Many people would never consider pride as to being a sin, however the Catholic Church considers pride to be a sin because pride is about "me", "myself" and "I", they only worry about themselves and no one else. Although people might not believe it, today's society is filled with pride; from being proud of your heritage to being proud of your sexuality, pride is all around. However, the Catholic Church believes that pride is the foremost among the seven deadly sins because all a prideful person thinks only of himself, and that is the exact opposite of what the Catholic Church teaches. The Catholic Church wants them to forget about themselves and go out and help others. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Reverend Hale, Elizabeth and John Proctor all have a great deal of pride which in each case eventually decided their fate.…
In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials were filled with the same sins that were also shown in modern-day McCarthyism. In comparison, McCarthyism was a post-WWII investigation of Communists in the United States Government that involved blatant lies given by Joseph McCarthy that can relate to the lies shown by the townspeople of Salem during the Witch Trials. Specifically, three of the townspeople showed their sins the most; Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Thomas Putnam. The sins of wrath and lust were shown by Abby during the Witch Trials that she started. Second, Proctor showed much pride during the trials as well as revealing his previous lust for another. Lastly, Thomas Putnam is a greedy man with gluttony for land and shows it in his attitude towards some townspeople. Therefore, the three townspeople mentioned in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, will be punished for their sins whether they seek penitence or not.…
In the article "Witch-Hunting, Thwarted Desire, and Girl Power: Arthur Miller's The Crucible by Karen Bovard, Bovard talks how people fight to gain power in the hysteria of the witch trials. Abigail Williams leads the girls into accusing people and turns people against each other. Mary Warren tires to stand up and tell the truth but fails. Male ministers and judges fight for power. Proctor and Abigail have an affair that starts the turning of friends against friends by the towns’ people accusing others of being witches. Bovard says that it is interesting that no young men have interest in Abigail, except a married one. Proctor and Abigail’s relationship could be seen as harassment because Abigail worked for the Proctors in their home as a maid. Proctor’s wife Elizabeth knows about Abigail’s desire for Proctor before the affair even starts. She knows that Abigail want to replace her, in her home and bed. Another desire is of Ann Putnam who has lost 7 children during childbirth and she starts to accuse her neighbors of witchcraft. She accuses Rebecca Nurse, who has had many children and grandchildren and out of jealousy Ann accuses Rebecca. When girls are found dancing they are thought to be posed by the devil and then they fall ill and everyone thinks it was the devil and witchcraft. Bovard also makes the comparison about how slaves in Barbados and the town misfits are accused of witchcraft because they are easy to accuse and easy to bring down. And they accused people by what they were. More women with accused and race were also an issue.…
Having a good reputation is a goal that every human being wants accomplished during his or her life, but only to a certain extent. Having a reputation, the basic theme of this book, has a great amount of importance in The Crucible. This theme plays a tremendous role in what the basis of this book is. Arthur miller developed this theme throughout the book by accumulating characters with this quality. There are many characters in this book, but the ones that convey these qualities are, Reverend Parris, Abigail along with John Proctor. Miller uses Parris, in the first act, to demonstrate the theme of having great reputation and integrity.…
Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in response to McCarthyism in 1953. During this time the Puritan society was in authority. This society was one where religion was highly practiced, women had the least rights, forms of entertainment were banned and adultery was seen as major sin. However, Miller’s, The Crucible makes the strongest female character; Abigail the conveyance of all the Puritans would have believed as evil. Throughout the play, The Crucible the major character Abigail is presented as breathlessly beautiful yet highly malicious. She is displayed as antagonistic and static while instigating the witch trials for revenge.…
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.…
her home. As a result of Hester’s punishment by society, her experience with exile was both…
In the play "The Crucible" written by Arthur Miller, the author displays how easily people can make judgments based on their personal beliefs rather than rational and logical reasoning. Miller elucidates throughout the play that truth has no meaning when men believe only what they want to believe. A situation is created where there are factors capable of forcing characters into making assessments based on what they think is right while disregarding the truth. Three characters in Miller's play who abandon the truth because they choose to believe only what they want to believe are Reverend Parris, Reverend John Hale and Judge Danforth.…
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a drama about a small group of teen girls in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts caught in an innocent conjuring of love potions to catch young men are forced to tell lies that Satan had invaded them and forced them to participate in the rites and are then forced to name those involved. Thrown into the mix are greedy preachers and other major landowners trying to steal others' land and one young woman infatuated with a married man and determined to get rid of his innocent wife. Fueled by the lies and blasphemy in the town, they’re finally brought to a “melting point” where they buy into the deceit and start to charge witchcraft. The Crucible represents test, trail, ordeal, formation by fire, and vessel baked to resist heat. The title reflects the meaning of the work as a whole theme.…
Meaning: If one brave man stands up for what he believes in, he can make a change.…
In “The Crucible,” it is clearly illustrated that religion is the foundation in which the society of Salem is built upon. This directly implies that morality is highly valued in the society. In the beginning of the play, Arthur Miller draws a distinct line between John Proctor and Parris from their backgrounds and moral standards. Proctor is a married farmer who had an affair with a 17-year old house worker, Abigail. Parris is a minister of the church, and his reputation plays a very important role in maintaining his position as the leader of the congregation. While Miller portrays Proctor as an immoral man, he portrays Parris as a somewhat respected man in the city of Salem. But their moral standards eventually swoop through the witch trial that strikes the town. Throughout the story, Parris serves as a foil for Proctor by giving up his integrity for his reputation while Proctor gives up his life for goodness.…
Topic 6: At the end of the play, Reverend hale insists that John Proctor”s desire to hang instead of admitting that he was consorting with the devil is an act of excessive pride or stubbornness. Proctor’s self-sacrifice is not more than a petulant act of excessive pride.…
This is exactly what you as readers have been waiting for, the final and most exciting scene from the play the Crucible. When John Proctor is dealing with is mind boggling internal conflict, something happens to him, earlier in the play, all Proctor though about what was at stake that would affect him like his name, his soul and even his life, but now the tables have turned. Proctor is experiencing and epiphany, a sudden realization if you will. Proctor has finally discovered something about himself that will benefit others and not only himself. At first, Proctor had no idea what was more important to him whether it be his name or his life or his soul, but someone or something prevents him from thinking in the same manner as before.…
Abigail loves the feel of being in control and powerful. Abigail threatens the girls saying, "[ ] let either of you breathe a word [ ] and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you [ ]" (Miller 19). Abigail is telling the other girls that if they mention a word about her wanting to kill Elizabeth, she will hurt them.…
The literary work "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller is a very good choice for your essay. "The Crucible" is one of the most mysterious, and at the same time very utilitarian creation of the outgoing century.The play, which hitherto raises heated debates of people, who are trying to bring to light the subjects of much controversy, which are discussed in the play: the theme of the moral choice, justice and injustice, truth and lie, trials of the innocently accused person, witchcraft, evil powers vs. good ones. This literary creation is loosely based on historical facts: the Salem witch trials of the late 1600's.…