I am exploring the question of are we are motivated by fear, human nature, and just how far we will go for our reputations. All three of theses are major themes in the Cucubile by Arthur Miller. And each theme plays a major part in how the Crucible was rounded while also showing a very strong perspective on how the author wanted the reader to perceive the crucible. The reason I think that we continue to read, study, and perform the Crucible to this day is because it was a major part in history where many innocent people were killed due to fear and false accusations. The Crucible was written about a time period that Arthur Miller acknowledges as a time where fear and reputation totally took over.
When someone is fearful of something, they usually will not show it. Most people don’t know how to express their fear. In “The Crucible”, fear is shown through the way characters go about their business and everyday lives. John Proctor showed fear when he told on himself for having an affair with Abigail Williams. He gave himself away because he feared what the court would do to his wife.
Throughout history the fear of corruption and change has compelled people to go to drastic measures to prevent it. The Crucible, a play by arthur Miller, is set in an environment of religious citizens who fear that the devil and witchcraft will corrupt their society. Much like The Crucible, McCarthyism caused the citizens in America to fear corruption of the government by communism. Arthur Miller used his play the crucible as a direct response to McCarthyism and through this play Miller writes about the Salem witch trials during the McCarthy period to comment on how history repeats itself. The social and political factors in The Crucible resemble those in America during the red scare and McCarthyism.
The author, Arthur Miller, wrote “The Crucible” that tells us the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. The society in Salem in 1692 was full of McCarthyism and fear because they thought their other citizens are doing witchcraft. Miller tells us that ignorance and fear combined can destroy a town’s social well-being. On the play, “The Crucible”, the citizens of Salem’s reacted with fear when they hear that someone has a sign of being a witch.
Out of fear in damaging his reputation he displays his fear towards Abigail when he lays his hands on her out of fear of his own niece being accused of witchcraft in which could hurt his reputation as a Reverend. Another act of fear displayed in the crucible when a young girl known as Abigail Williams stirs up trouble
Motifs Isolation The protagonist is continuously isolated from the rest of the world around him, whether it was in his childhood or adulthood. The cinematography in Citizen Kane furthermore demonstrates the isolation he was going through. In one scene, we see Kane his childhood playing alone in the outside; the camera creates a divided shot on him and his mother with Mr. Thatcher, as they plan to send him away from home. Another scene is where; Kane is sitting by himself in the center of a room surrounded by men suited up, watching him as he opens a gift from Thatcher at his office.
The immense fear and paranoia of witchcraft in Salem which led to the brutal hangings of 18 innocent people with 1 pressed to death. We can see how Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, an allegorical tale of the events of McCarthyism in the 1950s helped forward his message. Consequently, during the play, The Crucible, we witness many vivid examples of fear and persuasion used in Salem. Miller provides examples that relate to the scare of communism through real-life events of the witch trials. Nevertheless, he compares the role of fear and persuasion in Salem to the Red Scare with McCarthyism.
Fear functions as a powerful force driving morally questionable actions among characters in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Reverend Parris, anxious about losing his job, and Abigail, fearing prosecution and the loss of John Proctor, epitomize this phenomenon. Tituba, motivated by the fear of physical harm, also succumbs to this trend. Fear compels individuals to safeguard their own interests and exert power to harm others.
All over the world fear is controlled by many different factors. Whether it is social media, literature, or power. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, fear is used to control others as it is today. Social Media is a great example of controlling others using their fear. Embarrassment and exposure can come from social media.
What is fear? Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief of someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or threat. In my own words fear is a feeling people get when someone is going to kill them. But not all fear is bad because some people feel fear differently How is fear used in “The Crucible” ?
Fear is definitely not always a harmful emotion. Fear influences people to take extreme measures as well as act irrationally to emotion. While fear is one of the main emotions people face, this emotion pushes people to do what they desire. It drives people to madness, and throughout history, caused people to commit extreme acts. In Arthur Miller’s play, fear drives characters to extreme actions in order to save the reputation or their lives.
Throughout the town of Salem, Massachusetts fear has spread. It has affected everyone in the town and has brought nothing but chaos. The people of Salem are becoming more scared and determined to hunt down every witch they can find. In The Crucible, fear is appeared as a negative trait since it makes the people act differently during this period of time. Abigail showed fear when she said that Tituba was a witch and was performing witchcraft.
The Crucible: How Fear Changes People During his first Inaugural Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt once announced, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Fear manipulates a persons rationality resulting in them behaving in ways they normally would not, especially in the story The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. The characters in The Crucible allow fear to manipulate their beliefs and actions. They all know what is right, but fear alters their mindset causing them to act differently.
Fear changes us and makes us do things we would not normally do. Fear is powerful and merciless. Fear can also be used as a weapon. It has power over everyone so know someone ’s
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” - Franklin D Roosevelt. Fear plays a major role for the tragic ending of The Crucible by Arthur Miller, because fear is upon the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts, it leads to unanticipated accusations, power, and hatred. This feeling, has occurred in everyone’s life at some point, which is more overpowering than some might think. Once hysteria arose about the girls dancing in the woods, due to all the fear it leads to unanticipated accusations, being a slave, Tituba was accused by Abigail to avoid any punishment.
