Preview

Salem Witch Trials Vs Crucible

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
333 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Salem Witch Trials Vs Crucible
The HUAC, or the House of Un-American Activities and Committee, started their investigations to find the party of the left wing. In the beginning they investigated 41 people in Hollywood who could be potential left wing members, they narrowed down their search to 19 people. In those 19 people 10 of them refused to say anything and pleaded to the fifth amendment. When accused and were blacklisted, they often had to accuse other people that were affiliated with the left party to get out of being accused. Likewise, in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible people of the Salem witch trials were no different from what happened in Hollywood. In the Salem witch trials, if one was accused of being a witch and chose not to talk, they would most likely be sentenced

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Every one in a while, America erupts into mass hysteria because of the ranting of some crazy people. In the 1600's, we had the Salem witch trials, and as described in the book, "The Crucible", a group of girls falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft, and regular, innocent people are hung. Then, in the 1950's, a man named Joseph McCarthy sparked a craze of accusing people, mainly government officials, of being communist, thus scarring their careers. The McCarthy hearing are similar to the Salem witch hunt because the accuser exaggerates and fabricates evidence, the accused are used as scapegoats for society's problems, and McCarthy and the Salem girls use the accusations to obtain power.…

    • 889 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the witch trials and McCarthyism both had innocent people that were wrongly accused, had their reputations ruined, put in jail, or worse. The accused had a very little choices after being accused. In both theses cases, many people were also wrongly accused of being a witch or being a communist. Stated in ‘The Crucible’ Abigail and Betty were accused many of being “with the devil”. Once one person accused another it started, “whole country’s talkin’ of witch craft!” Mccarthy was one that accused others of being communist to help stop the fear of communist, to stop uprising against then government, and to stop espionage. The choices were to: one to confess, and live and not be jailed, two to name others, or three be silent and be put in jail…

    • 163 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    How can two events that happened hundreds of years apart be strikingly similar? The themes and events of the Salem witch trails and McCarthyism era are very similar but still very different. The two events happened in the US history. The Salem witch trails happened in the year 1692 , while the McCarthyism era was going on in the 1950-60 . The events happened 258 years apart.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s article, “Are You Now Or Were You Ever?,” Miller identifies many similarities between the issues during the “Red Scare” and the events in Salem. One similarity that really stands out is Miller’s point that, “Both had the menace of concealed plots, but most startling were the similarities in the rituals of defense, the investigative routines: 300 years apart, both prosecutions alleged membership of a secret, disloyal group.” Miller’s points are very accurate and perfectly depict life for those in 1692 and the 1950’s. The “Red Scare” and Salem are dreadfully alike because of their similar processes. Salem in 1692 was a place of hysteria. People were accused of being witches. The people who were accused did nothing to bring on the accusations. People were accused strictly based on what others claimed to see, hear, and feel. Those accused in Salem were not respected, trusted, or treated fairly. People were accused of sending their specters upon others. In the court spectral evidence was used and believed to be reliable. At the time all accused were considered guilty until proven innocent. They could not stand up for themselves and fight their accusers. Once accused there were two options. One was to admit to witchcraft then turn around and accuse others. The second option was to be hanged for those who would not admit. Many were hanged in Salem. The “Red Scare” was similar to the events in Salem. Those accused during the 1950’s did nothing wrong. A group of people, known as the “Hollywood Ten,” was accused of wrongdoing and there were no real reasons for the accusations. Many others were blacklisted because they would not give up names of people they believed were guilty of communistic acts. Those who were blacklisted could not find work and were frowned upon in the community. The lack of evidence, proof, and reason is parallel to the events in Salem. In the end few were actually killed during the “Red Scare”, but like Salem there were executions.…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The McCarthy Era and The Crucible can relate in many ways, in both of these times people were accused for wrong doings. People were put to punishment and the only way out was to confess and give the names of your accomplices. If not you were put to death In the case of The Crucible, but in The McCarthy Era you were denied work and many times were not able to travel out of the country. In The McCarthy Era it was said that there was spies in the US that had gotten control of the atomic bomb. This was right after World War II had ended and America feared of Germans and Japanese. This is very similar to what happened in The Crucible. In The Crucible the children of Salem were running the courts as said by John Proctor “I’ll tell you what's walking in Salem - vengeance is walking in Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance!"…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    People often ask themselves why this world outrageous? Why this things happen to me? So many events is what led the world chaotic. People will believe anything that is said on the news or even gossip. Gossip is what fuels the fire such as the Salem Witch Trials. There is always two side of a story the truth and the witness. If people stop believing then the world wouldn’t be how it is now. There are people who likes to see more about action then promise.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible and the Scarlet Letter are two old stories set in a middle age America that had many problems with its evolution including proclaimed witches. These stories represent the natural differences between society as a whole and the individual they either help or abandon. The Crucible focused on how an individual could never win against a society unless they get help from another society. The Scarlet Letter represents the difficulties of when a communityhas abandoned a person yet continue to connect with them. These stories give the contrast between the different lifestyles people have between these two worlds. People have a private and personal life that reflects themselves…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, if a person was not with the court they were against it which in turn means they are with satan because the court is with God. In Puritan culture, the only choice is to believe in God and for those who do not follow God or the gospel at all or “the right way”, are punished and shunned. In Act Three, the women accused of witchery have begun to be questioned in court. The husbands of a few of the women are in the court trying to clear the names of their good women. Of these men is Francis the husband of Rebecca Nurse. Francis brought in papers signed by 91 people saying good opinions trying to to defend these women. In a quick defense Danforth says, “A person is either with this court or he must be counted…

    • 215 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Salem Witch Trials Dbq

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts broke out into hysteria all because of an accusation about a witch. When a few teenage girls began accusing the older woman of Salem of witchcraft, suspicions started flying around. Soon neighbors were accusing each other, calling the Puritan church to get involved. After the church got involved many innocents lost their lives. Most of the teenage girls that accused the women of witchcraft, wanted their husbands for land and money. Not that the women did anything to the girls, they were just segregated on opposite sides of town. This made the wives an easy target for the girl’s allegations. Salem Village had self-segregated based on wealth and power and contributed to one of the many reasons the Witch Trials of 1692 came to be.…

    • 658 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is it possible for one man’s truth to be another’s lie, or is it that the two’s interpretation of the absolute truth differ? Truth cannot be viewed from a subjective perspective for then there would be endless “truths”, rather, the truth must be viewed objectively for the fact that it is. Despite the obvious flaw with subjective truth, many believed, and still do, in its reasoning. Authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller of The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible, respectively, both write about how Puritans, filled with fear and ignorance, blindly believed the subjective statements and accusations they heard without considering the objectivity of the truth.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The mock witch trial which our class ran was a perfect representation of the crucible. Proctor says “Damn this village” pg 142, and “Damn the Deputy Governor” pg 77 The Crucible. These are two good ways of describing our experience. The charges against the accused were nonsense, but what was more ridiculous was when the judges believed it.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The witch trials supply Reverend Parris in numerous key ways. Initially he was frightened that any indication of witchcraft be established in his home; he has been the Reverend after all, has not been establishing in effectively with the community. If it was established that it was his home that was the origin of witchcraft, he would end up being unemployed. However, it eventually ends up in his favor. As soon as witchcraft is found in his home, and his niece, daughter as well as his servant admit, out of blue they are all viewed as angels and saviors, come to save the city from the devil. Therefore, people actually began liking Parris and his family.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible

    • 973 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It has been said many times that if people don't learn from their mistakes they are doomed to repeat them, such is the case throughout history. There are many different examples of this, but one example is the blatant similarities between the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts and the era of McCarthyism. When considering the nature of these events, it is hard to believe that they could have actually happened, not would only once, but twice. If one would take the time to compare these events he or she will be able to see numerous similarities between them. In The Crucible Miller relates an analogy of the witch trials in Salem to the investigation of communists by Joseph McCarthy. There are many similarities between these two events in history.…

    • 973 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    You've probably noticed the insane and abundant amount of sexual assault charges that have been dealt out to today's popular celebrities. Now, this isn't the first time that a ton of accusations has happened. Arthur Miller wrote a play back in the 50s during the time of McCarthyism called the crucible. His play was to show that a ton of people were being accused of communism just like they were for witchcraft in Salem. So now the pattern continues but in a whole different way.…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible hypocrisy runs through the town of Salem, Massachusetts, as if it were contagious. When the witchcraft situation in Salem gets out of control, several characters like reverend Paris, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams become engaged in hypocritical actions.…

    • 1835 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays