Witch Hunts: Comparison of Salem in the 1690’s vs. America in 2018
Witch hunts in Salem during the 1690’s was a traumatic and horrifying experience that consisted of many trials to accomplish one goal - to get rid of witchcraft in Salem. Imagine being in Salem during the 1690’s, in a time where friends, family and people around in the community were being accused of witchcraft. Also they were possibly hung to death for something they didn’t do. It created a violent uproar in the town because it split people into two sides with a middle selection not being the option. Arthur Miller writes the dramatic story of The Crucible that is a fictional story based on the true events of the Salem Witch Trials. An Allegory is a key term that connects to Miller’s purpose and describes a story that can be interpreted in many ways to find a cavernous meaning. Today there
…show more content…
During the trials in Act III, Danforth was explaining to Giles Corey that you are either for God or for the devil. “You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time—we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world” (Miller 94). The battle between good and evil cause division because of the different perspectives on how things are viewed. Evil will want what is opposite of good, and they lead in total opposite directions. When Giles Corey was standing up to the court for being accused, Danforth tells him he is either for the court or against. It was an unfair thing for Giles Corey because he was accused with no evidence by the court, and he would have to confess or he would be faced with consequences. Although Giles did no evil, the different view and beliefs of what was true between Giles and Danforth was different, and they were not on same
The Crucible by Author Miller is a historical fiction based of of the Salem witch trails. During this period people where filled with greed, pride and authority. With the time being so tense made people greed and thirst for power a dangerous thing. The first ways greed was shown was through Abigail. Abigail’s greed came from the love for John Procter.
Danforth displayed the actions of pride through multiple actions. He acts superior as if there is no one superior to him because he has complete control of everyone’s decision whether to live or die. Thus, he made Giles Corey seem as if he is unimportant and worthless towards the court. He says, “And how do you imagine to help her cause with such contemptuous riot? Now be gone.
In 1692, witchcraft trials in Massachusetts were probably the most famous trials of colonial America. The events surrounding the outbreaks of witchcraft in Salem are probably the best-documented witch trials in American history. In New England, in the 50 years leading up to the Salem trials, dozens of people were executed for witchcraft. Trials continued to crop up, and according to one source, a member of a mob killed a suspected witch outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall in the late 1781’s. The victims of the witchcraft prosecutions were almost all women that were elderly or perceived as a drain on the community.
Danforth suspects he might have made a grave mistake but he keeps the hanging proceedings as they are nonetheless, for if he chooses to listen to Parris' advice, thus he allows the people to question the integrity of his authority , the court and the church, and that is something he would not permit to happen ( Brown
Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, presents a theme that demonstrates how characters change throughout the storyline. The dramatic changes of the characters show how people in late 1600’s managed to get through the accusations of witchcraft and moreover how the accusers and or condemners were able to handle the chaotic event. Miller’s play helps one understand what the Salem Witch Trials did to people’s emotions and mentalities. People demanded one to be hung or burned if the person sinned unless they confessed, turned back around to God, and blamed others for their sin. In The Crucible, with Hale’s transformation Miller is emphasizing that humanity will always seek redemption, the truth will triumph the lies, and people will constantly try
Cameron Oldfield Mrs. Brincks English III 15 November, 2015 The Crucible and Red Scare Imagine being thrown in jail, blamed for something that you didn't do .The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a story about how certain propaganda and false accusations can ruin lives, just like in the case of the Red Scare. Although 1692 the Salem witch trials and the Red Scare were over 200 years apart, The similarities are striking. both trials used intimidation, fear, hatred, and false accusations to ruin innocent lives. Both trials resulted in terrible outcomes, with both ending with innocent people being put to death and shunned from society.
The Salem Witch Trials; Madness or Logic In Stacey Schiff’s, List of 5 Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials and Shah Faiza’s, THE WITCHES OF SALEM; Diabolical doings in a Puritan village, discuss in their articles what has been debated by so many historians for years, the causes of the Salem Witch trials. Schiff and the Faiza, purpose is to argue the possible religious, scientific, communal, and sociological reasons on why the trials occurred. All while making word by word in the writer’s testimony as if they were there through emotion and just stating simply the facts and theories. They adopt the hectic tone in order to convey to the readers the significance, tragedy, logic, loss, and possible madness behind these life changing events,
What is a crucible? Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” is a historical fictional story describing the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600’s. The story brings up the horror of the trials. It brings up how innocent people were falsely accused and charged for practicing witchery.
The Crucible is a piece of literature that can be attributed to a few other situations in history, not simply just the Salem Witch Trials. People throughout history have turned on each other in fear, and have use irrational thinking to justify what they have done. Though the story portrays the Witch Trials, it is able to connect with other events in history due to how the themes can connect with the reader and resonate with how people can feel under certain stress at these moments. Arthur Miller writes in the way that the story can live on in other situations to make points on how we treat each other during these times, the rhetorical appeals he uses becoming important as to why this story is still important to our history in more than one event. As spoken before, The Crucible is set in a certain time period, but advances its meaning into other aspects of history; written in the 50’s, it can be traced back to a connection with McCarthyism, the story an allegory for this period.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a surprising story of a town plagued by the belief that witches have invaded the streets of Salem, Massachusetts. With the use of heavy dramatic irony, those that encounter the story experience frustration as the result of many innocent townsfolk being condemned to death. The readers of the story recognize the fictitious proclamations of witchcraft, but those in the town of Salem actually validate the accusations against the alleged witches. Falsely accused and falsely condemned, the “witches” are sentenced to the rope; all this occurred simply because Abigail Williams wanted to obtain the affection of the man she loved, John Proctor. Through crazy stories and expressive writing, Miller took the reader on a captivating journey back to 1692 where bizarre things befell those residing in Salem.
Overall, Danforth was wrong. He faces many difficult descions throughout the play, and yet he stays mostly consistent. He chooses to save his own reputation over the lives of innocent people. He knowingly sends three people to die, just so that he can look good. Danforth was the main cause of all of the heartbreak and struggle endured in Salem.
[Title]: [Subtitle] The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller about the witch trials that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692. In the play Miller uses metaphors, dramatic irony, and symbolism in order to convey the reoccurring theme that mass hysteria causes distrust among communities. Throughout the play Miller uses metaphors in several occasions. In Act II Reverend Hale says to John Proctor, “Theology, sir is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be considered small,” (64).
The Salem Witch Trials The belief of witchcraft can be traced back centuries to as early as the 1300’s. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during 1690’s in which many members of Puritan communities were accused and convicted of witchcraft. These “witch trials” were most famously noted in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Many believe this town to be the starting point for the mass hysteria which spread to many other areas of New England.
Salem is a community i which is strongly influenced by religious beliefs. along with their strict moral codes, the puritans lead an extremely conservative and simplistic way of life. Thus, when the outbreak of rumours regarding witchcraft surged salem their secure and calm lifestyle was provoked, triggering a mass hysteria resulting in countless people being accused and innocent lives being lost, The “{Crucible” by Arthur Miller demonstrates the conflict that one faces, through each individual character as they are driven by their own desires, highlighting the inner turmoil, the societal and religious struggles as well as the conlfict encountered between the community. The irrational and impetuous actions that the characters make result in
The Downfall of Salem In this world there are many different types of people such as those who follow and those who lead. The Crucible by Arthur Miller has four different categories of people; the liars, the power-mongering, the rebellious and the ignorant. The play is used to display the conflicts of the Salem Witch Trials with these four factions constantly opposing each other. Only to discover who is in the confines of the Devil’s keep and who is under the will of God.