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One Word, Three Meanings In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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Hannah Doherty Mrs. Jones American Lit. and Comp. 10, November 2015 One Word, Three Meanings In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is clear evidence as to why he named the story, The Crucible. John Proctor battles conflicts between himself and others and stands up for what he believes in, Abigail Williams’ is motivated to keep the truth hidden so she is not punished, and Elizabeth Proctor is torn on what the best thing to do is. During this test, all of these obstacles come together brewing up a nasty solution causing dangerous reactions throughout the story. The term “crucible” can be used metaphorically; a test or a trial. People refer to the term when talking about a difficult test. In The Crucible, there are many of test that are …show more content…

Not only does a “crucible” mean a test or trial, but it is also means a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. The contents of this container are fueled by lies and rumors being made up about each person in the town of Salem. With all the feelings, emotions, and blasphemy going on in the town, the town is finally brought to a “melting point”. At first, slaves were the victims of everything. Eventually, witchcraft became an issue when well-known citizens started getting accused, such as, Rebecca Nurse, George Jacobs, and Elizabeth Proctor. Innocent lives are being put on trial and now it has turned out to be an opportunity to seek vengeance. Personal altercations become the reason for the false claims being made, thus heating up the feud between the set of people who are blind to the pretense of the girls who are denying dancing in the woods naked, and those who can see through their devilish deeds. Mary Warren reaches her “boiling point” with Proctor, which causes a conflict between the two. Mary Warren could not take all the drama anymore. When Proctor told Mary to tell Judge Danforth the truth, Mary Warren yelled “Don’t touch me- don’t touch me!” (Miller, The Crucible Act 4 1105). Within seconds, Mary Warren completely changed her story and lied, which then lead to more accusations, bubbling up the …show more content…

This time, it is a different test. Crucible can also mean a test designed to bring about change or reveal an individual's true character. Combining the first two definitions together, Miller burns away the characters’ outer shells to reveal their true intentions and personalities. He peels away each layer from characters slowly throughout the story so that not only can the audience identify their true identities, but the audience can also observe each character as if they were being put to the test. For most of play, John Proctor feels poorly about himself because of his affair with Abigail Williams. He did not want to tell his wife at first, because he did not want Elizabeth Proctor to think that he did not love her anymore, but she ends up finding out, peeling a layer off of Proctor. At the end of the play though, he is forced to decide what he is really made of. At that point, he decides that he cares most about the truth and is willing to die for it. On the other side, Elizabeth is also forced to chose between having a husband that supports her and doing what is best for John. She ends up deciding based on what she thinks is best for John. “I am not your judge, I cannot be. Do as you will, do as you will!” (Miller, The Crucible Act 4, 552-554). Peeling a layer off, showing that she does not care about just herself and would put loved ones before anyone else. Peeling layers off one by one, slowly, John and Elizabeth proctor end up

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a phenomenal play containing wide varieties of static and dynamic characters. A few main characters are very dynamic and change immensely throughout the play completely shifting former beliefs and ideas. John Proctor is one of these characters that go through this metamorphosis. In the beginning of The Crucible, John Proctor is a man burdened by his sins, but throughout the play his morals and true nature are tested and brought into light, and by the end he learns to accept forgiveness and truly finds the goodness he had been seeking in himself.

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This is the turning point, he goes on to tell them about his affair and let it all go. He realizes only the truth will set him free and he tries to keep it that way for the rest of the play. This kind of a change is only brought about by desperate measures, Proctor, in his eyes, ruins his life with his own actions. This is the self-pride and high morals of John

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A crucible can mean either an instrument of heating or a severe trial. In the play “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller uses a great trial in the Salem witch trials to describe how he felt during the Red Scare in the 1950’s. The Red Scare was a national hunt for Communists, or “Reds” as they were called. Arthur Miller felt as if it were a giant “Witch Hunt” after he was accused of being a communist. He wanted to protest these hunts, but he did not want to get arrested for revolting against the government, so he wrote his ideas on the witch hunt based on an actual witch hunt.

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The dictionary defines a crucible as a place or occasion of severe tests or trials. During the late seventeenth century, many places around the world began to have an increased fear of the supernatural. Witch trials sparked by these fears brought great pressure upon all involved. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the people of Salem were placed under a lot of pressure as the witch trials were occurring. With pressure mounting, three men from the story each struggled in a different manner; Parris becoming fearful and cowardly, Hale undergoing a change in character, and Proctor taking a stand for what he believed to be right.

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In Arthur Miller's famous play The Crucible, the title refers to the brutal trial or test that the characters must undergo, revealing their true nature and moral fiber. Set in the Puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, the play depicts the Salem witch trials, a time when widespread paranoia and fear allowed false accusations of witchcraft to tear the community apart. As the witch hunt escalates, even the most upright and pious individuals find themselves put through an excruciating crucible that pushes them to their limits, testing their convictions, integrity, and willpower. The central character of John Proctor undergoes an intense crucible over the course of the play. Introduced as a well-respected farmer who has committed the

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Macey Ravndalen Hour 6 In the play The Crucible, the severe test is whether the city overcomes this tragedy and ends the commotion about witches and to see who realizes what's wrong. Also if Salem stays with the believes of Puritanism. Many characters are tested throughout the play. John Procter is an example because he confesses falsely to witchcraft to avoid the loss of his children and wife.

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When one makes a decision it can often be boiled down to self preservation at the expense of others or righteousness at the expense of themselves. John Proctor, a character in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is faced with this predicament multiple times throughout the play. First, he must choose between sustaining his good reputation by concealing his affair, or letting his discretions be known in order to prevent Abigail’s rise to power. Later, he is faced with this again, but this time his wife, Elizabeth, is in immediate danger and will be directly affected by his decision. In the end, he is given the option to either falsely confess to witchcraft and be spared his life, or be hanged with a clean conscience.

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“The Crucible” is a fiction story that took place in a small town called Salem in the state of Massachusetts in 1692 during the spring time. The plot of this story is about a group of girls who went into the forest led by a black slave named Tituba. They were all dancing in the forest until Reverend Parris caught them dancing in the forest and even saw one of the girl naked. Parris’s daughter Betty who was there in the forest falls into a coma-like state when Reverend Parris caught them. Reverend Parris only noticed his daughter was sick the next day and accused Abigail William, who is Reverend Parris’s niece, of witchery and caused his daughter to go into a coma-like state.

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These “tests” make us act a certain way to achieve a reputation that we’re proud to display in public. But what exactly do these crucibles really do to us? A crucible is defined as a “very significant and difficult trial or test”. In the play

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The Metaphor Of The Crucible In The Crucible: Analyzing Quiet Materialism and Supplement Based on interpretation, the title, The Crucible can be observed as a subtle metaphor for the events throughout the play, even though there is no mention of its significance in the play itself. The metaphor of The Crucible can seen when the town of Salem is the crucible. A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. In Salem, it is a very close-knit community, so everyone knows each other.

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The word “crucible” has three main meanings: “A porcelain container used for melting substances that require a large amount of heat”, a “severe test”, and a “place/situation where concentrated forces interact to cause change or development.” All of these definitions can be applied to the themes present in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. In many ways, the town of Salem became a crucible for its inhabitants. When faced with harsh circumstances, many of the characters are forced to face internal struggles that put their beliefs to the test.

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It is ironic that the innocent people such as Nurse are punished, while the wicked go unpunished. The Salem witch trials can be compared to a crucible. A crucible is a pot used to melt metals and other substances. However, a crucible also symbolises a difficult test or trial. In the context of the play,

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In the play the accused people get examined and the judges are trying to find out whether or not they are bewitched. The definition is really simple but crucible can also be described as kind of a melting pot and that fits really well (because?). People get accused of things and then judged by others. Based on that decision the society has a certain perception of them and it makes people act differently. In the play almost everybody acts a certain way to make a good impression.

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In the play " The Crucible " by Arthur Miller the term or idea of a crucible is not just used in the title, it is also used in the plot and in the dialogue of the character 's their self. A crucible is a severe test or trial in a place or of an occasion. This term relates to the title because in this play many characters are tested with regards to their faith and are put on trial for witchcraft. Another meaning of the term "crucible" is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. This term relates to the title because all throughout the play people are being accused of witchcraft and being sentenced to death or thrown in jail.

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