Human Flaws In The Crucible

It is basic human nature to lie. It may not be the most righteous choice, but lying is a way to save oneself from seemingly unavoidable trouble. The Crucible, a play written by playwright Arthur Miller, is a play built on manipulation, greed, and lies. Essentially every character in the play, from protagonist John Proctor to antagonist Abigail Williams, has spread their own fair share of lies, and they all certainly paid the price for them. Written about the Salem witch trials in 1692, The Crucible demonstrates how human flaws and chaotic events can trigger extreme responses in people, inducing an extreme reaction that seems implausible before, such as accusing neighbors of witchcraft. At the surface, one may find The Crucible to be a retelling of a historical event, however, The Crucible is exposing human weakness, deceitfulness and vindictiveness through malicious, flawed characters, and uses the particular hysteria that occurred in Salem as a way to show the desperate measures mankind will undergo to keep themselves alive and safe.
Miller’s characters are cruel and manipulative people, who serve the unique purpose of showing human flaws and …show more content…
The Crucible is an alluring metaphor for the many issues people are facing in the world today, such as the “Red Hunt” in the 1950s, which centered around the fear of Communism in the United States, as many people would frantically name others as Communists to either shatter the accused's’ reputation or to save their own reputations. People have used lies and manipulation for their own personal gain throughout history, and this is clearly seen in Arthur Miller's, The