How Is Power Shown In The Crucible

Decent Essays
Crucible Power Essay

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based off the witch trials in Salem Massachusetts around the time of 1692. The Salem witch trials were trials against many people in Salem who were accused of using witchcraft. In The Crucible there was a very important theme which is power. Power had a great amount of influence on the story and the character’s in it. It is noticed that the power in which certain people possessed, or didn't possess, went hand in hand with their reputation.

An example of how power and reputation goes hand in hand, we take a look at someone like Goody Good. She was not particularly liked throughout the town of Salem and many people saw her as below them. So, when she was convicted, she had no power to try to sway the court or the village into believing she was innocent. Therefore she can convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to hang

On the other hand, people like Judge Hawthorne and Judge Danforth held the majority of the power. The two judges were
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He was brought in by the town of Salem because he was considered to be a witchcraft “expert”. When Hale first arrived he had great authority and people looked to him for what to do. He believed there was in fact witchcraft in the town for most of the story. Hale had great power as he was convicting people of witchcraft. It wasn't until later in the story when people he knew were innocent were being convicted of witchcraft when he began to realize there was no witchcraft. What he said about those convicted being innocent went against the court and because of that, Hale’s power quickly went away. In the end of the story he was left with little to no power. This was because he went against what was believed and his own previous beliefs as he did convict witches not too long ago. But regardless if he had power or not, he still fought to change the townsfolk and the court’s mind about convicting innocent

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