Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. The crucible, based during the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials of 1692. Theme 3: Reputation. 133). 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. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, the events that occurred during the Salem witch trials are dramatized, and the truth of judgement and vengeance is examined in a web of lies amongst the townspeople. 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. Deception is a major driving force inThe Crucible. Its easy for more respectable citizens to accept that shes in league with the Devil because she is an "other" in Salem, just like Tituba. It is a somewhat fictional play about the Salem Witch Trials. I propose that each and every one of us is, or at some time has been, guilty of hyopcrisy. Can a work of art bring about change in the world? Arthur Miller used this notion of hypocrisy when he wrote The Crucible to show us the theme, or underlying message, that a hypocritical society can be dangerous. Miller depicts through characters such as these that humans cannot exist without the flaw of hypocrisy. First off, what is irony? 123). In Act 2, John Proctors guilt over his affair with Abigail is demonstrated through an ironic exchange with Reverend Hale. This quotation shows the overall theme that hypocrisy is bred from the fear and condemnation of a society. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller many people panicked from the witch hysteria which caused many to be accused of being witches, Judge Danforth decided what happens to the accused witches and is the most corrupted in Salem because his power of being a judge made him go overboard with his decisions on people. The play is about human weakness, hypocrisy, and vindictiveness. Examples Of Hypocrisy In The Crucible. No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. 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. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible 16 is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible. Proctor changes from a normal citizen and sinner to a tragic hero with a high sense of morality. This act also sees the irony of Hale discussing the powers of the dark that are attacking Salem (pg. Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. 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. Arthur Miller portrays the protagonist, Proctor, as the tragic hero of his play The Crucible. The Crucible is commonly viewed as an allegorical representation of the communist "witch hunts" conducted in the 1950s. Human flaws such as lust for power, greed and jealousy explain the errors many tragic figures from books make, from Mr Kurtz to Lord Voldemort. Explain who you believe is the central tragic character in the play. Judge Danforth a well respected man in the society that has the supreme rule over the court. The court's attempts to preserve Puritan morality by arresting and executing accused witches ironically lead to the removal of the most virtuous people from society. This is ironic because, Once the accusations begin, Parris initiates an ironic thought process that persists throughout. Arthur Miller's 1953 play, ''The Crucible,'' features hypocrisy as a recurrent theme. Hypocrisy is shown between the characters: Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, and Hale. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Being in contact with someone else means mediating between ourselves and the other. Reverend Hale enters as a specialist from Boston who has seen the effects that witchcraft has had on others. It caused many people, in Salem during this event to think fast, rash and jump to conclusions. By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. 6). What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are. Abigail William is hypocritical because she does not follow the rules of the Salem trials. He shows the hypocrisy of the Puritans by showing their belief system and how they have not acted in accordance with those beliefs. This fact could destroy his credibility, so he is biased towards continuing to trust Abigail. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Greed is a sin in the Puritan religion, so the people who supported the accusations were indeed hypocrites. It's atoxic strategy that causes panic to spread quickly and fear for ones life to take the place of rationality. 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. Hypocrisy is not simply failing to practice those virtues that one preaches, or known as saying one thing but doing another. This vicious cycle continues to claim the lives of more and more people as the play progresses. He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control. The only power they have left is in refusing to confess and preserving their integrity. 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.''. 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. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. Great, character-driven stories often have deeply flawed characters at their heart. 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. 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 (. No one considers that the accusers are lying, partially because theyre seen as innocent children and partially because many witches confess to avoid the death penalty. Many villagers, especially Abigail . Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (pg. Take a look at this article for details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. This makes him particularly averse to accepting that he's been fooled by a teenage girl. Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren resort to hypocrisy when no other options remain. Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, is accused of being a witch and Proctor has to make a moral decision . Do you not know that God damns all liars? (Miller 101). How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? Why does John decide to ruin his reputation in Act 3 by confessing to the affair? Is Hypocrisy Part of Human Nature? | by Ryan Fan - Medium 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. Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed - PrepScholar She says, "My name is good in the village! Recall that hypocrisy is when someone's actions don't match up with the professed values. In saying this he admits that a person can only avoid a hanging by confessing to witchcraft even if their statement contains no truth. Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned. Is reputation more important than truth? 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. 44) but realizes that her word against Abigail will not stand. He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. Why do certain characters seem to be blind to the irony of their actions (Abigail, Danforth)? Why is Cory arrested? 129)He is still convinced that all the prisoners are guilty and is determined to force them to admit their guilt. Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation. Why is Giles Cory expelled from court? 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. builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. This confess or die mindset is one of the central ironies of the play. Themes can be expressed in many different ways. Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren . Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation. She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. 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. Now that you've read about the most important themes in The Crucible, check out ourlist of every single character in the play, including brief analyses of their relationships and motivations. Danforth wont listen to him for this reason. Combining this notion with the one he declared earlier displays the hypocritical nature of Danforth when put in this hysterical. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie. To Danforth, anything that doesnt confirm that he was right all along is a lie. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth. The life of such man is ruled by the desire to seek the truth and justice in all that surrounds him, including himself. Miller wrote it as an allegory to the Red Scare, the promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible - phumdit.com 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. | 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. 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. 41). 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. When she is brought in for questioning and claims to see Marys familiar spirit, she says Envy is a deadly sin, Mary.Abigail herself has acted out of envy for the entire play. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused. The evidence used in the Salem Witch Trials further demonstrates the hypocrisy in the Puritan times. Miller portrays Danforths characterization as stubborn, highly religious, and arrogant in order to to provide a clearer understanding. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is a fictional account of the real life Salem witch trials, but the play has far deeper meanings than just a dramatic interpretation of the event. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. The people who preside over the trials are corrupt. Even before the witch trials, the people of Salem are doing lots of little magic tricks to make all their unholy thoughts and actions disappear. A theme is a central topic that is addressed by a work of literature. Danforths image is extremely valuable to him, and he refuses to allow Parris concerns to disrupt his belief in the validity of his decisions. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about the Salem witch trials. One single example is ; Corporate and political greed and desire for power is the reason for most of the suffering as claimed by many. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. The desire to preserve and gain power pervadesThe Crucible as the witch trials lead to dramatic changes in which characters hold the greatest control over the course of events. Is hypocrisy a natural human flaw? - myLot
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