Examples Of Power In The Crucible

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 turning to God when given any matter at hand, lay blame on the Devil, regardless of their contradictory values. By blaming on him for their wrongdoings, the Devil earns power through the Puritans restoring to involve him whenever any one thing goes wrong. Power is defined by one’s reputation, status, wealth, gender, and age; although the natural deciding factor of one’s power in the Puritan society is land, the Devil himself holds ultimate power. Despite the fact that he does not appear as a human figure, he controls the thoughts and actions of the Puritan society, serving as the ultimate threat.

Over time, she keeps lying and accusing other people other people in, but when the truth was being revealed, she ran away to a different place fearing her bad reputation in town. Some people only care about how their names are seen, and they do not care about the truth. For example, Deputy Governor Danforth knew that the truth about witchcraft, but he refused to announce it because he fears that his reputation will get ruined. Next, Abigail caused many people to be hanged so she denies the truth and

Her love drives her to be manipulative and deceitful. She is willing to do anything to get rid of anyone who might come between her and Proctor, even his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail doesn't care about the consequences of her actions because all she wants is Proctor's love. She is determined to eliminate

The Crucible by Arthur Miller follows the story of a village that transcends into chaos over the Salem witch trials. The delicacy of power is demonstrated in Reverend John Hale, a character that holds legitimate and referent power as a religious figure who learns that power is delicate and upon possession of it, one must act with caution. French and Ravens research finds that “Cultural values constitute one common

Abigail has been lying to conceal her affair and to prevent charges of witchcraft. One of her biggest lies was in the court on page 108 when she said, “ I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to being murdered every day because I did my duty pointing out the Devil’s people - and this is my reward?” She also tries to make herself look good by confessing that she is a witch then throwing out names of people that have not confessed yet. The quote that backs this statement up on page 48 is, “I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand.

Argumentative Essay: Power in The Crucible There are many concepts in human society that can only exist if there is a belief in them. One of the strongest of those concepts is the concept of power which can be so strong that it gets out of hand. As John Dalberg-Acton once said, “Power tends to be corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” The feeling of being powerful causes one to go off the rails and believe they are truly invinvible. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a fictionalization of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s that also acts as an allusion to the Red Scare that happened in America during the early 1900s.

Many viewed her as an angel and truthful but in reality she was not good and had nothing but bizarre ways of getting back at people and bad intentions, she would lie to save herself and wrongly accuse others of doing things to keep her name clean. Meanwhile everyone besides the few who knew her, got the wrong impression and were fooled by her lying front she put up. Abigail was all about making others happy on the outside and a good christian girl to the point she over exaggerated it and her lying got her nowhere. In act 2.2 the text explains, “You mad, you murderous bitch” (Miller 152). By proctor saying this you see that he knows her intentions and even though he made a mistake he is coming to terms with it, she is doing the complete opposite and being selfish.

Imagine you have just been accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death, that you did not commit. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, he writes about the Salem witch trials. Though it is based on a true story, the play is fictional, with fictional characters. The main characters include John Proctor, Abigail Williams, John Hale, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Parris. In the Puritanical town of Salem, people live by the Bible.

But to get what she wanted she’d go to pretty far extents to get what she wanted. This being, to get John Proctor’s wife out of the way so she could replace her. Abigail has been working to get what she wants and her desire to get with John Proctor is what she wants, “I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty poitning out the Devil’s people” (Miller 111). Abigail was speaking to the Judge Danforth, one of the most respected in the town, Abigail could be seen as one who’s in most control in the play. Abigail’s constant lies and deceit has gotten hung for being a “witch” or “working with the devil”, “I--I know not.

As Proctor pressures Mary to utilize informational power against Abigail, but she fails to effectively use her power within the court. Starting Act III, Proctor takes Mary to court to present a signed deposition as evidence against Abigail. Proctor uses coercive power to force Mary to use her informational power, for if she doesn’t testify she will be punished. Proctor’s use of coercive power goes against Judge Danforth’s use of coercive and expert power on Mary. Danforth places Mary in a challenging position by stating “you are either lying now, or were lying in the court, and in either case, you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it”, by saying this he threatens Mary to not recant her statement and instead stick to it for it she doesn’t she will go to hell

She realizes that she can lie and say that Proctor was working with the devil. She confesses that she was forced by Proctor to do things for the Devil and she got out of trouble. This shows how people will lie and confess to things they didn’t do to protect themselves. In the end of the first act, Abigail gets in trouble for doing witchcraft in the woods. She is already facing rumors from Goody Proctor that she was soiled and working with the devil.

This is included in his sermon so that his audience will be frightened into taking their faith more seriously. Miller writes Abigail as preying upon Danforth’s willingness to believe her every word. When Abigail is written as

Considering she was deemed an officer of the court, which obligated her to promote justice in the court. Considering this, if she had told and stuck to the truth, the court and Judge Danforth himself would have gained suspicion of Abigail and begun to believe perhaps she and the girls were lying. As stated on the stage directions after Mary states “I–I cannot tell how, but I did. I–I heard the other girls screaming and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I–It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I–I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not” (Act III p. 344).

Danforth's stubbornness is shown when Proctor is presenting his evidence to the court: “Indeed not, but it strike hard upon me that she will dare come here with such a tale. Now, Mr. Procter, before I decide whether I shall hear you or not, it is my duty to tell you this. We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment”(Miller 89). This shows how Danforth has no room for consideration, especially with Procter because he sees him as someone who seeks to dismantle the court. The fire he speaks of that burns all concealment doesn't work, so he gets frustrated and gets confirmation that he is in the right from Abigail.

Abigail Williams is a Reverend's daughter and Judge Danforth is as he claims. Their reputations are all they truly have, and both induce fear to maintain it. In the beginning of the play Abigail confesses to dancing naked, and to being out, yet not to witchcraft, and blames it on Tituba. She then tells Mary about what happened, and threatens her life to keep her secret. Danforth, in the beginning of Act III, makes sure Proctor, Hales, and Giles know what his reputation is allowing him to do.