The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953. The play is set during the Salem witch trials in 1692. The Crucible is a story about fear and paranoia. The people of Salem are afraid of witches and they are paranoid that they will be accused of being witches. The Crucible is a story about how fear and paranoia can lead to disaster.
In the play The Crucible, which is based on Arthur Miller’s work, the town of Salem Massachusetts is depicted. After witchcraft is accused, the community becomes extremely worried. Parris catches his daughter and a group of her friends dancing in a forest after hearing rumors about the town. Betty falls into a coma when words are spread about the community. When stories regarding the city began circulating, citizens began accusing them of being witches.
The people who are accused of witchcraft are brought to trial, and many of them are put to death. The Crucible is a story about how fear and paranoia can create hysteria and lead to the downfall of a society. The characters in The Crucible are all driven by fear. The Reverend Parris is afraid of losing his position in the church, and he is also afraid that people will find out about his daughter’s involvement in witchcraft.
The Salem judges are afraid of being seen as soft on crime, and they are also afraid of being accused of witchcraft themselves. The townspeople are afraid of being branded as witches, and they are also afraid of being ostracized by the community. The Crucible is a story about how fear can lead to the downfall of a society. The town of Salem is a microcosm for the world, and The Crucible is a warning about how easily fear can take over a society and lead to disaster.
The townspeople are consumed with paranoia, so they call upon Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft. Parris questions Abigail–the ringleader who also happens to be his niece–about what happened in the forest. She denies doing anything wrong and claims they were just dancing. This story of right and wrong is based on the Salem witch trials and has a huge plot twist. The events that follow show people’s true personalities.
The characters in The Crucible are interesting because many of them switch between being good and bad. The story is also a great example of how easily people can be controlled by fear. The play is still relevant to society today as it is a lesson on not giving into mob mentality or groupthink. The Crucible is not just an entertaining story but a well-written piece that has something to teach everyone.
Abigail Williams, the ringleader of the girls, is power hungry and will do anything to get what she wants. She lies about seeing Parris’s daughter Betty dancing in the forest with the Devil in order to remove any suspicion from herself. When Parris questions her further, she claims that Tituba was the one who made her drink the blood of a chicken in order to kill Goody Proctor. Abigail is also quick to point the finger at others when she is caught, which shows that she is not a good person.
Reverend Hale is called in to investigate the claims of witchcraft and he immediately believes them. He does not bother to get to know the accused before passing judgment on them. This is dangerous because it means that anyone could be accused of witchcraft and killed, even if they are innocent. The only thing that matters to Hale is whether or not they confess, which shows that he is more interested in justice than in truth.
John Proctor is one of the few characters who remains consistent throughout the play. He is a good man who is trying to do the right thing, even though it is not always easy. He stands up to Danforth when he wants to force a confession out of Tituba and he refuses to give in to Abigail’s demands. Proctor is also willing to sacrifice himself in order to save his wife from being executed.
Elizabeth Proctor is a good wife who is loyal to her husband. She does not believe the accusations of witchcraft at first, but she starts to doubt him when she finds out about his affair with Abigail. Elizabeth is willing to forgive John, but she is not sure if she can trust him again.
Characters in the play are often put in situations where they have to make ethical decisions. In act 1 scene 3, John Proctor is talking to Abigail and tells her that she and her friends need to stop their foolish acts.
The act of witchcraft is punishable by death, so if they are caught they could be hanged. John Proctor is being ethical by telling them to stop before they get into trouble.
In The Crucible, fear and paranoia are used to control the people of Salem. The people are afraid of being accused of witchcraft and being put on trial. The paranoia is caused by the witch trials because the people are not sure who to trust. The fear and paranoia make the people more likely to confess to witchcraft even if they are innocent.
The year before, Abigail worked for Proctor and his wife. She was dismissed from the household when Mrs. Proctor discovered her husband’s affair with Abigail. Despite this, Abigail still craves John’s attention. It is insightful to note that not only did she break ethical codes by engaging in an adulterous relationship with a married man, but also that she indulged in witchcraft and running through the woods naked.
The first time we see Abigail’s dark side is in the beginning of The Crucible when Tituba is caught doing voodoo. The second time, we see her devious side is when she drinks a charm to kill Goody Proctor. The final time we see Abigail’s true colors is when she falsely accuses Goody Proctor of being a witch. The reason I say “Goody” instead of Mrs. Proctor is because back in the day women were not given much respect and were called by their husband’s first name.
The people in Salem are very superstitious so when they hear about someone doing voodoo or drinking a charm to kill someone, they immediately think that person is a witch. The problem with that is anyone could be accused of being a witch. The reason I think Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible is because he wanted to show how dangerous it is to judge people without knowing the whole story.
