As humans, we all vie to survive in the harsh society we have created. In order to survive, we must have some degree of power over others or we will fall to be used by those with power. People that have this power are viewed as successful and people strive to be like them. Of course, this struggle for power can cause hysteria not only in a single person, but a community as well; a message that Miller wanted to relay to us with his play. Miller used the Salem Witch Trials as an analogy of what the McCarthy era had become. Throughout the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, themes of hunger for power, authority, and/or respect, are all exemplified through the usage of the characters and how they talk and act. In the town of Salem, a puritan society,
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Abigail lied to keep the power she had so that she could “cleanse the world” while Danforth remained stubborn in an effort to keep his reputation and authority in Salem. In order to keep their respect in the town of Salem, they went out of their ways to ensure that others would believe them. These two can be referred back to the McCarthy era that Miller had gone through. McCarthy, like Danforth and Abigail, hopped on the fear bandwagon and took the reins by convincing people that he knew people working in the government that were communists. As society at the time were terrified at the thought of this, they believed him and encouraged McCarthy to prosecute these suspected communists. Abigail and Danforth’s hunger for power caused one of the worst cases of mass hysteria in the history of the world. If Abigail had simply not cried “witch!” then no one would have suffered. If Danforth had placed justice before his reputation, no one would have hanged. Instead, these two take conceited routes to place themselves in power, even if it meant trampling on the good name and reputation of others. A majority of the blame belongs to Abigail, as she lusted for John Proctor. She tried to indirectly kill his wife and be with him, forced the other girls to go along with her and accused a large amount of people. The rest of the blame can be laid onto Danforth, he may not have truly realized that the girls were false, but rather let the trials end with Proctor’s hanging he wanted more. He needed Proctor to confess so that the other “witches” would confess and continue on the trials, and in turn, his little
Abigail lied to keep the power she had so that she could “cleanse the world” while Danforth remained stubborn in an effort to keep his reputation and authority in Salem. In order to keep their respect in the town of Salem, they went out of their ways to ensure that others would believe them. These two can be referred back to the McCarthy era that Miller had gone through. McCarthy, like Danforth and Abigail, hopped on the fear bandwagon and took the reins by convincing people that he knew people working in the government that were communists. As society at the time were terrified at the thought of this, they believed him and encouraged McCarthy to prosecute these suspected communists. Abigail and Danforth’s hunger for power caused one of the worst cases of mass hysteria in the history of the world. If Abigail had simply not cried “witch!” then no one would have suffered. If Danforth had placed justice before his reputation, no one would have hanged. Instead, these two take conceited routes to place themselves in power, even if it meant trampling on the good name and reputation of others. A majority of the blame belongs to Abigail, as she lusted for John Proctor. She tried to indirectly kill his wife and be with him, forced the other girls to go along with her and accused a large amount of people. The rest of the blame can be laid onto Danforth, he may not have truly realized that the girls were false, but rather let the trials end with Proctor’s hanging he wanted more. He needed Proctor to confess so that the other “witches” would confess and continue on the trials, and in turn, his little