Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. At first, Mary is being honest by admitting that Elizabeth . Johns concern for his reputation is strong throughout the play, and his hesitation to reveal Abigails true nature is a product of his own fears of being labeled an adulterer. In The Crucible, there are many characters that feed into or contribute to the rapid spread of witch hysteria in the small village of Salem. John feels incredibly ashamed of his affair with Abigail, so he tries to bury it and pretend it never happened. Deception is a major driving force inThe Crucible. AbracaDENIAL! The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. I highly recommend you use this site! 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. In the final events of Act 4, John Proctor has a tough choice to make between losing his dignity and losing his life. These two institutions fuse together in The Crucible to actively encourage accusers and discourage rational explanations of events. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. Hypocrisy is just one of many personality traits along many spectrums. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. In another section, Miller explains the teachings of the Puritans and how it related to the mess that the trials became: ''These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. Instead of living a simple life and managing his duties in the town, he is always complaining that he either does not have enough material items or someone is attacking him, all thoughts that a priest should not be concerning himself with. In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (. Demosthenes made fun of Aeschines, a famous Greek politician who was also an actor, basically . John has already confessed that the affair was the reason for Abigails dismissal. Abigail also shows concern for her reputation. The evidence used in the Salem Witch Trials further demonstrates the hypocrisy in the Puritan times. These types of statements made by Hale earlier in the play become even more ironic in Act 4 when he realizes he made a horrible mistake by trusting the evidence that was presented to him. He is weak and vulnerable after Abigail's theft of his life's savings, and hes even facing death threats from the townspeople as a result of John and Rebecca's imminent executions. Posted at 02:28h in motion to dismiss child support arrears by how does shakespeare present lady macbeth as ambitious. Here are a few discussion questions to consider after you've read my summary of how the theme of reputation motivates characters and plot developments in The Crucible: If you're an old beggar woman who sometimes takes shelter in this creepy shack, you better believe these jerks are gonna turn on you as soon as anyone says the word "witch.". As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 Even with prompts that ask you to discuss a specific character or plot point, you can find ways to connect your answer to major themes. Why wont Danforth hear his evidence? Revered Parris claims to be a godly minister, yet he is always clamoring for more: golden candlesticks, property rights, more money. Why does Mary Warren behave differently when she becomes involved in the trials? The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. Miller depicts through characters such as these that humans cannot exist without the flaw of hypocrisy. 121). No one will listen to Tituba until she agrees to confirm the version of events that the people in traditional positions of authority have already decided is true, a pattern which continues throughout the play. Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed. Shes not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). Miller's portrayal of women in The Crucible is a much-discussed topic. When Hale asks him to recite his commandments, the only one he forgets is adultery. I will not have it said my name is soiled! This includes not only accusatory lies about the involvement of others in witchcraft but also the lies that people consistently tell about their own virtuousness and purity in such a repressive society. The overall message is that. What is the difference between dissent and disloyalty? As John gives his confession, Danforth says to Rebecca Nurse Now, woman, you surely see it profit nothin to keep this conspiracy any further. Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, is accused of being a witch and Proctor has to make a moral decision . What the people of Salem have seen as demonic possessions of the girls is nothing more than an act of deception. (Cheever pg. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Fear that spread among a group of people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials, that event in history is a prime example of Mass Hysteria. Thomas Putnam who has grudges against the people of Salem, and Abigail is a shameless liar who leads the accusations against the people of Salem. If Danforth accepts Marys testimony, it would mean that he wrongly convicted numerous people already. Proctor, a score of people have already testified they saw [Rebecca Nurse] with the Devil (pg. Though the play is fictional, the characters are named after real people who lived in Salem during that time. Danforth and Mary Warren both embody hypocrisy, as seen when Mary says she cannot lie anymore and then lies when she becomes scared for her life, and Danforth when saying lying will send a person to Hell, but then forcing people to choose between lying and death. Many people confess when threatened with execution, and this only heightens the paranoid atmosphere. Throughout the play, Miller is introducing multiple characters that experience changes in their decisions and negatively influence more people eventually leading up to the witch trials. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. Hale also makes some unintentionally ironic statements in Act 1 when he begins his investigation. Each new false confession is thrown onto the pile of evidence of a grand Satanic plot, and as the pile grows larger, the hysteria surrounding it is fed generously. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of howThe Cruciblethemes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter. Why is hypocrisy so common in repressive communities like Salem? Throughout "The Crucible", Abigail Williams commits the largest act of hypocrisy. 50). Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren resort to hypocrisy when no other options remain. Thus demonstrating how mob mentality can impact an individual and ultimately drive the action of the play. She believed she had seen spirits earlier because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her. -Hypocrisy is the state of falsely claiming to possess virtuous characteristics that one lacks. The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. For example, proctor waits till the very last minute to reveal Abigail is lying. To illustrate this, he simultaneously shows the Puritan belief system while describing characters that do not obey that system, yet pretend to in their daily lives. Miller writes: ''As for Rebecca herself, the general opinion of her character was so high that to explain how anyone dared cry her out for a witchwe must look to the fields and boundaries of that time.'' Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is a fictional account of the real life Salem witch trials, but the play has far deeper meanings than just a dramatic interpretation of the event. The Salem villagers exhibit failings, including greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the downfall of their town. Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctors position as Johns wife has led her to attempted murder, first by the charm in the woods and now by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. It is part of our carnal nature to hold others to a higher standard than our own. The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because theyre beggars and slaves. Act 4 is Danforths turn to shine in the irony department. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. 22). This fact could destroy his credibility, so he is biased towards continuing to trust Abigail. John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his . Hypocrisy: A Human Flaw
71). Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other witches to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Bettys accusations, now validated by a coerced confession. Choose a single character and discuss how this person embodies one of the themes. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Proctor changes from a normal citizen and sinner to a tragic hero with a high sense of morality. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, list of every single character in the play, details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. An ad hominem means that it shifts the argument away from the issue to a personal attack on the person involved. The evolution of his character is due to vairous . Mary Warren exemplifies hypocrisy extraordinarily well in the scene when she and Proctor travel to the courthouse so she can confess that the girls have pretended everything and they never actually saw spirits. How does reputation influence who is first accused of witchcraft? She is cast as a villain. Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth. . Danforth is the governor of Massachusetts who thinks of himself as a fair man. Miller carries the theme of hypocrisy through Parris by giving the reverend a very greedy nature. This is a lesson in how fear can twist perceptions of reality even for those who consider themselves reasonable under normal circumstances. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! In fact, we've all seen hypocrisy in our daily lives. What motivates their attitudes and responses toward the witch trials? Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. In telling people they must confess to their crimes or be hanged, the officials show that they have already decided the person is guilty no matter what evidence is provided in their defense. The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, is a story where many people had been accused of witchcraft and a lot of innocent victims faced a difficult decision. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Many of us in today's society do not believe in this; however, the Puritans really did believe that people could be vessels for the Devil. In the play there was a character by the name of John Proctor; Proctor was a family man that made a huge mistake. The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. Miller portrays Danforths characterization as stubborn, highly religious, and arrogant in order to to provide a clearer understanding. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. What are their strengths and personal flaws? As he says, How may I live without my name? What ACT target score should you be aiming for? This is interesting because the children are the ones that the rest of the village relies upon to condemn people to death. South Plantation High School, one of the only schools to offer a program for the deaf, cast tradition aside to create a rendition of The Crucible that is truly one of a kind. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. The Crucible presents a view of women that essentially reduces them to caricatures of human beings that are defined by their roles as mothers, wives, and servants to men.