...believe or think that we are one or the other- vice or virtue. But why is that? Do you come to think to question yourself that you’re either a good or bad person for possibly the littlest thing? Think about it. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is the most despicable character because she obtains a power by starting to accuse innocent people of witchcraft, was involved in lechery with John Proctor, and ran away with her uncle’s money that she stole from a safe. To begin with, Abigail Williams may just be a young woman, but she is capable of many things. For instance, her and Mercy Lewis ran away with Reverend Parris’s money. They ran away, because they wanted to avoid getting accused for any sort of witchcraft, especially after what happened in the forest. In act four, Parris states to Danforth,”...my strongbox is broken into” (4.207*208), the only person who knew where his strongbox was Abigail, since she lived with him. This shows one of the many things that Abigail is capable of. In addition, Parris knew what Abigail was capable of and what she had on the...
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...The prevalent theme in The Crucible is reserving one’s reputation. There are many characters who demonstrate concern for their reputation as well as a change in the way they act. Two characters who validate concern for their reputation are Abigail Williams and John Proctor. To begin, Abigail Williams continues to accuse people to save her own reputation. The woods marked the foundation of Abigail’s lies. When asked by Danforth about the activity in the woods, she tells him that dancing was the only commotion that occurred. Many people in the community believe the girls encountered witchcraft. Abigail gets the girls to remain quiet about the night in the woods by saying: “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s...
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...7 11 December 2015 “The Crucible” Argument Essay Does accusing the people around you to be arrested and hanged to get whatever you want be considered as selfish and wicked? In “The Crucible” by Author Miller, Abigail Williams is a vicious and vindictive person who used the witchcraft hysteria around the town of Salem in 1692. Abigail Williams is a 17 year old orphan who is strikingly beautiful but she is a liar and a fake. She saw an opportunity to seek vengeance upon John’s wife for kicking her out of their house and wanting to take her place in John’s bed. Although some may say otherwise and beg to differ on that because she was young, taken advantage of, immature, and also confused. Although in “The Crucible”, Abigail’s words, actions, and decision making legitimately shows that she does not care about who she hurts in the process to get what she wants. According to Abigail she says”… I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you…” (1244). This quote here has explains that, if any of the girls betrays her on what she has said and reveals that they had been dancing in the woods and also she drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor, she would kill them like the Indians had killed both of her parents. Abigail is a manipulative person. She is a manipulative person she tried to frame Goody Proctor for sending her spirit and stabbing a needle in her stomach two inches deep. In The Crucible, Mary Warren was sewing a...
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...The Crucible Essay “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does no feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (Nelson Mandela). In simpler terms, courage is when something that a person believes in, is more important than the fear that comes with the consequences of that belief. The Crucible has many key themes, but the theme that has the broadest effect on the reader is courage. John Proctor is a great example of the courage shown. While, Abigail Williams shows immense cowardice. Throughout the Crucible many characters have to face the horrendous decision of whether to confess to have ‘been with the devil’ and lose their ‘good name’ or bee executed for that of which they did not do. John Proctor is a great example of a character with extraordinary courage. John although pressured to confess and knowing that he’ll hang, refuses to ruin his ‘good name’ and he does not fully confess to the crime. When Judge Danforth would not give up the argument with John to sign the confession, he asked, “Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let me have it?” (pg.1231). Proctor answered, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (pg.1232). These quotes show how strong willed John is in not having a bad reputation and how John has great courage and doesn’t lie just to live. However that John may express great courage...
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...Arthur Miller wrote his essay titled “Tragedy and the Common Man” in 1949. This essay explains Miller’s definition of a tragic hero as well as why a common man has as much ability to be the hero of a tragedy as someone of nobility. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 that dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the play, the town of Salem falls into hysteria after Reverend Parris finds his daughter, niece, and their friends dancing in the woods with his slave Tituba. The young girls claim they have been bewitched by people in the town to avoid punishment, although, the punishment then comes for the accused regardless of their innocence. A vital character to the...
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...Tragedy and The Human Conditions Essay: Abusive Power “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ” In a statement by Abraham Lincoln it is identified that the greatness of man is tested by how he utilizes his power. As demonstrated in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and The Time Magazine article Adolf Hitler, one can see how the abuse of power creates chaos in society. By analyzing the actions of the characters Macbeth, Abigail Williams, and the character Adolf Hitler, it is evident how the misuse of power will lead to the loss of structure in society. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A statement by Lord Acton which illustrates that those who gain power ultimately become corrupted by it - thus leading one to abuse their power. This statement is well demonstrated in the actions of the character Macbeth, from William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, in his rise to power from Thane of Glamis to the King of Scotland. Within the first scene of the play, Macbeth is given the gift of knowledge of the future, by the three witches, which he ultimately uses to gain more power. “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis ... All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii. 48-50). When given this prophecy from the three witches, Macbeth utilizes this information, once he becomes Thane of Cawdor, to plan the death of King Duncan. The power of knowledge is...
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... 11/3/13 The Crucible as an Allegory English 101 In 1953, American playwright Arthur Miller produced a play titled, The Crucible. It takes place in 17th century Salem, a small town in colonial Massachusetts. The play focuses on the actual events known as the Salem Witch Trials, in which dozens of people in and around the town of Salem were wrongfully and chaotically accused of witchcraft, Satanism, and devil worship by a group of teenage girls. It is firmly established that the play is an allegory of the hysteria and chaos that took place throughout the events of the Red Scare in the United States during the Cold War; a period in which politicians and ring leaders also wrongfully accused numerous amounts of people for supporting communism. It makes perfect sense as to why Miller wrote The Crucible allegorically to these events, 1953 was a time in which American fear and madness concerning communism was frankly getting out of control, just as the experiences in Salem were in the 1690s. The Crucible is a historically fictitious adaption of the Salem Witch Trials which as previously stated, was an episode of unjust accusations of witchcraft/devil worship carried out by a group of female teens. In the play, the group of accusing teens is led by girl named Abigail Williams. In order to refocus the “heat” on another source in order to save...
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...Crucible Essay Suspicion can destroy because it causes hysteria and there are consequences for that. Rod Sterling’s quote and The Crucible are very similar in the way that suspicion ruined many lives and reputations in each story. The Cold War was a war of words, a war of suspicion, of hatred and power. Arthur Miller and Rod Serling both connect to the war in the 1950s in an allegorical way. In the play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller expresses similar views about suspicion through the characterization of his characters. Abigail Williams represents the idea that words can destroy and cause suspicion. “I never called him! Tituba, Tituba! (42)” Abigail is denying calling the Devil with the girls in the woods and accusing Tituba of doing so. Abigail accusing Tituba makes the other girls start to...
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...The Crucible vs. The Holocaust: Compare and Contrast Essay Throughout history, millions of people have been unjustly persecuted. In the 1940s, The Holocaust became one of the most famous genocides known to man. Also, the witch hangings that took place during the 1600s in Salem are another prime example of people being wrongfully accused and punished. Although the two circumstances have numerous differences, the amount of similarities is appalling. As the leader of the party, had an enormous amount of control over people and the decisions they made. Because had convinced them that the world would be a better place once all of the Jewish people had been killed, The soldiers were torturing and ing millions of Jewish people. In the similar situation written about in The Crucible, Abigail Williams convinced the town of Salem that select people throughout the town were practicing witchcraft. A trial was held to determine if the people were actually witches, and Abigail found she had great power when she blamed the people of her town. Despite the fact that Abigail was a child, the s listened to her accusations and were convinced that she was telling the truth. Amongst the children is where Abigail’s influence was the greatest. In every situation she found herself in with the others, Abigail only had to lead the way in order for the s to follow. Both Abigail and have parallel characteristics that enable them to have power over people’s ideas and opinions. Besides sharing similar traits...
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...Maria Blanco Period 2 The Crucible Essay Draft Fear and loathing can overpower all senses of reason. A doctor conducted that the children were suffering from the effects of witchcraft. Some people were actually innocent and they still hanged them because they thought that they were witches. Salem Reverend Parris attempted to capitalize on fear when he preached about the witches that abounded in Salem. Arthur Miller, in his drama “The Crucible”,illustrates fear through the actions and reactions of several of his characters. In Act III the characters show lots of fear. For example, Abigail William for instance, fears discovery of her deceit in the town of Salem and commits all sorts of heinous acts to prevent herself,regardless of the harm done to to others. Marry Warrens is innocent and she's trying to save herself from Danforth because he thinks that she is lying when really she isn’t. Proctor is scared because he doesn’t want his wife to be killed and because he had an affair with Abigail. Abigail shows many of her “acts” in many of the scenes to prevent herself from getting hanged. For example, in Act III page 1307, Abigail says “ A wind,a cold wind,has come. Her eyes fall on Marry Warren.” While Marry Warren pleases Abigail to stop lying . Proctor then says “They’re pretending” Abigail acts as if a soul went inside of her, but it is all pretend. In Act III Proctor,Marry Warren, Abigail, Hathorne, Danforth, and the girls are in the court room. This Act shows...
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...Fernando Leyva English III/ Period 8 The Crucible Essay January 3, 2014 Religion is so strong it can lead to great unimaginable things,but the power of religion has the power to destroy good things and cause havoc amongst firm believers. Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, takes place in the late seventeenth century a horrific event occurred known as the Salem Witch Trials in the town of Salem. Abigail and Elizabeth are perhaps two of his most important main characters in the play. These two represent the "good" and "evil" in the society of the town. Although these two characters were very distinct they shared something very big in common, which was the love for the man John Proctor. Perhaps the love for the same man led one of the two females to be of a greater evil than ever imagined. Elizabeth Proctor was a very more understand and good character in the play. Although she is understand and compassionate she is unforgiving and cold. In Arthur Miller's play, John Proctor says "Oh Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!" This quote clearly shows how John feels that Elizabeth is unforgiving and cold. For the past months John has been trying to please Elizabeth after his affair with Abigail. John shows his frustration after Elizabeth does not forget about the affair John had. Although Elizabeth is understand she does not forgive or forget easily. Abigail Williams is the "evil" character in the play. Her actions throughout the play caused a lot ...
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...The Crucible Essay To begin with, a crucible is a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. The title signifies the suffering and hardship that the town goes through. The town the story takes place in is governed by a theocracy. Everything that happened in the book, all the events that led up to the execution of many innocent lives and led up to the breaking apart of the theocracy that the town was used to contribute to make a difficult time or situation, which is a crucible. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts Man’s word is worthless against harsh judgment. With the false evidence and the corrupting lies, there will be only one who will try to fight for freedom and break free from the Law’s powerful hold. First and Foremost, Reverend Samuel Parris is worried about his reputation, and along with that comes tremendous paranoia. He is a busybody and has a sense of purposefulness. Parris is an immensely paranoid character. The importance he places on reputation creates for him a considerable amount of paranoia. This paranoia is evident many times throughout the play. In the opening scene, Parris is speaking with Abigail about his recent discovery of her in the forest. He discovered his daughter and niece dancing in the forest, an activity that is prohibited. Dancing is not only frowned upon but it is seen as associated with witchcraft. He is immediately concerned about himself. His daughter is sick...
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...Dylan Gates Mr. Woody 4 November 2012 Accelerated English 2 Crucible Essay Straying from Puritanism The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was produced in 1953. To this day, the play remains very popular. In this play, Miller talks about a witch-hunt that took place in 1962 which compares to the “Red Scare” that went on in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s. Miller writes about a Puritan village with a Christian religion that seems to be forgotten when under pressure. Puritans are taught to stick to their Christian beliefs, and in The Crucible, they simply stray away from the beliefs and violate them to save their own life. One instance where they go away from their puritan beliefs is that the people of Salem drift away from each other and turn on each other. One very strong belief of Puritanism is that unity among them strengthened their community. In a Puritan community, they take care of each other’s needs and look out for their neighbors. In The Crucible, they certainly do not take care of one another. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Almost everyone in the play becomes very egocentric. This is all the effect of the accusations of witchcraft in Salem. Another instance where they stray from their Puritan religion is that they break many of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the ten basic rules that shall not be broken by any means by a firm Christian believer. One of the ten commandments they break during the play is killing. The bible clearly states in...
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...Love was all she did; she fell in love with the wrong person. Abigail Williams was sadly never desired by anyone; she was known as the towns whore. In this essay you will come to know Abigail Williams as a sweet girl who’s is love or a manipulative girl who is evil. In mostly everyone’s opinion and based on The Crucible Ms. Williams was despised by most women in the town of Salem. She was known to have slept with goody proctors husband Mr. Proctor they had an affair as she was working for the family. Goody proctor then “fired her” from working at her home. Miller quotes “you drank blood Abby; you drank blood to kill goody proctor” (miller pg1275) This was used for evidence of witchcraft, along with the others girl that witnessed Abigail drink...
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...Witchcraft was a common but hated word in Salem. In the book The Crucible by ‘Arthur Miller, you either had two choices, you admit you have done witchcraft and you don’t get hung, but you wreck your reputation, or you say you didn’t do witchcraft and get hung for it. Since John Proctor’s motivation is keeping his family safe. his decision to admit adultery, establishes a twist by the end of the play. One of the few motivations that John Proctor was, protecting his family and keeping them safe. Elizebeth and there kids meant everything to them. “ My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” (1071) Proctor’s violent language shows the strength of his feeling for Elizabeth, and hs great deal of respect. John Proctor was eager to risk anything to save his family to keep them from getting harmed. They meant everything to him. John’s will to fight for his family’s safety was a struggle for him, but he risked his own life to keep them safe. John committed adultery with Abigail in the beginning. That choice effected him greatly by having to get involved in court. Also has to force being hung or not. All of this was mostly to protect Elizabeth. ‘..she’ll ruin you with it, I know she will’...
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