Reputation And Moral Rights In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Keira Hine Mr. Christensen English III 01 May 2023 Throughout history, humans have always used the supernatural to explain things they could not understand: The seasons were explained by the corruption of Persephone, famine and plague by sin, and misfortune and success with karma. Just as these ideas were used to make sense of the world, they were also used to fearmonger groups of people and give power to a select few. These few elites will often do anything to maintain their power including destroying those in their communities. Arthur Miller uses The Crucible as an instrument to expose humanity's tendency to prosecute those who threaten the ones in powers narrative.

Back during the times of the Salem Witch Trials an attack upon the court held a lot of weight. The judiciary system was seen as the Word of God and if you were attacking that, it was seen as undermining the Word of God, and you would certainly be associated with the Devil and witchcraft. Parris cannot afford to have this trial end in a fraud, for his daughter and niece would be seen as liars and his name would be trampled. This is why he presses God into the trial and makes certain that nobody goes against that for fear of being accused as a

The Crucible Essay John Lewis once said, “Live a life that is so honest, if someone said something bad about you, no one would believe it.” Building a certain reputation is a task most fail to acknowledge. Many elaborate through their actions the particular person they pursue to be known as, but many do the opposite. No matter if you’re unfamiliar to your attempts or fully aware, every one’s reputation is in their own hand’s to maneuver in the direction they strive to drive it in. In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, reputation is amongst the most important priority, aside from religion.

Throughout Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the characters are portrayed to be good citizens and how important it is for them to keep a good name. A good reputation is hard to achieve but even harder to maintain. Judge Danforth wants to be known as a righteous man, as well as john proctor, who strongly fights for his beliefs and others. Abigail is known for believing nothing was beyond her grasp. Reverend Paris is puritan minister, who lives by bible and it teaching.

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

Power is a huge aspect of how people see an individual and how they are treated in Salem, Massachusetts, which is the setting of The Crucible. Factors such as gender, religion, and how much land one own’s are truly what separate the powerful from the powerless in this Puritan society. However, a surprising person in Betty Parris is able to maintain great power from simply lying “asleep.” Although she must defy the odds of power through gender and age, Betty Parris establishes herself as the most powerful person in Salem through her ability to influence the actions of people around her and cause the town to enter a state of hysteria.

When Betty got sick in the beginning of the play he says to Proctor, The Putnams, and Giles “There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning! Parris to Proctor.” Parris is the third minister to go to through the church and this quote signifies his need for power to boost his own personal feelings. He is saying if they do not follow what he wants to do there will be a major price to pay. It shows how Parris just expects obedience from everyone since he is a minister.

His own worries are expressed when Parris exclaims, “But if you trafficked with the spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will and they will ruin me with it”(Miller 1131). He knows that if people were to find out, he could lose everything he worked for. Therefore, Parris does everything in his power to at least prove someone guilty, and in the process, completely goes against the morals he teaches. He is seen as a Godly man who is supposed to teach integrity. However, instead he becomes a man that cares less about the truth and more of preserving his own

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.

As Bob Marley once said, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” Integrity is the quality of being honest and upholding one’s morals and principles. Living in a fast-paced and ever-changing society, human beings have come into contact with adversity and hardship all throughout history. Those who act with integrity during tough times have a major influence on those around them, and taking a stand and upholding ones’ beliefs and morals at great self sacrifice can inspire and encourage others to do the same. Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible is a prime example of upholding integrity, and the characters within the play face difficult choices between doing

By looking at The Crucible by Arthur Miller one can see that the characterization of John Proctor reveals the theme of reputation and integrity, which is important because refusing to tell lies to protect his reputation and stop delirium from spreading throughout Salem. John Proctor states that the woman of Salem who have been locked up for witchcraft:”Excellency, does it not strike upon you that so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation”(3.1.305-309). Proctor represents reputation because he would rather die than have his reputation downed to a victimizer. Protecting his reputation motivates John Proctor to deny that witchcraft exists in the village. All he hears is crying out of screams and wailing which is a cause of the Devil 's work: “What 's she doing?

In a setting of Salem, Massachusetts 1692, religion is the direct reflection of one's social standing. Reputation is extremely important for the town, as it is your only way to get a fair hearing and respect from the people. The protectiveness of reputation is necessary in The Crucible to justify yourself when presented with fallacious arguments. In this play the importance of reputation is revealed though the uses of ethos, logos and pathos. The protectiveness of reputation is uncovered through various characters such as Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, and John Proctor.

Taking responsibility. Often times you will find yourself in an either difficult, or awkward situation where telling the truth is going to alter the conversation, and the person’s mood either for the better or worst, this leaves you thinking is being honest the right thing to do? This idea of being responsible for your actions is brought up countless times, both in real life and in fiction.

Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. Reputation can directly correlate with pride, which is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one 's own achievements. Reputations are very important to the characters in The Crucible and if they want to preserve their reputation, through pride, they do whatever is necessary to keep it. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the characters John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth all show dramatic actions to preserve their reputations, each of these characters either hurt themselves or others by being prideful and dishonest for the sake of their good name. There are several ways that Abigail Williams shows her objective of preserving her reputation in the book.

Our countless endeavors, whether wrong or right, tend to just how much someone values their self-worth. We humans are naturally built to muse upon how others think of us, and this is the basis for our self-conscious pursuit for our reputation and identity. No where is this more apparent in The Crucible. The play, The Crucible, is a homage to many themes, as it dives into the story of The Salem Witch Trial. Preserving one’s reputation is a theme exemplified heavily in the book, as almost every character struggles with their identity, which in turn, affects their decisions.