Self Preservation Of The Character In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

There are not bold enough words that can express the dramatic changes of several, if not all, of the characters in The Crucible. Abigail admits to witchcraft, Proctor admits to lechery, and Elizabeth lies. While other characters have changes in development, Parris has one underlying quality that is his one and only true motivator: his own self preservation. Everyone has some motivation in the way of self preservation. From eating regularly to not driving recklessly, there are certain things people do in order to stay alive. In Parris’s case, however, self preservation-his instinct to save himself above all else-is his only motivator, and it runs deep. From denying witchcraft to openly being involved in the court, he only cares about keeping

Before Hale came, with his books and claims of witchery, Parris claims “There be no unnatural cause here,” (Miller 9) as witchery in his house would be the end of his career. When Hale speaks on witchcraft, however, and makes a logical case for it, he immediately changes his stance and questions Tituba under threat of whipping. He keeps the fact that he caught the girls dancing from the court, but when Proctor brings it up he simply says “I never found any of them naked, (Miller 97). Throughout act three he backs all of the girls, including Abigail, but when Abby runs away and robs him, and when he find a dagger placed at his home, he tries to get Danforth to postpone the hangings. These are his changes, each and every one, yet it is not necessarily the changes that are important, but what they show

However, this has not technically been proven yet. Thusly, the next section of the essay is reached. Parris does everything in order to keep others from rising up against him. He denies witchery, then upholds it, he claims he never saw them dance, but then that he never saw them dance naked, he upholds the trials, then tries to postpone the hangings. He changes his stance several times, but his intentions are clear. Parris does not care about the well being Abby, or Proctor, or-most likely-anyone in his very own congregation. The only time he cares is when he is on the line. Call it what you will: weakness, greed, loathsome pride, it gets the job done to a certain degree. For the majority of the play, he manages to stay out of harm's way. Nonetheless, this does not save him from internal conflict. Parris’s actions showcase his internal conflicts. He’s wary of change, we see that when he feverently claims that nothing has anything to do with witchcraft. He is a completely, utterly broken man by the end of the book-as seen in “He covers his face and sobs,” “He presses his finger against his eyes to keep back tears,” and “He is pleading,” (Miller 117). From this we can infer that the constant changes of his inner dialogue are causing internal conflict, and that they are tearing him