...Who is to Blame? In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, there are many different characters that could be blamed for the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams is a seventeen year old girl that is in love with an older married man. In her hunt to have him as her own, she leads her group of friends to accuse his wife and many others of witchcraft. It is most clearly demonstrated that it was Abigail William’s flaws – envy, dishonesty, and lust – that led her to be most responsible for the tragedy of the witch-hunt in Salem. Throughout The Crucible Abigail is envious of Elizabeth Proctor, and tries to get rid of her. One example is, ‘Oh, I marvel how such a strong man let such a sickly wife be’ (Miller 470). Abigail is commenting on Elizabeth’s health. She does not understand why John would rather have a sick wife than her. She is jealous that he chose His wife over her. Then she commented, ‘You loved me John Proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet,’ (Miller 471). This shows that Abigail thinks John loves her, and she is trying to convince him to be with her again. Abigail’s envy of Elizabeth drives her to get many people killed. In the play, Abigail is dishonest, pretending that there are actually witches. She does this in order to prosecute Elizabeth proctor. She...
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...Mean girls. Everybody knows one. They are the ones that take advantage of others, yet they get away with it. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is one of those mean girls. The Crucible displays the chaos of the Salem Witch Trials, during which, an accusation meant time in jail and a trial. If the indicted person admitted to practicing witchcraft and repented, he or she was set free; but if the accused did not confess, that person lost their life. Abigail is one of the girls that charges many people of witchcraft, which leads many of those people to their hanging. She especially has it out for John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, because Abigail would love to replace her. Ever diabolical, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft...
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...Even the most honest person will tell a lie to save him or herself. During the Salem Witch Trials, if one is accused of being a witch and he or she goes to trial and doesn’t confess, he or she will be hanged. One may be telling the truth in claiming innocence of witchcraft, but the court will not believe a person accused of witchcraft unless one has confessed. The assumption of the practice of witchcraft came about when Abigail’s Uncle Parris, caught her friends and her dancing around a fire in the woods conjuring spirits. As the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller goes on, some of the characters are found to be honest, jealous and full of pride. Honesty is said to be the best policy, however in The Crucible, the characters...
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...Although morals are an indication of a person’s perception of right or wrong, there is a fundamental thread that connects morality to everyone. Whether these morals are in relation to a religion, culture or the law, society has developed universal moral standards. However, individuals are capable of abandoning morality as a whole, resulting in significant repercussions. William Shakespeare and Arthur Miller show evidence of this in The Merchant of Venice and The Crucible, when their characters step away from their morals and carry out wrongful actions. Although the underlying reason for the characters’ social demises is similar, the motives for their actions are specific and personal. By carrying out actions fueled by revenge, both Abigail...
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...Task One Reading and Defence of The Crucible Prepared for Ms. Mussig Prepared by Maya Young English Extension Part One: The Reading Created from the mind of the world renowned playwright and author Arthur Miller, is the horrifying story of deceit, accusation and guilt of The Crucible. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a confronting play that explores the unfathomable true events that took place in the small religious village of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, where by members of the Salem community began accusing others of dealing with and practising the magic of the Devil. These accusations are what led to the Salem witch-trials. Through this play Miller is able to emphasise the absurdity of these trials, which resulted in the hangings of twenty innocent people. I personally came across The Crucible through my English Extension class. To be perfectly honest, when I first picked up this text, I was unsure of what to expect. Apart from reading Shakespeare, I had never been exposed to reading in the playwright form. I did not know what my approach to the play was going to be or how I would react to reading it, or if there was a certain way in which I was supposed to be affected by it. I also had yet to read a text written by Arthur Miller, so I was unaware of his style of writing and again did not know what to expect from it. After finishing the play for the first time I was satisfied that I had thoroughly enjoyed reading the story, whilst developing a love...
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...raw and unperfect people. Through these effects he establishes the foundations of The Crucible: courage, truth , and weakness which are represented by many characters throughout the play. Elizabeth Proctor, one of the plays most important characters, resembles truth like no other in the play. The part where she reveals her honesty and character is when she is called in front of the court to testify against Abigail Williams for comiting adultery with her husband. In this moment, she lies to protect her husband. Here she is honest to her husband and to her marriage. She is honest and tries to the bigger person in times of trial which is something we can all admire her for. John Proctor, like his wife, has not only superior morals and character, but more courage than the average man. Proctor shows us multiple times that he is more than willing to stand up for...
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...Individuals, subject to human frailty and motivation, exhibit inconsistencies among the greater collective human experience. In turn, preconceived notions of the audience are challenged by the exposition of humanity’s complexity to invoke personal assessment and reflection. As such, it is presented within Arthur Miller’s tragedy, “The Crucible”, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s romantic fiction, “The Scarlet Letter”. Both works explore the contradictions of judgement and consider the inconsistencies of personal integrity, encapsulated under the guise of Puritanism within New England America, political agenda, and historical calamity. Therefore, audiences foster introspection and reflection by developing nuance surrounding the inconsistencies of human...
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...After reading the first three acts of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, one may conclude that the proceedings in Salem are the fault of Abigail Williams. Although some may blame John Proctor for the proceedings in Salem, in fact it is Abigail Williams to blame because Abigail was often lying or changing her story, she performs acts of witchery to end Elizabeth Proctor, and she falsely accuses others of witchery to take the attention off herself. Throughout the text, Abigail is constantly bending the truth to her own advantage. One of many examples of Abigail lying is when she is talking to her uncle Reverend Parris and says, “We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there’s the whole of it” (Miller 9). She claims the story she told her uncle is the whole truth, but the audience knows that she drank blood because she thought it would help her end, Goody Proctor. Throughout the text, Abigail is constantly bending the truth to her own advantage. Abigail Williams is constantly lying to others or altering the truth to make sure her name is clear or to get her way....
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...The Crucible Act Four Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Where does Tituba think that the Devil is going to take her? 2. Give one example of how Abigail shows her dishonesty in this act. 3. What effect do the trials have on Salem? Use three details from the drama to support your answer. 4. When first arrives at the Salem jail, Danforth complains, “There is a prodigious stench in this place.” How might this line be read to mean something besides a comment on the smell? 5. How is Giles Corey’s character reflected in his death? Use one detail from the drama to support your response. 6. What qualities does Proctor find within himself that prevent him from at last saving himself and signing the confession? Use details from the text to support your response. 7. Explain how Proctor is right or wrong for refusing to sign the confession. Use details to support your response. 8. A tragic hero’s fate, according to Aristotle, inspires pity and horror. Name the tragic hero in The Crucible, and describe how his or her fate inspires both pity and horror. 9. People accused of being Communists had a difficult time getting jobs; some even moved out of the United States in order to try to resume normal lives. How is Proctor’s situation like that of the people accused of Communist activities? 10. Based on the conversation involving Tituba, Sarah...
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