According to the Webster?s Dictionary, a crucible is ?a vessel in which metal is heated to a high temperature and melted for the purposes of casting?. It can also be referred to a situation in which a person has to make a decision that can be critical to his morals and principles. There are many interpretations of the word crucible as there is for the theme of Arthur Miller?s, The Crucible. Closely related to the word ?crucifixion?, The Crucible is about a man put in a crucible situation, who is forced to choose between life and morality, just as Jesus Christ did. Miller interweaved these scenarios to form the main themes of the play ? the problem of making the right moral choice and the necessity of sacrifice as a means of redemption. Both of these themes can be abridged to form one main theme, good versus evil. Based on the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century, The Crucible explores the vulnerability of a society and the difficulty of doing ?good? in the face of evil and tremendous social pressures. The play is about a town, Salem, Massachusetts, and the hysteria its residents go through because of the witchcraft accusations made by the young girls and countless other people of the region.
The Essay on The Crucible Theme Of Pride
Pride can be defined positively and negatively, it can mean a sense of one’s own proper dignity or value or self-respect, or an excessively high opinion of oneself or conceit, respectively. In the play which portrays both sides of pride we are transported to the late sixteen hundreds and introduced to the town of Salem in the province of Massachusetts Bay during the time of witch trials, and ...
These accusations, we learn in the novel, are not true and are merely stories to put the blame of someone?s mistakes or wrongdoings to someone else. The accusers are just trying to find scapegoats for their shortcomings. This is where good versus evil takes place. There are numerous ?good? characters in the novel that try to prove that there are no such things as witches, as well as ?bad? who use the trials for their own gain, and the plot revolves around their struggle against each other. One of the many cases where good versus evil is portrayed is through the situation between Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris, a renowned preacher in the town. She was seen dancing around a fire in the forests with the other town girls one night by Reverend Parris. Parris and Abigail do not want their names entangled with witchcraft, so they try to find a way to put the blame on someone else. Parris does not want to be accused of witchery because he is afraid to lose his good name. He is afraid that his ?enemies? will have more reason to start a faction against him. Abigail does not want to be charged with witchcraft because she does not want to get hanged.
So, as Abigail and the girls who were caught dancing in the forest charge several innocent people for witchery, Abigail saw it as an opening to rekindle the love between her and John Proctor by accusing his wife, Elizabeth, of witchcraft. Elizabeth is then charged for witchcraft and was put to trial. She had the choice to either confess her sins and save her life or not confess and get hanged. Fortunately, Elizabeth was pregnant to John Proctor?s child, so they let her go. In this scenario, Elizabeth is the ?good? and Abigail is the ?bad?. Abigail used her evil or ?bad? ways to try to win back the love of John Proctor, even if it damaged the well-being of another person. Elizabeth is innocent and had no connection with witches or the Devil. Here, the theme of good versus bad is represented. In this case the good has prevailed.
Another example of the battle between good and bad is through the story of Mary Warren and ?The Girls? (Abigail and the others).
The Term Paper on John Proctor Mary Life Hale
... it or return to her old ways Mary finally succumbs to Abigail s hypnosis and accuses John Proctor of forcing her to lie. ... accusations made against him that, My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing s spoiled by giving them this ... than die for something he has not done. Even though, John confesses, he does not allow Danforth to officially document it. When ...
Mary Warren was one of the girls caught dancing in the forest. However, she is different from them, because she turned her back on the other girls and confessed that what they were doing was a fraud. Mary Warren, the nanny of the Proctor?s children, was convinced by John to testify in defense of Elizabeth. Since she cares for her, Mary does so and testifies in court that Abigail and the others are a fraud. But, Abigail and the other girls who were present in the courtroom starts pretending that Mary is ?sending her spirit out? and attacking them. Mary has no control over their actions and could not stop them, so she had no choice but to abandon her testimony and accuse Elizabeth and John of witchcraft. Overwhelmed by the situation at hand, John decides to give in and confess that he was in cooperation with the Devil – although not true. In this scenario, Mary and John represent the ?good? while Abigail and the girls represent the ?bad?. Mary tries to save Elizabeth by testifying against Abigail, but because of Mary?s cowardice and Abigail?s fervent evil, the bad was able to overcome the good, and Mary gave in to the evil. The goodness is John was lost as well, for the power of evil was too strong for him to defeat.
This scene, undoubtedly, illustrates the main theme Williams is trying to explain. The battle between good and bad can go both ways. Good will not always prevail. One of the most important events in the novel, that clearly shows William?s main theme, is John Proctors struggle in his crucible situation. Although already confessed to his working with the devil, John has not yet confessed to being involved in witchcraft. Locked in jail, John is given the choice to confess to his and save his life, or not confess and get hanged. After meeting with his wife one more time, he decides to confess and signs a contract. However, when he learns that Rebecca Nurse and his other friends will be affected by it, he tears it up. John chose to do what was right and chose to stand by his morals even if he had to die for it. He had to choose whether to go with the ?bad? in society who prosecuted and killed innocent ?witches? by confessing to his sins and lying under the oath of God, or to go with the ?good? in society and stand up for his beliefs, no matter what people said. John chose the ?good?, and was executed nonetheless. Here is another example of good versus evil. John Proctor, a good man with good morals was faced with the evil of the society seeking to be fulfilled by sacrificing the life of others.
The Essay on Was The Industrial Revolution Good Or Bad For Society
Was The Industrial Revolution Good or Bad For Society. In my opinion I think this was the best thing that happened to Europe. Where do you really think England would be if the country did not Revolve? It would most likely be a third world country with out it. England was blessed with good harbors, natural resources, and a favorable climate. Who wouldn't take this opportunity to try and make the ...
In this case you can say that both good and bad triumphed. The side of the ?good? showed the town that a person can stand up for what is right and that there is still hope for the ?good? to win. However, John was killed by the ?bad? and the bad still continued with their executions. In conclusion, Arthur Miller?s main theme is the battle between good and bad. In life, there will always be a good and a bad. It is just up to the person to decide which path to take. Choosing the ?good? side will not always lead to complete happiness and could in fact be life-threatening, as seen through John Proctor. Today in life, a person comes across a fork in the road where he?ll have to choose to go right or left. For example, in the situation of smoking, one has to choose whether to do the ?good? thing or the ?bad? thing. There is a constant battle occurring everyday in every situation. Everyone is put in crucible situations and everyone will make choices that can affect their lives forever.
