The Role Of Monsters In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The word monster is often characterized as a fantastical beast composed of animal and human parts. Monsters are also portrayed with a marked physical or psychological deformity. Synonyms such as behemoth, demon, and villain overlap with the letters that make up the word – monsters, that grow in a society in order to challenge their culture. They not only challenge and question, they haunt, they bring misery, they sow unrest until the end of the bargain. They swallow up a society with fear, disposing of cultural mores and empathy. Humans are analogous to monsters; they prey on the weak and reveal monster qualities through their deepest desire. Monsters make us disgusted as we look through their eyes that reflect our existence and reveal a loathsome

A monster resides within those seeking vengeance or wrath, but once vengeance is served, there will always be a price to pay. Curses branch out like roots; when one person is cursed, two graves are dug. In “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller there are characters such as John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Hale that falls prey to their own desire to create a perfect life or a perfect society; thus, with empty hands, they abandon their morals- the essence that makes them a rightful human, leaving their hands tainted with a dark burgundy due to their horrible acts. Before the Salem Witch trials were held, in The Crucible, Abigail, Betty and the 11-year-old niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, along with a group of other young girls, are suspected of submitting to the Devil and performing witchcraft naked in the forest. Accused and cornered to confess they bite their tongues and condemn others as Witches. For the sake of their livelihood, they hold their heads up high accusing other women of witchcraft such as Goody Osborne and Rebecca Nurse. The trials brought hysteria and the townspeople believed that hanging those of presumable sin, avoided accessing the “monster” in a puritan society. Abigail’s, and the other young girl’s ambition to own the attention of the community in a patriarchal society made them into murderers. The monstrosity that lay in their heart rather than in any supernatural form and their perseverance for ambition created a monster inform of Witchcraft. They create a monster as they lost grip on reality that ultimately creates chaos and fear. For instance, John Proctor struggles with his conscience, particularly towards the end of the play. Proctor’s conscience is telling him that he shouldn’t lie or defy the court, if death faces him, he should hold his nose up high with dignity, but he loses grip on reality and lies. Proctor decides to confess to witchcraft instead of