ipl-logo

Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

853 Words4 Pages

Although Salem, Massachusetts was founded on religiously centered morals, nevertheless it turned to sinful behaviors because Arthur Miller wants to demonstrate that community can be shaped by social pressures.
Arthur Miller portrays the detriments of a close-knit community and illustrates how small Salem truly is through everyone knew each other's business. One night, John and Elizabeth Proctor had an argument over Abigail Williams. Elizabeth accused John of cheating with Abigail and told him “if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not” (Miller 52) Elizabeth Proctor supports her accusation of adultery with this statement. This statement reveals how people within the community of Salem were constantly …show more content…

Their argument symbolizes the damage that stems from living in a very small community since it is easier for people to know everyone’s business. Similar to Elizabeth Proctor being aware of her husband’s personal business, Giles Corey also reveals some information about a fellow townsmen that could only be known from living in a small town. While discussing with Reverend Hale about Martha Corey being accused of witchcraft, Giles Corey explained “That bloody mongrel Walcott charge her. Y’see he buy a pig of my wife four or five year ago, and the pig died soon after.” (68) This is a perfect representation of how everyone knew each other’s business in Salem Massachusetts. Giles remembers this information from so long ago. The downside of living in a community like Salem is evident here: a person may not do something in fear that others will know about it and would be forced to conform to social pressures. Through revealing how characters, …show more content…

John Proctor is an example of a person who was a moral man, however due to the social pressures within Salem, he turned sinful. John tells Abigail “you’ll put it out of mind. I’ll not be comin’ for you more.” (21) John’s admittance to cheating with Abigail to the readers reveals how even in a town centered around religion and having good morals, a person is still able to commit immoral actions. His affair with Abigail shows that despite Salem’s attempt to be indifferent to social pressures, even John could succumb to sin. Another way the community is sinning is shown through how John Proctor initially tried to cover up his affair by lying. When John reveals to the court that he had cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, with the words “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” (102), he signifies how Salem became a town that once was focused on behaving morally, yet because of social pressures was shaped into a community that committed sins. Now John is not only revealing his sins to the readers, but also to his town, showing them that their community has truly

Show More
Related
398 Words | 2 Pages

Have you ever read the book The Crucible well in the novel there is a guy name John Proctor is tormented individual and he dies for his beliefs. He believes his affair with Abigail Williams damaged him in the eyes of god his wife Elizabeth and himself. John describes himself as a “ sinner” because he has cheated of his wife. Now that you know a little bit about John Proctor.

Read More
380 Words | 2 Pages

In many works of literature, a character’s past has a positive or negative effect on the actions, attitude, and values of the character. The Salem Witch Trials, are a product of John Proctor’s mistake with Abigail. The story illustrates how over time, Proctor’s life was slowly altered, but consequently the lives of the people around him were never the same again either. His past mistake is able to tell a story of how pride, deceit, and hate can ruin lives. Firstly, John Proctor has to contend with the fact that he has violated Christian, marital, and societal values.

Read More
392 Words | 2 Pages

Nothing that John Proctor does is enough to erase the sin that he has committed against his wife. His guilt causes him to fake affection for Elizabeth. He is trying to relieve his guilt with words but they are nothing when Elizabeth suggests that he goes to Salem to tell the court that the girls were faking, he cannot. “If the girl’s a saint now, I think it is not the way to prove she’s a fraud” (Miller 51). John knows he will have to accuse Abigail the girl that he slept with, he knows the power that she has over him.

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

Much of what happens in Salem still resembles some things we see in society today. The word of one man can change people’s ideas and images of another without conclusive evidence. What people fear the most can sometimes bind us together, even if it is not

Read More
534 Words | 3 Pages

Truth and sacrifice The Crucible, by American author Arthur Miller, is a play about a parochial community stuck in a state of anarchy in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. A religious group known as Puritans lived in Salem at the time believed strongly in being subservient to the bible. A group of girls were caught dancing in the woods, and they would be posthaste to cover up themselves to make them seem immaculate, they started blaming others for their actions. The true innocents, the ones with a good name, end up hanging due to their value of truth. This play was written in 1952 during the period of the “Red Scare”.

Read More
328 Words | 2 Pages

In this act of the play, an interesting element of conflict and hypocrisy between the relationships of characters and within the characters themselves. These relationships continue to make Salem appear less pure and pristine as it initially seemed to be. One example of conflict can be seen in John Proctor’s decision as to whether he would testify in court against Abigail. John, at least on the surface level, wants to protect Elizabeth from being hanged for witchcraft because Abigail had accused her. From the movie and play, I make out John to be a man with a large degree of grandeur.

Read More
899 Words | 4 Pages

Previous to the witch hunt, Proctor had committed adultery by sleeping with Abigail Williams, and this evil act had caused him to live in fear of being discovered as an adulterator. However, after witnessing the constant disingenuous acts of Abigail throughout the entirety of the witch hunt, Proctor gave himself up for the prosperity of the community when he declares, “I have known her, sir. I have... known her” (Act III). Through Proctor’s confession to adultery in front of the court, readers can fully understand the compassion he possesses. This revelation is possible because, John was fully aware of the abominable charges he would have to face, but he was willing to be killed if it would mean the end of Abigail’s antics and thus the end of the death of innocent people.

Read More
206 Words | 1 Pages

The main character of The Crucible, John Proctor is someone who possesses all the necessity traits that classify a tragic hero. Not only is his downfall in the book initiated by his human flaw, but he also captures the sympathy from the readers. Even though John Proctor’s intentions are good and truthful through out the book, in the beginning we discover that he has a significant secret. He is guilty of committing the sin of adultery with his young servant, Abigail Williams. His sick wife Elizabeth learned of his infidelity and forgave him, but Abigail was in love with John and tries to kill Elizabeth by engaging in witchcraft with a few other girls in Salem.

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Imagine being put on trial for witchcraft because a group of teenage girls pretended that they are under a spell, and being terrified knowing that their accusations put several innocent people to death. This is what many people would experience during the Salem witchcraft trials. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, captured the emotions of this time period. It starts when Betty, the only child still alive from Reverend Parris and Elizabeth, has fallen severely ill. The family and neighbors are very concerned and call a doctor who believes that her illness is the result of witchcraft.

Read More
1095 Words | 5 Pages

The Crucible - Conflict Analysis John Proctor Internal: John Proctor’s most eminent internal conflict is over the sin he has committed, adultery. Proctor cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, and this makes Proctor feel incredibly guilty because in the town, he is “respected and even feared” (19). He tried very hard, and succeeded, with keeping this moral crime to himself. He still walked about Salem as if he was “an untroubled soul,” (21) however, avoiding the sin again would be a difficult task. Abigail flirts with him, in attempt to have him for one last night, and it’s obvious Proctor has an arduous time pushing her away.

Read More
721 Words | 3 Pages

The events that partake in the Salem Witch Trials turned the simple Puritan village into the dark, twisted society that was portrayed in The Crucible. These Puritans’ disciplined religious values were practiced to create a better, holier world. In irony, it was these beliefs that pushed the people in Salem to bring about the paranoia and destruction of the Trials. The characters that are the most responsible for the Salem Witch Trials are Reverend Parris, Reverend Hale, Abigail Wilson, and Judge Danforth.

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

Proctor motivates to learn how the truth can still not matter if it is not what the court wants to hear causing people to be killed and put in jail. John Proctor chooses to try to hide the affair between him and Abigail Williams , which causes half of the town of Salem going to jail for witchcraft. John is talking to Mary Warren when she is talking to him about the Devil being in Salem and they must find where he is:"I

Read More
570 Words | 3 Pages

Cruelty is a recurrent theme in literature that often acts as a critical factor in a novel’s development. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the occurrence of cruelty is seen to be gradually increasing as the story goes on from accusations of witchcraft that lead into chaos and death. Through Miller’s depiction of the merciless accusations and murders of innocent people, cruelty reveals a high extent of people’s animosity and vengeance that is greatly influenced by the attitude of the surrounding atmosphere. The accusations first began when the girls who were caught “dancing” in the forest were under pressure to confess what they were truly doing.

Read More
263 Words | 2 Pages

However, when they are all brought into a deadly situation, they all rather keep their good reputation then saving their own lives or doing the correct thing. This show how a good reputation is important in Salem where social position is tied to one’s abilities to follow religious

Read More
964 Words | 4 Pages

John Proctor, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Abigail Williams were worried about their reputation in town, and they were willing to commit many sins and harm others to prevent this from happening. To begin with, John Proctor was seen as a good citizen. He was well-respected among his neighbors and other people in Salem because of his upright morals. He had an affair with his old servant, Abigail Williams. He tried to keep this hidden from the people to keep his good name.

Read More

More about Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Related Topics

Open Document