The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, is a story where many people had been accused of witchcraft and a lot of innocent victims faced a difficult decision. By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. She attended church regularly and was the embodiment of how a Puritan woman should behave. As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. It is not just, (Miller 129). Abigail Williams was the main accuser of withes in Salem, and in her accusations she gained power in the town. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". He is known for making the right decisions and never going against them. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play that is based of 1962 Salem Massachusetts, the site of one of the worst witch-hunts in history. flashcard sets. The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God. Shes not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). Abigail accuses Tituba first because Tituba is the one person below her on the ladder of power, so she makes an easy scapegoat. Abigail possesses a two- pronged approach in her motivation. Ironically, though she is normally honest to a fault, in this situation Elizabeth decides to lie to preserve Johns reputation, not knowing he has already confessed. 22). Once there have been enough convictions, the reputations of the judges also become factors. Mary is a hypocrite, because she's supposed to be helping the church rid of conjurers of the devil but instead she is deceitful. How does Reverend Hale make Tituba feel important? Thomas Putnam tells him to Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.. Many of us in today's society do not believe in this; however, the Puritans really did believe that people could be vessels for the Devil. The only power they have left is in refusing to confess and preserving their integrity. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused. Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. Miller accomplishes this through almost, if not every character in the story. In one of the most well-known quotes in the play, John Proctor angrily insists that the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom (pg. Why does he decide to do so anyways? 123). The Devil has returned putting children under his control is what many people believed in Salem village in 1962. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the setting is Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s where the towns pious Puritan beliefs directly influence their government. Examples Of Hypocrisy In The Crucible. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than considering that this might indicate that the women are innocent. As this hysteria begins to rise, other people such as Thomas Putnam, a rich landowner, start to also allege Salem villagers. The dark, witchcraft-filled production follows a series of deaf characters who are narrated in English, rather than the other way around. This is taken as evidence that things are really getting out of control ("if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. This is interesting because the children are the ones that the rest of the village relies upon to condemn people to death. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Abigail's strength in Act I is the strength that is within her ability to influence others. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. Not living up to our beliefs, opinions,virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards is not a hypocrisy.Hypocrisy is pretending (and lying to others) to have them when we don't. Judge Danforth a well respected man in the society that has the supreme rule over the court. Recall that hypocrisy is when someone's actions don't match up with the professed values. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of howThe Cruciblethemes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Hypocrisy is "the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform". Answer (1 of 7): In that all states of mind occur due to the nature of the brain, yes, hypocrisy is natural in people with that tendency. How are characters behaviors affected by concern for their reputations? He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. Rebecca Nurse's accusation further demonstrates the hypocrisy in the play. Reverend Parris is in a position of power as the town's spiritual leader, but he is insecure about his authority. One of humanity's biggest flaws is that people would do anything to help themselves. The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is a play based upon events that occurred in Salem circa 1690s. Tituba is forced to accept her role as a pawn for those with greater authority and a stepping stone for Abigails ascent to power. He appears to have no governing system of morality. Even Judge Danforth, supposedly a reliable source of justice and solidity, goes against what he knows to be true by forcing those arrested to either confess to crimes they did not commit or face the gallows, all to save his name and prevent it from looking like he had hanged innocent people. Danforth and Mary Warren both embody hypocrisy, as seen when Mary says she cannot lie anymore and then lies when she becomes scared for her life, and Danforth when saying lying will send a person to Hell, but then forcing people to choose between lying and death. Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. The human lust and want for power has been and is the base of each and every witch-hunt. John and Rebeccas solid reputations lead to pushback against their executions even though people were too scared to stand up for them in the midst of the trials. The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. The town suspected her of lewd dealings, so she was put to death for it. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? To illustrate, here are some examples of . When she cant get John to abandon Elizabeth for her, she decides to take matters into her own hands and gain control through manipulating the fears of others. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong. For example, proctor waits till the very last minute to reveal Abigail is lying. Danforth also acts out of concern for his reputations here. Danforth has extensive pride in his intelligence and perceptiveness. The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. Parris initially insists that there are no unnatural causes for Bettys illness because he fears that he will lose favor with the townspeople if witchcraft is discovered under his roof. These two institutions fuse together in The Crucible to actively encourage accusers and discourage rational explanations of events. 91). One flaw that can always be found in society and the Crucible is hypocrisy. Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen). Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie. A professor tells us that he has a strict rule about cell phones in the classroom, then he answers it midway through his own lecture. In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (She comes to me while I sleep; shes always making me dream corruptions! pg. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. Jennifer has taught high school English for eight years and has a master's degree in curriculum and assessment. This act also sees the irony of Hale discussing the powers of the dark that are attacking Salem (pg. The narrator tells the audience that there is very little good to be said of him (Miller 1100), yet as a minister the people of the town look to him to be a pious religious leader. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller repeatedly portrays that duplicity and deceit are a natural part of human lives. The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. There are two examples of Ad hominem from The Crucible in Act 2 and Act 3. It's one thing to understand the major themes in The Crucible, and it's another thing completely to write about them yourself. This new power is exciting and very dangerous because. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. The Crucible is set during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. He is completely oblivious to the fact that the victims might be lying. Proctors good reputation is almost a burden for him at this point because he knows that he doesnt deserve it. Take a look at this article for details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. Explore examples of hypocrisy in the play, including the hypocrisy in land disputes, sin, and the characters of Rebecca Nurse, Reverend Hale, and the children. These types of statements made by Hale earlier in the play become even more ironic in Act 4 when he realizes he made a horrible mistake by trusting the evidence that was presented to him. Abigails presence is always rife with irony in The Crucible, as she constantly chastises others for sins she herself has committed. People could not take another's land unless it was left to them in a will; however, if someone were to be executed for a crime, that land belonged to the state and could be re-distributed. The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because theyre beggars and slaves. Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed. Ironically, he is the first to demand a confession from Tituba based on Abigail's dramatic but false testimony. Later in Act 4, Danforth becomes angry at the implication that Johns confession may not be the truth. Johns concern for his reputation is strong throughout the play, and his hesitation to reveal Abigails true nature is a product of his own fears of being labeled an adulterer. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Hale doesnt realize that his own fears and suspicions are the real powers of the dark. I feel like its a lifeline. No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. First off, what is irony? The price he has to pay in reputation to save his own life is ultimately too high. The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. Rational explanations are ground up by the drama of the rumor mill, and people see only what they want to see (whatever keeps them in the good graces of society andmakes them feel the best about themselves) in situations that don't appear to have easy explanations. Essay questions that ask about themes in this straightforward way can be tricky because there's a temptation to speak in vague terms about the theme's significance. The Judge forcing people to lie to save their lives he cant see the wrong hes doing. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other witches to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Bettys accusations, now validated by a coerced confession. What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, list of every single character in the play, details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. This act also sees the irony of Hale discussing the powers of the dark that are attacking Salem (pg. Read on for an overview of what a theme is, a list of important themes in The Crucible with specific act-by-act details, and a summary of how to use this information in your essays and other assignments. Throughout the play, Miller is introducing multiple characters that experience changes in their decisions and negatively influence more people eventually leading up to the witch trials. John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his . Rebecca Nurse is a pure soul, who always took care of other people's children. What makes Danforth so unwilling to consider that the girls could be pretending? Even with prompts that ask you to discuss a specific character or plot point, you can find ways to connect your answer to major themes. He wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government discriminated communists. What Is The Hypocrisy In The Crucible. Is there any character besides John Proctor that represents the voice of common sense amidst the madness? When Hale asks him to recite his commandments, the only one he forgets is adultery. In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (. This is ironic becausesearching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious. builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. The attitudes towards women in the 1950s, when the play was written, are evident in the roles they're given. Miller includes some commentary on Hale: ''One cannot help noting that one of his lines has never yet raised a laugh in any audience that has seen this play; it is his assurance that, 'We cannot look to superstition in this. Here are a few questions related to this theme that you can use to test your grasp of irony and its significance as a theme in The Crucible: Hale wrongly assumes that his academic mindset will save him from jumping to the wrong conclusions in the witchcraft investigation. What are their strengths and personal flaws? Human Flaws in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have specific human flaws that cause the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials. He is appalled by Elizabeths lack of emotion when he asks her to help the court get a confession out of her husband (pg. The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. The play is about human weakness, hypocrisy, and vindictiveness. The Devil is really a superstition hiding the townspeople, who are ''precise'' in their accusations because they want land from others. . Fear that spread among a group of people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials, that event in history is a prime example of Mass Hysteria. Later in Act 4, Danforth becomes angry at the implication that Johns confession may not be the truth. It's here that we see the hypocrisy of the situation. The main point that the story revolves around is that people would rather lie and blame someone else instead of confessing and accepting the punishment. No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. This lie essentially condemns both of them. Parris is very quick to position himself on the side of the accusers as soon as Abigail throws the first punch, and he immediately threatens violence on Tituba if she doesn't confess (pg. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Rebecca Nurse. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. Though hysteria overpowered the reputations of the accused in the past two acts, in act 4 the sticking power of their original reputations becomes apparent. Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned. (Cheever pg. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about the Salem witch trials. When she cant get John to abandon Elizabeth for her, she decides to take matters into her own hands and gain control through manipulating the fears of others. The ruthlessness with which the suspected witches are treated is aimed at purifying Salem, but it achieves the opposite outcome. Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. This confess or die mindset is one of the central ironies of the play. He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Bettys affliction. We saw that Arthur Miller used the Puritans in The Crucible to explore the themes, or main ideas of a text, in order to make the statement that society can be hypocritical and that we should question intentions. 130). Abigail William is hypocritical because she does not follow the rules of the Salem trials. How do outside forces contribute to the character's flaws and eventual downfall?". Hale pg. These three characters can be the most to blame for the cause of the spread and start of hysteria in Salem during the Witch Trials. What the people of Salem have seen as demonic possessions of the girls is nothing more than an act of deception. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. | Certified Educator Arthur Miller clearly wants the audience to empathize with John Proctor in The Crucible, and we know this based on the principles for which he stands. Well, it's not. It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us.'' Many villagers, especially Abigail . The irony is that, in the face of Johns rejection, Abigail turns around and creates her own lies soon after that give her increased control over the society she resents. Through this statement he clearly demonstrates his belief that lying will send a person to Hell. Because, the people of Salem will find out about the affair, this would weaken his reputation. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Arthur Miller speaks of Reverend Parris, stating: ''until this strange crisis he, like the rest of Salem, never conceived that the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak.''. Tituba, the slave of Reverend Parris, is the first to admit to dancing with the devil. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. There are numerous connections between the flaws of individual characters and the overarching themes of the play that could be brought into this discussion. The hypocrisy in this statement is almost funny. Hypocrisy In Salem And The Crucible Proctor knows that unlike most of the other people who have gotten hanged, his is not completely innocent. Miller carries the theme of hypocrisy through Parris by giving the reverend a very greedy nature. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. She has the power to utterly destroy peoples lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated.
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