Examples Of Power In The Crucible

Argumentative Essay: Power in The Crucible There are many concepts in human society that can only exist if there is a belief in them. One of the strongest of those concepts is the concept of power which can be so strong that it gets out of hand. As John Dalberg-Acton once said, “Power tends to be corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” The feeling of being powerful causes one to go off the rails and believe they are truly invinvible. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a fictionalization of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s that also acts as an allusion to the Red Scare that happened in America during the early 1900s. He displays a power struggle in the theocracy of Salem through many characters, however, Abigail and Judge Danforth

She is caught dancing in the woods and blames it on witchraft, sending Salem into hysteria. Abigail’s lust for John Proctor results in her accusing his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, of withcraft. Hale goes to the Proctor household to investigate and upon arrival he says, “Abigail were stabbed tonight; a needle were found stuck into her belly.” (Miller 76) Abigail is able to set up Elizabeth through the manipulation of Mary Warren, who brings in a doll that also has a needle stuck in its belly. Abigail is able to flawlessly get rid of Elizabeth for the time being through her deception and exertion of power. When John Proctor goes into the court to save his wife, Abigail is strikes again. With the help of Mary Warren, who tells the court that the witches were pretent, Procror pleads innocence for his wife. When Abigail is intimidated she becomes defensive and says, “If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!” (Miller 103). This makes the atmosphere of the courtroom more suspenseful as the main source of evidence, Abigail Williams, threatens to leave. Abigail abusively exerts her power, which Judge Danforth is partly responsible

His reputation helps him exert his power as many seem him as a just and righteous. After Proctor comes out as a witch, Danfirth becomes especially pushy about his position and decisions. He says, “Tweleve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out…Postponement noe speaks a floundering on my part” (Miller 129). He is conscious that his decisions were not in the name of justice or reason, but rather, a result of his power and pride blinding him. At this point he can not back down and has to carry on with his massacre. He finds a way end the trials as a whole by using John Proctor as a scapegoat. John refuses to accuse others of witchcraft and sign papers proving he was a witch. Out of anger, Danforth hangs all those that were accused without remorse. He boldly says, “Who weep for these, weeps for corruption.” (Miller 144). Essentially, he says that hanging them was the righteous thing to do and those who go against that idea are mistaken, He believes that he is absolute and asserts his authority in that corrupt