Crucible Title Essay

Significance of Title: Crucible is a word with multiple definitions. The word crucible can refer to a metal container used to heat metals and chemicals to extremely high temperatures or a severe test or trial. Both of these definitions can be used to represent the events that took place throughout the play. When a chemical is heated in a crucible, the atoms of the chemical begin to move around at an increasing speed as the temperature increases. It could be said that these atoms move more “frantically”, as they are exposed to more and more heat. Similar to a chemical trapped in a crucible, the people of Salem were trapped in the concept of witchcraft. As each person who had been convicted, accused more and more people, hysteria rose and …show more content…
They bring along Parris’s slave Tituba as Abigail wishes to place a death charm on Elizabeth Proctor, and the girls believe Tituba is capable of this. Tituba has Abigail drink chicken blood. Suddenly, Reverend Parris walks by and witnesses a glimpse of the gathering. When he confronts the Betty Parris falls into a coma-like state. Inside of the Parris’s house, Betty lay sick and an anxious Parris stands by. Parris is not however, too worried about his daughter’s health, rather how much this event would affect his career. He questions Abigail, who claims the girls were only dancing and that Betty fainted of shock. A crowd gathers in the Parris home as rumors of witchcraft spread. When Betty, Abigail, and a few other girls are alone, Abby demands that the girls do not tell anyone of the actual events that occurred in the forest. The only thing they may admit to is the dancing. Abigail also finds herself alone with John Proctor, a married man with whom she had an affair. Abigail still seems to have feelings for him, however Proctor remains defiant telling Abigail to end her foolish games with the