The Crucible Parris: ‘Aye, a dress. And I thought I saw – someone naked running through the trees.” The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller had very many themes in it. Some of these themes stood out more then others. These themes would be hysteria, reputation, and hypocrisy.
These themes were present throughout the entire play, from the beginning till the end. When you think of a Puritan religion you may think of a very good, morally perfect society. This wasn’t the case in Salem, Massachusetts. It was actually the opposite in the play, there was lying, cheating, stealing and just about everything else you wouldn’t want in your society. Hysteria is defined by dictionary.
com as “Behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic.” This was a critical theme in the play in which it was tearing apart the community. Hysteria replaces logic and allows people to believe that their neighbors are committing some unbelievable crimes such as, communicating with the devil, killings babies, and so on. Mrs. Putnam: Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth.
Believe me, sir, you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very night of their birth. I have spoke nothing’, but my heart has clamored intimations. And now, this year, my Ruth, my only – I see her turning strange.
A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pull in’ on her life too. And so I thought to send her to your Tituba. (pg. 15) In Salem, it is a very hysterical society, and one of the more obvious cases is Abigail, she uses this situation in order to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and send her to jail. This is all in order to get John Proctor all to herself.
The Essay on Role Of Television Play In Society
What role does television play in society For decades we have seen many parts of our world rapidly going through changes in technology. Today's society has been transformed by means of communication and the available information through mass media. Most Americans rely on television for news, sports, and entertainment. Television is just one of the many examples of how technology has changed our ...
There are many others that survive on hysteria to get by as well: Reverend Parris strengthens his position in the village and church by making people like Proctor, who question his authority, look stupid or look like they are on a lower level then him. One of the towns wealthiest towns person, Thomas Putnam, get revenge against Francis Nurse by getting Rebecca, Nurse’s wife, convicted of killing Mrs. Putnam’s babies. Hysteria can only thrive because people in the town are benefiting from it. Mary Warren, with hysterical fright: What’s got her? Abigail stares in fright at Betty. Abby, she’s going to die! It’s a sin to conjure, and we-.
Reputation is defined as,” The general estimation in which a person is held by the public.” Or in other words, it is the importance of one person’s name. You mainly see this theme in the beginning of the play, but are really throughout the play. Many of the people in the play believe that their actions or people they are associated with reflect on their so called name, or reputation. “Proctor, to Putnam: You cannot command Mr. Parris.
We vote by name in this society, not by acreage.” This is showing how important on persons reputation is in this Puritan religion. You could be one of the richest people, but if you don’t have a good name, don’t expect to be very high in the politic field. This just shows how important one persons name is to them. Like in the end of the play, Proctor confessed to being a witch in order to live to see his child born. He has to sign a confession and give it to the court. He signed the confession but then crumbled it up and kept it.
The court wanted it back but Proctor wouldn’t give it back. Proctor: I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! The last but one of the most important themes throughout is the theme of hypocrisy or lying. Hypocrisy is defined as “The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.” This was shown when John Proctor didn’t want to tell Elizabeth Proctor, of for that matter, the whole town, about his affair with Abigail. This is why John Proctor wasn’t at church for quite awhile. Another example is when the girls, Abigail, Betty, Mercy, and Mary are in the bedroom and they are talking about what everyone knows.
The Essay on John Proctor Pride Danforth Town
The Crucible Hubris, a tragic flaw, can be defined as excessive pride. In 1692 mass hysteria broke forth in the Massachusetts town of Salem. The society lives under a theocracy in 1692, and because of the heavy religious atmosphere an overdue opportunity for everyone to express his guilt and sins emerges. The play, The Crucible, narrates the time accurately. The Salem Witch trials prosecute any ...
About when they were caught dancing in the woods and now everyone is screaming witchcraft. They were all very scared and yelling at each other, and then Abby, decided to take charge of everything when she tells them how she feels. Abigail: Now look you. All of you.
We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sister. And that is all. And mark this.
Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! She goes to Betty and roughly sits her up. Now, you – sit up and stop this. And she is over and over again sobbing, “I cannot, I cannot, I cannot” as the curtain falls.” If it was up to you, would you like to live now or back then? One might think that they have is tough now, but just think what it had to feel like to live in a society filled with things such as Hysteria, reputation, and hypocrisy. People you might not have even known are now screaming witchcraft and getting you put in prison. One might want to think about this type of society and the consequences that one might face if they jump to conclusions too quickly..
