does better in life. Those who learn from this lesson might make better relations with their siblings who can help them face the