Samantha Vergara
Mr. Breiger
English 11 AP Period 5
18 December 2015
The Crucible Essay In 1692, the town of Salem was full of citizens accusing each other of practicing witchcraft in order to protect themselves from similar accusations. Arthur Miller, a popular playwright during the McCarthy Trials, took advantage of the similar situations and wrote one of his most popular works, The Crucible. In his play, Miller expresses that coming from a background of high status and wealth should not dictate what kind of person one is and emphasizes this point by using narration and dialogue. In The Crucible, there are many characters who hold powerful positions, but fail to use it correctly, such as Reverend Parris. Reverend Parris, the main minister …show more content…
Proctor, unlike the other characters, was not associated with any kind of power because he was only a farmer. From the beginning, Proctor decided only to get involved with good intentions in mind. For example, when his wife was accused of practicing witchcraft, Proctor acted quickly to save her (Miller 76). His involvement in the trials differs from the other citizens’, who only got involved to preserve their image. In addition, Proctor refused to tell lies to strengthen his case, because he was aware of how wild the reactions could be. Instead, he opted to only tell the truth and even outed himself as a lecher for his wife’s sake (Miller 102). This shows that Proctor was dedicated and did not care much about his reputation. Finally, Proctor chose death over lying and selling others out in order to save his life (Miller 130). This act shows that one doesn’t need to be powerful to make an impactful choice that reflects on their character. Despite coming from a humble background, John Proctor’s strong sense of morality and character supports the idea that power and status aren’t the only things that …show more content…
Miller primarily expresses this idea through narration, using the dialogue between characters and the sequence of events to show how status and character are not the same thing. Arthur Miller’s main objective in writing the play was to get readers to understand that in the end, one is defined by the decisions they make, not what they possess. Miller’s thesis still stands strong today, as the lines between character and background are often blurred and corruption has become fairly
Mr. Breiger
English 11 AP Period 5
18 December 2015
The Crucible Essay In 1692, the town of Salem was full of citizens accusing each other of practicing witchcraft in order to protect themselves from similar accusations. Arthur Miller, a popular playwright during the McCarthy Trials, took advantage of the similar situations and wrote one of his most popular works, The Crucible. In his play, Miller expresses that coming from a background of high status and wealth should not dictate what kind of person one is and emphasizes this point by using narration and dialogue. In The Crucible, there are many characters who hold powerful positions, but fail to use it correctly, such as Reverend Parris. Reverend Parris, the main minister …show more content…
Proctor, unlike the other characters, was not associated with any kind of power because he was only a farmer. From the beginning, Proctor decided only to get involved with good intentions in mind. For example, when his wife was accused of practicing witchcraft, Proctor acted quickly to save her (Miller 76). His involvement in the trials differs from the other citizens’, who only got involved to preserve their image. In addition, Proctor refused to tell lies to strengthen his case, because he was aware of how wild the reactions could be. Instead, he opted to only tell the truth and even outed himself as a lecher for his wife’s sake (Miller 102). This shows that Proctor was dedicated and did not care much about his reputation. Finally, Proctor chose death over lying and selling others out in order to save his life (Miller 130). This act shows that one doesn’t need to be powerful to make an impactful choice that reflects on their character. Despite coming from a humble background, John Proctor’s strong sense of morality and character supports the idea that power and status aren’t the only things that …show more content…
Miller primarily expresses this idea through narration, using the dialogue between characters and the sequence of events to show how status and character are not the same thing. Arthur Miller’s main objective in writing the play was to get readers to understand that in the end, one is defined by the decisions they make, not what they possess. Miller’s thesis still stands strong today, as the lines between character and background are often blurred and corruption has become fairly