...The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are two literary classics that portray excellence in expounding the importance of life. Both written works encompass striking similarities in aspects such as the setting, plot, and major conflicts. However, The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible bare conspicuous differences such as in The Scarlet Letter solid evidence for the crime of adultery is distinctly manifested while in The Crucible the court possesses no tangible evidence for the crime of witchcraft. In addition, The Scarlet Letter is a novel while The Crucible is a play. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Crucible by Arthur Miller have pronounced similitude, such as the common conflicts, and the setting, and also bare an impactful distinction between the resolutions of the two written works and the characters. The major conflict in...
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...In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Self-Preservation is very common in the town of Salem. Self-Preservation is when a person protects themselves or someone else, whether it be by telling the truth or a lie. In the town of Salem many people use Self-Preservation to protect themselves from the consequences of performing witchcraft. However, others may use Self-Preservation to protect their reputation or image in society, such as Reverend Parris. He himself started, what is called a chain of self-preservation when he reported Abigail Williams and the girls performing witchcraft. This led to Abigail having to use self-preservation to protect herself from the consequences of witchcraft which later on led Elizabeth Proctor to protect herself and her...
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...wasted on the stupid,” Oscar Wilde once said. This quote certainly applies to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, because by carelessly reading this play, you might miss some of its genius. The author uses irony in many different ways to create different poignant emotions. Sometimes he makes a humorous little remark that might fly right over an unsuspecting head. Other times he puts his readers through pure agony as character’s fates are sealed before their eyes. True to form as a skilled author, Miller uses dramatic, verbal, and situational irony. In The Crucible, dramatic irony is used to create suspense in various situations. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that a character in the play does not know. When used correctly, it will significantly raise the tension of any given moment. This is exemplified by the following dialogue: ”Danforth: Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! Elizabeth: No, sir.” (Act III). The audience knows that if Elizabeth just tells the truth, it will save her husband. However, without...
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...Lindsey Sibille Ms. Gonzales AP English III, 1 16 October 2015 The Crucible Book Card Assignment Authorial Background Arthur Miller is the award-winning playwright of The Crucible along with many other famous plays such as Death Of a Salesman and All My Sons. Born in Manhattan in 1915, Miller experienced the pressing and devastating times of the Great Depression and both World Wars. His first two plays were The Man Who Had All the Luck and All My Sons, with the latter being performed on Broadway in 1949. His next play, Death of A Salesman, received a Tony award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer prize. These awards allowed him to rise to fame and helped his career skyrocket. Despite his successful playwriting...
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...In the book, and play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, there is tragic elements such as a tragic hero.The tragic hero in this story is John Proctor. This is because John displays all the qualities of being a tragic hero, such as a tragic flaw. Tragic heroes are supposed to arouse pity and fear in the reader or audience. John Proctor shows all qualities which are: mighty figure, reversal of fortune, Uncommon suffering, recognizes the consequences of his actions, and his plight ennobles the reader. John Proctor is a mighty figure because he had helped to build the church. In the Book John had said “I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door,” (Miller 32). This shows how, in the theocracy the live in, which is a government run by religion, John would be a mighty figure. It also shows how it leads to his downfall, and his recognizing of his actions. This is because he is so full of pride that he thinks no one will suspect him, and he can get away with adultery. Also in the book John says “ How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name,” (Miller 62). This shows how John has recognized his mistakes, and is recognizing...
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...Morality and the Crucible It is said that everyone has morals, people know when they are doing something wrong but choose to do it anyway out of self-defence. It is seen everywhere people will lie on live television just to protect themselves and so others won't judge them. Everyone is supposed to know what's right and wrong but there are still areas in between where people cannot decide. The truth is right and wrong is on a spectrum some things are more wrong or right than others. This theme is found in the Crucible the moral that Miller is communicating is that not all sin and wrong doings are equivalent. In act four it an example of the morals in the court is found, while many women were hung for not confessing Giles was pressed. Another...
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...Arthur Miller gives us this play, which represents many things. He shows us people we can relate to and understand. We see trials and tribulations that these characters go through which helps us seem them as 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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...The Crucible Act Three Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Describe one piece of evidence that Giles, Francis, or Proctor bring before the court to show that the girls are lying. 2. What does Abigail do to distract Danforth from Hale’s accusations that she is lying? 3. How does Hale show that he believes that the court is not doing the right thing? Use three details from the text in your response. 4. Danforth explains that “. . . a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.” What conclusion can you draw about Danforth’s character from this line? 5. How does Hale excuse Elizabeth’s lie about Abigail’s affair with Proctor? 6. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. How does his philosophy flame the hysteria? Use details from the drama to support your response. 7. How do Hale and Parris try to thwart each other, or act as foils, in regards to Danforth and the court? Use details from the drama to support your response. 8. Describe the point at which you think the plot reaches its highest intensity, or climax. 9. After the outbreak in court, Mr. Danforth makes the following short statement to Mr. Hale: I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! In your own words, describe what Mr. Hale has said or done to instigate Mr. Danforth’s...
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...Arthur Miller’s The Crucible exposes conflicts between the characters and the Christian society of Salem, Massachusetts 1692. The concept of social pressure and rules are used to establish the play. If the common man in Salem is to work proficiently in his surroundings, he must participate in all social activities or he faces the consequences of untrue allegations. Miller uses the character John Proctor as a prime example whose individuality ultimately isolates him from his community. Proctor tries to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for this attempt is motivated by his past fault of committing adultery with Abigail Williams, who is leading the accusations. As the pressure from his peers grow on him, Proctor must decide whether to save himself, or to die and save Salem. The theme individual v. society exists through the character John Proctor. Proctor is cautious to speak openly due to his affair. He attempts to isolate himself from the first proceedings of the trial by stating to Reverend Hale, “I’ve heard you to be a sensible man Mr. Hale. I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem.” (Miller 1231). Proctor is trying to cleanse himself entirely of his affair, rather than get involved with the community. Elizabeth, his wife, encourages Proctor to speak out about his knowledge against false accusations against her. He is hesitant and responds, “I know I cannot keep [confessing his crime]. I say I will think on it!” (Miller 1237). Before Proctor can...
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...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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...An unknown author once stated that a cautious statement to live by is “If you do right nobody remembers, but if you do wrong nobody forgets” (SayQuotable). Clearing your own name after something traumatic happens is next to impossible. One small mistake is the difference from being hated and living normally. The Crucible by Arthur Miller paints a bright picture in our heads on what doing wrong may do to you in life and the chaos it shall bring. Arthur Miller also works in great literary devices. Arthur Miller’s novel The Crucible is great literature because it has descriptive characterization, colorful imagery, powerful themes, and flowing figurative language. To begin, Arthur Miller’s characterization is detailed. Characterization...
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...John Proctor from “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller and Arthur Dimmesdale from “The Scarlet Letter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne are two very similar characters that lived in the same time period. John and Arthur were highly respected men in their villages, but served different roles in their communities. Despite their highly regarded place in society and their morals they both commit the sin of adultery, choosing different paths of dealing with their sin. In the conclusion of the two pieces both characters face death; however John is executed and Dimmesdale dies freely. Although Proctor and Dimmesdale prove to be very similar, they appear to possess many differences. Arthur Dimmesdale is a respected local minister with no family...
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...Taylor Paschal Mrs. Sills English II B4 Date due Title In the late 1690’s, Salem had been flipped upside down. Between the witch trials and false accusations, this town made a hate-filled lasting impression on these people and history forever. An example of someone who has been through all of these hearings and prosecutions, is a man named John Proctor. John Proctor is a young man who made a huge mistake. Early in his life he had an affair with a young girl named Abigail. He also had a wife named Elizabeth, who he loved deeply. He thinks this affair damaged him in the eyes of everyone he loves; including Elizabeth, himself, and even God. Though he did let his sin get the best of him, he does not have the capacity to forgive himself....
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...Deputy Governor Danforth: The “Savior” of Salem Village? In The Crucible, Deputy Governor Danforth plays a major role, seeing that he is the highest official that has been called in to officiate the Salem Village court. Danforth does his best to make everyone believe that he is like the “hero” of Salem Village. He acted like he could almost do no wrong, even though that is very incorrect. Danforth even keeps this attitude after the evidence is shown that the whole Salem Village Witch Trials were a sham. Danforth is not the “hero” of Salem Village, he is the destructor of Salem Village. There is much proof that shows that Danforth was not following his job of giving a fair trial to the accused people of Salem Village. Danforth has multiple...
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...community of Salem didn’t see was the ongoing internal battle Proctor endured on a daily basis. “He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct,” (Miller 18). Proctor committed the act of adultery with Abigail Williams, which haunted him daily. This slip of moral judgment constituted Proctor as a tragic hero. Proctor was a tragic hero because he made a flaw of judgment, his anagnorisis, and his unfair punishment. John Proctor betrayed his wife, a fact that bothered his conscience...
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