Jealousy And Greed In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

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Jealousy and greed are very strong traits that tend to turn good people into wicked beings. They are also great traits for destroying lives. For this reason, jealousy and greed had the biggest impact on the book The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. In the book, Abigail’s jealousy of John Proctor’s relationship with Elizabeth Proctor leads her to be a very greedy and destructive character. Abigail wasn’t the only character in the book who greatly displayed acts of jealousy and greed. Thomas Putnam was a very wealthy man who showed greed by endeavoring to take as much land for himself. Although vengeance had a big impact on the book, jealousy and greed had a bigger impact due to the fact that without it the need for vengeance would not exist. In all, …show more content…
ABIGAIL: She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a—
PROCTOR, shaking her: Do you look for whippin '?” (Miller 23-24).
In this conversation between Abigail and Proctor, Abigail secretly displays her envy of Elizabeth being married to John. Out of jealousy and greed, she questions why John is with her due to how horrible Abigail thinks Elizabeth is. John refuses to continue the affair with Abigail so she starts letting jealousy and greed get the best of her. During court, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of being a witch, hoping she would get sent to jail or even killed. There was a conversation between John and Elizabeth when Mary Warren comes back from court and mentions Abigail was accusing her. In the book it says, “ELIZABETH: It is her dearest hope, I know it. There be a thousand names; why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name—I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She’d dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John,” (Miller 61). When Elizabeth hears of the accusation she knows what Abigail’s true intentions were. She knew Abigail just wanted to get rid of her so Abigail could
…show more content…
There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it, I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and—
PUTNAM: How may we blame ourselves? I am one of nine sons; the Putnam seed have peopled this province. And yet I have but one child left of eight—and now she shrivels!
REBECCA: I cannot fathom that.
MRS. PUTNAM, with a growing edge of sarcasm: But I must! You think it God 's work you should never lose a child, nor grandchild either, and I bury all but one? There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!” (Miller 28).
This quote is saying that Rebecca Nurse doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions. However, that’s something they may have to do. Later on, Rebecca Nurse gets accused and is sentenced to be hanged. In all, without jealousy and greed there would be no vengeance. Although vengeance is displayed throughout the book, jealousy and greed play a bigger role.

Jealousy and greed destroyed a lot of people, lives, and families in the book. For this reason, it had a much larger impact. Although vengeance was present throughout the book, jealousy and greed played a bigger role. This is important because jealousy and greed can show the worst if people and in the long run it can really hurt

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