Tuesday, May 28, 2019

The Moral of Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay -- The Crucible Witchc

The Moral of Arthur Millers The CrucibleIn the 17th century a group of Puritans from England immigrated toAmerica to escape persecution for their sacred beliefs. The whitesettlers arrived in new-fangled England in 1620, and Salem, Massachusetts hadbeen in existence for about forty years by 1692. Salem developed as atheocracy. This was based on the coexistence of religious prayer andhard work. Entertainment, such as dancing, or any enjoyment at all wasperceived as a sin. The isolation of the Puritan society created arigid social system that did not allow for any variation in lifestyle.The Puritans matt-up insecure with the knowledge of the Native Americansin the forest. They felt persecuted and constantly under attack.Abigail mentions her past when she says that she witnessed, Indianssmash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine.Throughout the play it is apparent that the community becomes moredivided. In the beginning there were arguments about ownership of landbetween so me of the villagers. As the story progresses people fear fortheir own safety and begin accuse their neighbours of witchcraft inorder to escape being hanged.HALE They have confessed it. PROCTOR And why not, if they must hangfor denyinit? There are them that will damn to anything beforetheyll hangThis is like when Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft sothat she will know that there will be a clear path to whoremaster Proctorwhom she had an affair with and now is in love with.Salem becomes overrun by the madness of witchcraft. Mere suspicionitself was accepted as evidence. As a God-fearing community, theycould not think of denying the evidence, because to deny the existenceof Evil ... ... storm. This atmosphere leaves the audience tocontemplate the play and particular characters and their relevance tothe title. The light that shines through the windowpane at the very end ofthe play makes the ending symbolic. The word new almost lets usforget all the tragic events that h ave just passed and that the best resolve would to start afresh. It leaves the audience thinking thatthere is hope for the people of Salem especially with the presence oflight.I believe that The Crucible was written with a moral. Arthur Miller,by writing The Crucible, warned us that if we did not become aware ofhistory repeating itself, our society would be in danger. Such as hasbeen seen during the McCarthy era. As the witchcraft hysteria tookplace in one of Americas wholesome, theocratic towns, it makes themiscarriage of justice such a mystery even today.

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