& # 8220 ; The Crucible & # 8221 ; Essay, Research Paper

Arthur Miller enriches the reader & # 8217 ; s experience of & # 8220 ; The Crucible & # 8221 ; by

strategically portraying assorted subjects throughout the drama. Miller & # 8217 ; s subjects

include societal play, personal calamity, craze, superstitious notion, greed and

retribution, authorization and judgement, theocracy, justness, historical play, and

fright of the unknown.

The subject of societal play is a direct consequence from the clip period that

Miller wrote & # 8220 ; The Crucible & # 8221 ; . The drama was written during the Red Scare, when

Americans were in fright of a Russian coup d’etat of the United States of America.

This is reflected in & # 8220 ; The Crucible, & # 8221 ; because the people in the drama are in

fright of some entity, the entity being witcheries and non communism.

& # 8220 ; The Salem calamity, which is about to get down in these pages,

developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose clasp we still

unrecorded, and there is no chance yet that we will detect its

revolution. Simply, it was this: for good intents, even high

intents, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of

province and spiritual power whose map was to maintain the community

together, and to forestall any sort of disunity that might open it

to devastation by stuff or ideological enemies. It was forged

for a necessary intent and accomplished that intent. But all

organisation is and must be grounded on the thought of exclusion and

prohibition, merely as two objects can non busy the same infinite.

Obviously, the clip came in New England when the repressions of

order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against

which the order was organized. The witch-hunt was a perverse

manifestation of the terror which set in among all categories when the

balance began to turn toward greater person freedom ( pgs. 6-

7 ) . & # 8221 ;

The subject of personal calamity exists today as it did during the period

when Miller wrote the drama. Today, personal calamity can be the loss of a

loved one or even a twosome decides to travel its separate paths in life.

However, in & # 8220 ; The Crucible, & # 8221 ; personal calamity is best personified with John

Proctor. Proctor is the chief supporter of the drama and he is good suited

for the portion. He was devoid of his freedom, privateness, and life. Act four

symbolizes the concluding diminution of Proctor & # 8217 ; s societal position when he is accused of

walking with Lucifer and subsequently squealing to it. He was accused of being a

wizard after it was stated by Putnam that he was seeking to subvert the

tribunal, with a deposition signed by Mary Warren saying that the stricken

misss were frauds. As a consequence of this accusal, Proctor would merely be

spared if he would squeal to the accusal. Proctor did confess but subsequently

ripped up a signed confession, mentioning that God had hear his confession and

seen his name on the confession ( pgs. 142-143 ) .

Hysteria is the footing of the drama. The people of Salem are scared, they

are paranoid. Will they be accused and even convicted of packing with the

Devil? The tests pit neighbour against neighbour, sometimes for fiscal and

societal addition or even out of pure hatred for Goody Doe up the street. Hysteria

is easy depicted in the early phases of the drama, when the stricken misss

name out the names of others they claim to hold seen with the Devil.

& # 8220 ; Betty, gazing excessively: & # 8216 ; I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw

Goody Howe with the Devil. & # 8217 ; Abigail: & # 8216 ; I saw Good Hawkynss with the

Devil! & # 8217 ; Betty: & # 8220 ; I saw Goody Bibber with the Devil! & # 8221 ; Abigail: & # 8220 ; I

proverb Goody Booth with the Devil! & # 8217 ; & # 8221 ;

Again, craze is depicted on page 130: Hale to Danforth, & # 8220 ; Excellency, there

are orphans rolling from house to house ; abandoned cowss on the trunk roads,

the malodor of decomposing harvests bents everyplace, and no adult male knows when the

prostitute & # 8217 ; s call will stop his life & # 8211 ; and you wonder yet if rebellion & # 8217 ; s spoke? & # 8221 ;

The Puritans did non utilize scientific discipline or logic, they relied on God and his

book. Without scientific discipline, they explained natural happenings, like rain, by

stating that God was angry and was seeking to rinse away the wickednesss of humanity.

Therefore, the Puritans were really superstitious. Enchantresss ne’er existed, nevertheless

their superstitious belief in witchery and the Devil led them to believe

otherwise. For illustration, the town mendicant asks for nutrient from Farmer Brown.

Framer Brown is a really spiritual, hard-working, family-man, and he is non

about the relinquish a part of his hard-earned nutrient to this lame mendicant.

As he courteously turns off, the mendicant mumbles an lewdness. Upon shuting the

door to his cabin on the mendicant, Farmer Brown & # 8217 ; s immature boy falls down and

interruptions a bone. Immediately, the old mendicant is to fault, superstitious notion points

everything in the mendicant & # 8217 ; s way. She was hungry, asked for a contribution

from Farmer Brown and she is turned off. Bing a small disquieted by Farmer

Brown & # 8217 ; s actions, she tells him to make something to himself. Following that,

Farmer Brown & # 8217 ; s boy is injured and he places the incrimination on the old mendicant,

claiming that she placed a jinx on Brown & # 8217 ; s household. Brown takes his job up

with the tribunal, the mendicant is convicted and she is hung. The old illustration

shows how superstitious notion influenced the lives of a Puritan household. The subject of

superstitious notion in depicted in & # 8220 ; The Crucible & # 8221 ; on pages 76 and 77, when Elizabeth

Proctor is accused of being a enchantress: & # 8220 ; Abigail were stabbed tonight ; a acerate leaf

were found stuck into her belly & # 8230 ; [ Elizabeth ] & # 8230 ; And she charges me? ( A poppet

was found in her house with a acerate leaf in the tummy, nevertheless Mary Warren

claimed that it was in there for safe maintaining after she sown the poppet for

Elizabeth ) ? & # 8221 ;

During the enchantress tests, a few characters were damming people left and

right for their ain net income, sometimes for retaliation. Thomas Putnam and Reverend

Parris are among the ill-famed few who were motivated by greed and retaliation.

Although it was non stated straight that Parris was looking for money and

land, a few of his conversations lead the reader to

the decision that Parris

was a & # 8220 ; televangelist & # 8221 ; of kinds. During the drama, it was apparent that Parris

was concerned more with his repute and obtaining the title to the meeting

house. & # 8220 ; Not long after the febrility died, Parris was voted from office, walked

out on the trunk road and was ne’er heard from once more, & # 8221 ; page 146. The old

statement references the ruin of Parris. It means that one time the ballyhoo over

the enchantress tests died out, the people of Salem eventually rid themselves of the

corrupt Reverend Parris, who was selfish and cared nil about the people.

Putnam was motivated by his pursuit for more land area. During the test of one

George Jacobs, Jacobs foremost mentioned how much land he owned ( movie version ) .

The same thing went for John Proctor and one point during the tests, when he

mentioned to the tribunal that he owned 300 estates of land. Abigail Williams is

the incarnation of retaliation. She was in love with John Proctor, but she didn & # 8217 ; T

experience the same manner for his married woman. Consequently, Elizabeth Proctor was charged

as being a enchantress, although she would be spared until she bore her babe.

The subject of judgement and authorization revolves around the Puritans & # 8217 ; belief

in theocracy. In & # 8220 ; The Crucible, & # 8221 ; the tribunal held power which was influenced by

the church, unlike modern society in which there is a separation of church and

province. The tribunal in the drama allowed spectral grounds, which could be proven

or disproved by a spiritual event or individual. The chief illustration of theocracy,

is the fact that the tribunals held tests sing witchery, which has its

roots with the Devil and Hell. In fact, the whole drama revolves around

theocracy and this subject of judgement and authorization, it was about witchery

and witchery tests. However, there were cardinal persons that made this

system effectual, effectual in this case by seting followings of the Devil

to decease. The first cardinal person was Judge Danforth. Danforth lead the

high tribunal of Salem and decided the destiny of 18 Salemites. Danforth could be

described as a tough, yet just justice during these tests. The other key

persons were Cheever and Hathorne, who besides helped make up one’s mind whether the

accused was guiltless or guilty, although they did non possess every bit much power as

Danforth.

The subject of justness is really apparent throughout the drama, since Miller

dedicated the full 3rd act to a tribunal room play. Justice is the drama is

non just, sing that Danforth didn & # 8217 ; t believe Proctor & # 8217 ; s word that the

misss were forging their complaints. Justice besides seemed to be influenced by the

public & # 8217 ; s sentiment, if person of a lower category was accused and non good liked

among the other categories, so they would be convicted and put to decease. One

of the chief characters that publically stated his sentiment on justness and the

tribunal system was Reverend Hale. When he witnessed the corruptness of the tribunal

and realized that the full proceedings was a large life, Hale declared his

going from the tribunal of Salem. & # 8220 ; I denounce these proceedings, I quit this

tribunal! & # 8221 ; What besides showed the corruptness of the tribunal, was how Hathorne

conducted his probes. Hathorne scared confessions out the suspects,

because he would acquire in their face and cry at them, sometimes coercing the

suspect into cryings. This is most apparent in the movie version of & # 8220 ; The

Crucible, & # 8221 ; because the actions of Hathorne and the other magistrates is easier

visualized.

& # 8220 ; The Crucible & # 8221 ; was besides written on the rules of historical play.

It tells of a clip when the rules of our society where in the early

phases of creative activity. The Puritans are like our modern society, yet much

primitive. They had their ain sets of Torahs and regulating organic structures, as was seen

in & # 8220 ; The Crucible. & # 8221 ; Unlike modern society and civilization, penalties for those

who broke any jurisprudence were much harsher, including decease. In the drama, anyone who

was convicted of witchery was put to decease. Today, person who does that

might travel to gaol and perchance set on test, but the decease punishment for

witchery in 2000 would be rare. & # 8220 ; Man, you will hang! You can non, & # 8221 ; Reverend

Hale to John Proctor when Proctor tears up his confession. However, modern

society has adopted rules different to that formed by the Puritans.

Unlike the Puritans, there is a definite separation of church and province. And

one concluding principal adopted by modern society and civilization that was based on

rules formed by the Puritans and that was apparent in the drama, is a

societal order. Back in the 17th century and as seen in & # 8220 ; The Crucible, & # 8221 ;

people were grouped harmonizing to their fiscal and societal position: hapless,

center or working category, and the gentlemen or affluent category. During the clip

that the tests were held, the categories discriminated against the lower of the

three. This is apparent even today & # 8217 ; s society, although it is non every bit rough as

it was in the 17th century.

Finally, the subject of fright of the unknown played a major function in the

drama. The Puritans did non cognize what was traveling on and did non cognize what was

doing the lunacy in Salem, Massachusetts. For all they knew, it was the

existent conflict of Good V. Evil in their ain small town. The people were scared

since they had no thought what was traveling on. This subject even applies to today.

A great illustration of being afraid of the unknown is being afraid of the dark, a

common fright among 1000000s of Americans. These people do non cognize what lurks

in the dark, if anything, and they do non cognize what will go on to them if

they enter the darkness. Comparing this to the Salem calamities, the villagers

did non cognize what was traveling on in the dark or what would go on to them if

they entered the dark, witchery and the tests that followed being the dark

in this instance.

In decision, the above subjects played an built-in function in & # 8220 ; The Crucible. & # 8221 ;

They added to the overall impact that the drama made on the reader & # 8217 ; s or

spectator & # 8217 ; s head.

337