Fear In The Crucible

The Dynamics of Fear and Power in The Crucible

Niccolo Machiavelli, a Renaissance philosopher, once wrote, “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both,” (Machiavelli, The Prince). Evidently, this quotation demonstrates the superiority of fear in relation to love during dire times. It shows the strength that panic can give someone and the importance of using that terror as an advantage. While this may not be widely accepted in society, alarm is a way of gaining power. This phenomenon is frequently seen in our contemporary world, especially within dictatorships. However, in the past, fright has also been used in order to gain force. This concept is well represented in Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible. This piece explores

Machiavelli states “fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails,” (Machiavelli, The Prince). This is evidently demonstrated throughout Abigail's character. Using this terror, she is able to obtain immense power and control over the jury and even her own friends. The thing that differentiates Abigail from the rest of Salem is that she understands the rules of the theocracy she lives in and uses them to her advantage. It is presumed that children may not lie. Knowing this, she can gain the trust of the court and falsely accuse innocent people. Also, the citizens of Salem are deeply terrified of the supernatural and Satan. Williams uses theatrics to exploit this panic and gain the authorities' trust even more. In order to relieve the guilt of dancing in the forest, she says, “I want the light of God…I danced for the Devil; I saw him,... I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil!" (Miller, Act I).This quotation conveys her use of theatrics in an attempt to avoid being accused herself. After condemning almost everyone in the town of Salem, there is certainly a worry that Satan has taken over. This is Wiliams first grasp of her potential. Once she receives a taste of her potential she continues to generate distress throughout the town. This is

This is demonstrated throughout many characters in the play, particularly, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth. Abigail manipulates the town of Salem by using the Bible and their dread of the supernatural to their advantage. To further her lie, she generates anxiety in her friends, which in turn gives her more ability. Danforth uses his own fear to acquire power. He refuses to be challenged and condemns anyone who goes against him. This dread allows him to be unwavering and strict with any decision made in the court. Obviously, the statement above is well demonstrated throughout these two. Conversely, John Proctor refuses to submit to the panic of the town or generate it. Knowing the witch trials are a fraud, he challenges the court. However, this ends up with him being hanged, and in turn lost his power. Regardless of these characters' actions, most of the townspeople in Salem do not realize that they are being manipulated through terror and losing their potential. This unveils the question of whether our society is blindly subjected to someone's reach for power, meaning the fear they may generate and how it is used to manipulate the