In the late 17th century, an explosive epidemic of a victimization of disparate people struck small villages and big cities all over the civilized world. This hunt for black sheep within society was used primarily by the accusers for ‘airing out’ the silent judgements they had made of people that weren’t to their liking. And in Salem, Massachusetts, this instant power of accusation by testimony placed enormous amounts of pressure on the leading figures of the small village. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, some rise to the pressures shoved onto them by the people, while others weaken and fall to their power-hungry neighbors and their accusations. According to Arthur Miller and his work, Reverend Parris’s adulation, Reverend Hale’s stubbornness,
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When his wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft, Proctor was exasperated and angry, and he remarked, “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem. vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”(Miller 77). Under the mounting pressure of the court, Proctor is one of the few, if not the only one, to look at logical reasons for the cause of the panic, and revolts to the irrational conclusions that so many had made. This headstrong courage is what separates Proctor from the rest; he manages to persevere and think logically and courageously and refuses to be part of the whole. Unfortunately, the rest of Salem could not act with the courage that Proctor had, so the witch hunt continued. Later, the climax of the play reveals that Proctor is suspected of witchcraft, but he refuses to allow his confession to be hung on the church doors, so he rips it and says, “I can. And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.”(Miller 144). By saying this, Proctor guarantees his hanging, but this sends a message to the villagers; no matter conflict, Proctor stands by his intentions. This powerful statement by John Proctor cements his heroism in history and proves to the world that the pressure of the witch hunt would not waver his resolve to be the best that he can be. In conclusion, John Proctor symbolically arises from the crucible as the hero and beacon of
When his wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft, Proctor was exasperated and angry, and he remarked, “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem. vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!”(Miller 77). Under the mounting pressure of the court, Proctor is one of the few, if not the only one, to look at logical reasons for the cause of the panic, and revolts to the irrational conclusions that so many had made. This headstrong courage is what separates Proctor from the rest; he manages to persevere and think logically and courageously and refuses to be part of the whole. Unfortunately, the rest of Salem could not act with the courage that Proctor had, so the witch hunt continued. Later, the climax of the play reveals that Proctor is suspected of witchcraft, but he refuses to allow his confession to be hung on the church doors, so he rips it and says, “I can. And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.”(Miller 144). By saying this, Proctor guarantees his hanging, but this sends a message to the villagers; no matter conflict, Proctor stands by his intentions. This powerful statement by John Proctor cements his heroism in history and proves to the world that the pressure of the witch hunt would not waver his resolve to be the best that he can be. In conclusion, John Proctor symbolically arises from the crucible as the hero and beacon of