Through different period of time fear has always been a controlling factor in society. Fear can either bring people together or it can destroy of many. Take the Salem Witch Trials as an example, people during this period feared losing their life that they sacrificed their morals and beliefs. Fear leads others to do unthinkable things, whether it’s lying about something or risking anything to save your life. Throughout Arthur Miller's The Crucible fear is exploited through the characters in the play because it shows how much trouble people will go through to protect their reputation, themselves, and to protect the ones we love. To begin, fear is a driving force that pushes people to act in unethical and irrational ways. In Miller's play it
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In The Crucible, Mary Warren was the first to tell the truth about the witchcraft accusations. However, when the people in the village put her on the spot she immediately panicked and turned her back on John Proctor, accusing him of witchcraft, “point at Proctor ‘You’re the Devil’s man!” (Miller ). As mentioned before, fear causes people to lie in order to save their own skin. As seen through the quote, Mary is quick to make an accusation on Proctor just so she does not get accused herself. Her real fear is not testifying against Abigail, but being cut short on life and hung to death. Additionally, Mary Warren plays an incredible performance when acting as a victim to Proctor, “her sobs beginning. ‘He waked me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign...” (Miller ). By mentioning that Mary was beginning to cry Miller attempts to make the audience feel sorry for the action she is about to commit. By showing that Mary is weak and incapable of being able to handle something as big as the truth Miller exemplifies that Mary is in a tough situation that holds a lot of pressure. By consecutively repeating the words “I sign, I sign” Mary makes her audience feel that she has been pressured into doing something she did not want to. She makes herself the victim in a story
In The Crucible, Mary Warren was the first to tell the truth about the witchcraft accusations. However, when the people in the village put her on the spot she immediately panicked and turned her back on John Proctor, accusing him of witchcraft, “point at Proctor ‘You’re the Devil’s man!” (Miller ). As mentioned before, fear causes people to lie in order to save their own skin. As seen through the quote, Mary is quick to make an accusation on Proctor just so she does not get accused herself. Her real fear is not testifying against Abigail, but being cut short on life and hung to death. Additionally, Mary Warren plays an incredible performance when acting as a victim to Proctor, “her sobs beginning. ‘He waked me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign...” (Miller ). By mentioning that Mary was beginning to cry Miller attempts to make the audience feel sorry for the action she is about to commit. By showing that Mary is weak and incapable of being able to handle something as big as the truth Miller exemplifies that Mary is in a tough situation that holds a lot of pressure. By consecutively repeating the words “I sign, I sign” Mary makes her audience feel that she has been pressured into doing something she did not want to. She makes herself the victim in a story