...Being the main source of drama, Abigail Williams was altered The Crucible, a historic play, by Arthur Miller to provoke the witch trials, to develop the protagonist, John Proctor, and to draw parallelism McCarthyism. Abigail, at the age of 17, who is 5 years older than the historical Abigail, was the main accuser in the witch trials. According to the Shmoop Editorial Team, “Abigail is vengeful, selfish, manipulative, and a magnificent liar...She has an eerie sense of how to manipulate others and gain control over them”(n.p). In regards to their remark towards Abigail, we can infer that her personality caused the entire witch trials in the play. Arthur Miller also had to alter Abigail’s real age in order to match her nasty personality and to make her...
Words: 641 - Pages: 3
...things that happen in the crucible, and there are many important characters in the crucible that i will be talking about in the. All these characters are important in the crucible because they all have to deal with a big part in the crucible. The three characters that i will be talking about from the book are john proctor, abigail williams, and giles corey. All these characters have an important role in the crucible and i feel like you should know about these characters. My first character that i will be talking about is abigail because she is one of the most important characters in this book. Abigail is really concerned with her reputation because she knows that she is lying about the whole thing but abagaile just doesn't want to get in trouble. This starts to change the way abagail acts because she doesn't want to get in trouble she acts like this with all the other girls because she doesn't want any of the other girls telling people about what they did in the woods with tituba. Abigail's situation is different now because she had nothing to hide but now that she got caught dancing in the woods with tituba and all the girls she is lying saying that all they did was...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...The Crucible: Compare and Contrasting Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was about this town in Salem Massachusetts that was driven by greed and lust. out of this small town, two characters played a major role in this horrible event that occurred. These two are Abagail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. They have multiple differences while having one big thing in common. Abagail was a lying, evil, and mischievous as well as manipulative character. She was caught in the woods dancing with other girls and was being accused by her uncle of doing witch craft and decided to shift the blame to others. When the girl started to discuss among themselves if they should tell the truth Abagail says (Source: EsaayForum.com)...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...The definition of crucible is a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. John Proctor had several incidents where he would have to make very important decisions that would be based on his morals and he managed to stay above and do the right thing. He can easily be identified as the character that defines the word “crucible” because he realizes the most important decision is to fight for one’s moral truth, no matter how harsh the repercussions may be. When John and his wife, Elizabeth discuss the happenings in the town, he only somewhat confesses about his lechery to her, in which he can be condemned for. She doesn’t take it the way he thinks she will and she leaves everything...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...only leaves chaos and waste in its wake. Throughout the ages vengeance has played an important role in history and literature. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller the theme vengeance is portrayed as neighbor turns on neighbor. First, as the theme vengeance reoccurs throughout the play The Crucible many people end up turning on each other to exact their revenge. For example, Hale is in the home of the Proctors when he brings up how Rebecca Nurse’s and others names got brought up in court. Then Francis Nurse the husband of Rebecca Nurse enters the house following Giles Corey to inform them about his wife’s arrest, Francis exclaimed, “For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Good Putnam’s babies”(Miller 1175)....
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...The Crucible This essay will discuss, explain and evaluate the main ideas, themes and interpretations of Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible. It will also explain and evaluate the language Arthur Miller uses and how it contributed to the overall success of the play. The Crucible is set in 1692 in the puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, a theocratic society, where the laws of the land are laid down by the church. The main idea running throughout the play can be viewed as a direct comparison to McCarthyism which was happening in 1950’s America, in which members of the general public including public figures such as Arthur Miller were brought in and questioned over connections to communism. This can be seen as a direct comparison to people being brought into the Salem courts regarding connections with witchcraft. It was not until Miller saw this comparison that he then felt compelled to write The Crucible as he now felt he could get into the minds of those going through similar circumstances back in the Salem witch trials. Hysteria was the main cause of nineteen deaths in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and countless ruined reputations on account of Joe McCarthy. Hysteria does not just appear out of nowhere though. There are driving forces such as revenge and abuse of power that bring about the irrational fear that can take over society. These are the issues expressed in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. The Crucible is paralleled directly to the Salem Witch Trials and indirectly...
Words: 1091 - Pages: 5
...In literature a tragic hero is someone who tends to play a major role in the story, and eventually gets pulled into a downfall by their tragic flaw. In “The Crucible” John Proctor can be seen as one of multiple tragic heroes through his constant appearance in the story, and like any other tragic hero has a flaw leading to his downfall. Therefore John Proctor is a tragic hero; one of the most memorable in the entire play. John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth Proctor, would have been a community member who exposed John’s flaws. One of the few things holding John back from being the perfect hero was his past with Abigail. As a result of his adultery crime, John had too much pride to admit to the crime until Elizabeth’s life was on the line. Elizabeth...
Words: 255 - Pages: 2
...suffering. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Salem was in a period of time where witch hunts were frequent which created chaos throughout the town. These witch hunts often targeted innocent, hard working people who were accused of witchery with no actual evidence. As a result when this conflict introduced itself to John Proctor, he exhibited tragic hero traits such as pride, catharsis, and nobleness. Pride plays an interesting role in the life of John Proctor in The Crucible. During the trials, Proctor daily wages an internal, war between his conscience and pride. His prideful mindset is what primarily caused his downfall; a person who rises and falls because of their own ignorant flaw, which is the true meaning of a tragic hero. Therefore there are several traits that exemplify a tragic hero in John...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
...Witchcraft has played an outstanding role in the history of America’s system of justice and has given us a representation that shared experiences and beliefs can lead to disastrous things. While the film, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, depicts the overall history of the Salem Witch Trials, it does have historical inaccuracies within the characters and their relationships that change the way we perceive history. Witchcraft has been present since the Paleolithic period but it began to show up in colonial America in the middle of the 17th century. It became a capital offense as far back as 1642. Shortly after becoming a law, the first execution was made in Connecticut. This case was disturbing because it influenced everyone, in puritan societies, to believe that Satan was close at hand and physically able to act in the real world.. At the time, Salem was a Puritan community in which was built upon those who fled religious execution therefore the religious authority and the government was not separate. Those who would question local authority were blamed for questioning royal authority. Eventually the hysteria spread to Massachusetts in 1692 after two young girls had been acting in alarming and been in physical pain. The physician concluded that the girls were not victims of a physical or mental illness but victims of witchcraft.2. These two girls were Abigail Williams and Betty Parris. Abigail Williams, who was 11 years of age, had a...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...The play The Crucible By Arthur Miller is an example of false accusation by everyone being accused of something during their time of life. Arthur Miller connects himself with John Proctor through accusation and how all fingers are pointed to people from one In the little town Salem Massachusetts, 1692, the theme Witchcraft was brought upon a lot of people, from accusation. Everyone being framed of Witchcraft had either the choice to admit to it, or to be hanged, because Witchcraft was not allowed in Salem at the time. Witchcraft had turned many people against other and showed the true colors of them. Through John Proctor’s response to Witchcraft of Abigail, Arthur Miller conveys his beliefs about false accusation of his wife. Arthur Miller’s...
Words: 959 - Pages: 4
... 29 November 2014 Power of Guilt In modern society, concealing guilt is often given a negative connotation, however, the implications that are associated with guilt and sins are human creations. Guilt, the result of shameful mistakes, is associated with infirmity, cowardice, and self-centeredness due to the fear of exposure. These three mesmerizing works, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Pie” by Gary Soto and, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, address the theme of guilt and the consequences of concealing one’s guilt. The Scarlet Letter considered one of the most famous of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, is set in the1850s in Boston, Massachusetts. The plot revolves around a Puritan community and a woman named Hester. “The Pie”, written in Fresno, California in 1991, is an autobiographical narrative that illustrates Soto’s sin when he steals a pie from the grocery store and experiences the feeling of guilt along with a few other consequences. “The Crucible” was written in 1953 and exposes the truths about the Salem Witchcraft trials, in Massachusetts. Ultimately, through their respective protagonists’ acts of aggression and violations of boundaries, authors Hawthorne, Soto, and Miller illustrate that the guilt derived from sin itself, especially if concealed from society, can cause emotional and mental torture, leading to everlasting internal punishment, and an increase in remorseful feelings. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...In the texts the crucible and Year of Wonders, both contain strong, kind female characters that are devoted to do what is right. Through the characters Elizabeth Proctor from The Crucible and Elinor Mompellion from “Year of Wonders”, we see wives of religious and powerful men showing compassion and kindness to those that surround them. Elizabeth Proctor must deal with a lot of conflict during the crucible. Not only does she have to deal with the fact that her husband John Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams she then should deal with Abigail’s making false accusations about her. This all leads up taking its fall on Elizabeth. In contrast Elinor with the sins she has committed prior to her marriage with Mompellion is forced into years...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...The Crucible (1996) Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Joan Allen, Winona Ryder, Peter Vaughn, and Rob Campbell Director: Nicholas Hynter Synopsis: Daniel Day-Lewis stars as John Proctor, a young farmer during the Puritan Era. In this classic film that was nominated for two awards, John Proctor is determined to end an uprising of witchcraft in the little town of Salem, Massachusetts as Reverend Hale (Rob Campbell) comes to cleanse Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) and other girls from performing the Devil’s work. Review: Nicholas Hynter brings us another mystical and uproaring movie to theaters for our eyes to view. We see a few familiar yet famous faces in this outstanding film, but the audience will notice a few new faces as well. When witchcraft hits...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...In the Crucible, there are concepts of weakness, courage, and truth that are displayed throughout the play and through significant roles. There are characters in the play that are weak in the sense that they are simply too afraid to speak, such as the character Mary Warren who was afraid to speak up about how Abigail Williams and the other girls were merely faking the entire situation. There is also Reverend Parris who didn’t want to admit that he had seen one of the girls naked and blamed it all on witchcraft. Abigail Williams is also a victim of weakness as she couldn’t keep away from John Proctor. Next is courage. Of course, John Proctor showed immense courage throughout the play by sacrificing himself for his wife and others who were...
Words: 324 - Pages: 2
