Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. John has already confessed that the affair was the reason for Abigails dismissal. Elizabeth is defined by her relationship to John, and Mary is pushed around by other characters (mostly men) throughout the play. Elizabeth's side of the story is disregarded because Abigails testimony is far more dramatic. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about the Salem witch trials. He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented. I am with God, I, Danforth expresses his opinions on lying when Mary Warren enter his court to confess herself and he begins the conversation by saying, How were you instructed in your life? Create your account, 7 chapters | In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). Arthur Miller pokes fun at this in his commentary in the play and explains his intentions to the audience. People were put to death because their neighbors suspected them of committing a crime, but murder is a sin in the Puritan religion. Even before Abigail makes accusations, rumors of witchcraft have morphed into accepted truths in the minds of the more superstitious members of the community. Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation are immediately evident in Act 1. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? The book is about witchcraft or what the town thinks is witchcraft. Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. Thomas Putnam tells him to Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.Parris must rush to be the first accuser so he can place himself beyond reproach. The Crucible is set during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Both Hale and Proctor don't want to live with the consequences of their mistakes, so they try to ignore or undo their past actions. What Are The Human Flaws In The Crucible 1560 Words | 7 Pages. A character named Abigail lived with proctor and his wife and his two sons. Arthur Millers portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall The Crucible, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are. The people who preside over the trials are corrupt. Hale doesnt realize that his own fears and suspicions are the real powers of the dark. There are two examples of Ad hominem from The Crucible in Act 2 and Act 3. The each profess to want truth and to desire to punish actual wrongdoers. At first, Mary is being honest by admitting that Elizabeth . The hypocrisy in this statement is almost funny. He is somewhat responsible for all of the witch trials; if he wouldn't of committed adultery with Abigail, she wouldn't have gone on her rampage of blaming people. By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. She says, "My name is good in the village! Hale also makes some unintentionally ironic statements in Act 1 when he begins his investigation. Proctor is infuriated. Where before she was just an orphaned teenager, now, in the midst of the trials, she becomes the main witness to the inner workings of a Satanic plot. Deception is a major driving force inThe Crucible. The judges cannot force her to commit herself to a lie, and her martyrdom severely damages their legitimacy and favor amongst the townspeople. Here are some discussion questions to consider after reading about the thematic role of the concepts of power and authority in the events of the play: Mary Warren when she comes back from Salem in Act 2. He appears to have no governing system of morality. 22). | 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. A constant theme through out the play is your personal reputation, maintaining a good name. 133). Hypocrisy is just one of many personality traits along many spectrums. 44) but realizes that her word against Abigail will not stand. succeed. While it does provide an entertaining experience at face value, the true literary genius behind the work is Miller's . officials (like Danforth) unable or unwilling to listen to reason? The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. In Act 2, John Proctors guilt over his affair with Abigail is demonstrated through an ironic exchange with Reverend Hale. The Crucible is a play written by American author, Arthur Miller, in 1953. Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris become even more rigid in their views when they feel they are under attack. In The Crucible many examples of hypocrisy are shown. Danforth explains his inability to free the accused people because, twelve are already hanged for the same crime. In reality. 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. The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation. Why is everyone so quick to believe Abigails story? She was seen as a grandmother to the village. There's a message here about the choices we have in dealing with guilt. The cause of the hysteria was caused by Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth. Hypocrisy is not simply failing to practice those virtues that one preaches, or known as saying one thing but doing another. In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect. Hale also contends with his guilt in act 4 for his role in condemning the accused witches, who he now believes are innocent. builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. The overall message is that when a person's actions are driven by desires to preserve favorable public opinion rather than do the morally right thing, there can be extremely dire consequences. Later in the play, she is accused. This causes problems down the line as Parris allows his paranoia about losing his position to translate into enthusiasm for the witch hunt. The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (pg. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible 16 is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible. Reverend Parris, the paranoid widower and heaven-ordained minister of the town of Salem, was, simply put, a hypocrite. He insists,I am not empowered to trade your life for a lie (pg. Abigail also shows concern for her reputation. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. 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. She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. Abigail's strength in Act I is the strength that is within her ability to influence others. The other two main female characters, Elizabeth and Mary Warren, are somewhat bland. The overall message is that. What is the difference between dissent and disloyalty? In this case, you're asked to discuss the concept of a tragic character, explaining who fits that mold in The Crucible and why. This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Jennifer has taught high school English for eight years and has a master's degree in curriculum and assessment. It is a somewhat fictional play about the Salem Witch Trials. 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. Miller himself was blacklisted for refusing to testify in front of the HUAC, a committee that was created to investigate any person who might be a communist. 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. Miller addresses a similar hysteria throughout his play. I chose . The Crucible presents a view of women that essentially reduces them to caricatures of human beings that are defined by their roles as mothers, wives, and servants to men. These are themes that could be considered subsets of the topics detailed in the previous sections, but there's also room to discuss them as topics in their own right. Rebecca Nurse, a woman whose character was previously thought to be unimpeachable, is accused and arrested. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. 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. How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? Compare and contrast three authority figures in this drama: Hale, Danforth, and Parris. 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. Though the Puritans believed that children were not to be taken seriously, they are later convinced by the court officials that the children are the authorities on witchcraft. By the end of class, you should be able to: Identify basic elements of McCarthyism, including the following terms: This leads to Marys hysterical accusation of Proctor after she finds herself targeted by the other girls and about to be consumed by the hysteria herself if she doesnt contribute to it. (Cheever pg. In steadfastly refusing to confess, Rebecca Nurse holds onto a great deal of power. John Proctor surrenders his agency at the end of Act 3 in despair at the determination of the court to pursue the accusations of witchcraft and ignore all evidence of their falsehood. Abigail insists that she did nothing to deserve it and tries to put all the blame on Elizabeth Proctor. It is not just, (Miller 129). No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. One path to higher standing and greater control would be in becoming John Proctors wife. This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren.