Puritan Obligation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Fear is the most terrifying thing in this world and the Puritan society had used this fear for so long against their people, government, and everyday life. There are many things that they can use fear in everyday life no matter who you are. The most common fear they used is one of many things that many people know today and that is hell. So come and learn a little bit about how fear was used in Puritan society. There are many stories that tell you about Puritan society having fear in it and the fear in Puritan society can also be found in history.

Paragraph 1- (Intro) The Salem Witch trials of 1692 were a dark and (prevalent) time for the people of Salem, Massachusetts. During this time, nearly 200-300 people were convicted of witchcraft, and over 60 were officially hanged by the government. This must all be looked at from the colonists’ point of view- they had come from a land where religion was the most important aspect of their everyday life, keeping beliefs close to heart. They took this aspect to the New World, the area inhabited with mysterious other people’s foreign to them, where fears of the devil replaced common fears of everyday life. The floodgates of scapegoating did not truly start, although, until Tituba, a young slave, confessed of witchcraft herself.

What Caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In Salem, Massachusetts there were Witch Trials held during the summer months of 1692. Throughout the seventeenth century in New England, witchcraft was said to be a crime punishable by death. Puritans came to New England in the early 1600’s to practice their Christianity in the purest form possible. They believed every word in the bible and that the words of God were to be followed down to the last sentence there was. Havoc started occurring around the town and 19 women along with men were hanged for witchcraft.

In the movie, The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials and their effects are highlighted. It begins in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Reverend Parris, the town minister, discovers his daughter, Betty, his niece, Abigail, and other girls dancing in the forest with his slave Tituba. Betty faints and does not wake up due to the shock and fear of being discovered. The villagers suspect witchcraft and gather at Parris 's house.

When Hale entered the story he believed that he was going to be the savior of the town ridding them of witches. When Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor were arrested Reverend Hale was deeply shaken with his beliefs. Hale near the end of the story he tells Elizabeth that you should not have religion when it brings you harm but you should keep faith in God. Reverend Hale near ending of The Crucible is the complete opposite of the Reverend Hale that first entered the story, because he came in believing he was the authority on how to find witches, then he was shaken by arrest of Rebecca and John, and finally by him telling others to throw away religion when it brings harm to

Crucible Essay “She is one foot in Heaven now.” This quote is spoken by Elizabeth Proctor to John Proctor the morning of Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and John Proctor’s hanging, at the beginning of Act Four. Elizabeth Proctor is the wife of John Proctor and is also pregnant. Rebecca Nurse and myself are parallel for three reasons both are dedicated to Christianity, considered to be reasonable, and studied to be very charitable.

In Salem 1692 a group of young teenage girls claimed to be possessed by the “Devil”, due to the “witchcraft” done by their female neighbors. The Salem Witch trials were a group of young teens who accused their neighbors for being witches. It is said that the teenagers were having weird and unstable behavior. They would move in ways that is explainable, and the teenagers would randomly act like wild animals( History.com). It stated that the people from Salem believed that any birthmarks, warts moles, or other blemishes were seen as possible portals which Satan (The Devil) could enter a body.

Reverand Hale is responsible for the witch trials becase he lends his expiertise in the matter to Abigals advantage. On many occasions, Hale supported some of Abigals clames in the court, and without his input on the matter the claims may have never been taken seriously by the Judges. Hale believes the girls and supports Abiglals claims until Elizebeth and Rebecca are arrested, and at that time he relizes that the girls are a fraud. Even though Hale is now on the accused side and is trying to keep them from hanging, the damage is already done, and without Hale, the court might have not taken Abgigal seriously. But because Hale is supposed to be "the expert" they believed him.

Goodness and nobility is determined by an individual’s morality and their willingness to follow a virtuous path in their life. It is also determined by the ability of an individual to acknowledge their shortcomings and become more self-aware. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a good man as he showcases righteous morals and principles. This is shown, as he ends his affair with Abigail, protects his wife and his friends’ wives, and dies to preserve his integrity and honour. First, John Proctor shows his goodness, by refusing the physical advances of Abigail, who wishes to continue their love affair.

When Reverend Hale was first introduced into the play, it was that Reverend Parris had asked Hale to come down and assist in the pursuit of the evil that was devouring their small town whole. Hale was cautious at first in accepting situations that people believe have witchery involved. Considering he is recognized for his authority on witchcraft and the devil, Hale initially comes off as arrogant and authoritative. Although Hale never accused anyone of witchcraft, he just asked questions about it, he is more than ready to investigate and rid Salem of any demonic influences. In Act I, Hale arrives with his heavy books of authority.

In act 1 and 2 in the play ,The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the character Reverend Hale was introduced and learned what his role was. Reverend Hale was a man nearing his forties and was a high-status intellectual who was an expert in witchcraft (Miller 155). In this act Hale said that he believes there always will be someone with the devil(Miller 155). Hale was siding with the court in this act and signing death warrants along with believing in these accusations fully as shown in his visit to the Proctors when he said there is too much evidence to deny the Devil is in Salem (Miller 171). Also, Hale almost played as an interrogator when he was giving rapid fire questions to John about his Christian character and if he goes to church in his visit to the Proctor house (Miller 171).

The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts where the Puritans lived in a restricted society with a unique culture and lifestyle. Puritans lives focused on religion and following God’s plan. Throughout the The Crucible religion played a major role in regards to the plot of the story. Religion was a big deal to the Puritans as it was a requirement to attend church. They wanted to live a simple and peaceful life.

Despite their deeply religious values, the members of the Puritan Society in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible are equally as sinful as the rest of the world. The Puritans, known for coming to God when given any matter at hand, lay blame on the Devil, regardless of their contradictory values. By putting blame on him for their wrongdoings, the Devil earns power by the Puritans resorting to involving him in a situation whenever any one thing goes wrong. Power is defined by one’s reputation, status, wealth, gender, and age.

The morals of reverend John Hale line up with the ethics of the community throughout most of the play, “The Crucible.” Hale is not from Salem, but Reverend Parris called him to look for witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Reverend Hale originally believed that there were witches, until John Proctor had told him that Abigail Williams was lying. He then tried to get people to convince to save their lives. The morals of Reverend John Hale line up with the ethics of the community of Salem.

As said in the documents I read, the theme is "the fundamental and often universal idea of a literary artwork". One major theme that I have learned throughout this play is Intolerance. The society set in The Crucible is theocratic. That means that the church and the state are one.