Giles Corey

and refuse to answer any question that might subject them to prosecution.” (McCarthyism). Not wanting to be a witness and tell about political parties was due to fear of possibly being persecuted and outcasted from the community. In The Crucible Giles Corey wouldn’t name names in court hearing due to his fear and the consequences that came with confession being made. So quick decisions were made to better himself not thinking about what would be best for the community. Those who spoke up knew…

John Proctor is considered to be a tragic hero {a person who dies to protect something/someone that he/she strongly believes in} in the play, the Crucible by Arthur Miller. Within him are the true characteristics of a hero. Mr. Proctor is a proud, well-liked, respectable member of his community. He is an honest, kind and outspoken man, but within him, he carries a dark, dirty secret, that of the adulterous affair with his household servant, Abigail (alliteration). In that time period the…

Throughout American history, artists of every medium have attempted to capture controversial or impending issues within the country. Music, movies, and art have all reflected these problems within society, but none of these have accomplished the plight of American literature. From fiction to memoirs, millions of lives have been affected by these books, and have learned valuable lessons in some of the most unconventional ways. Two examples of historical fiction books that have helped shaped…

revenge, but also greed, for he used his daughter Ruth, who went along with the other girls who pretended to see spirits, to accuse certain people to gain rights to their land after they died. ”Danforth: Mr. Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr. Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail” (96). He played a huge role in initiating the witch hunt, since every chance he got he would accuse someone. Its not…

Morality is a key element in the human decision making processes. Many individuals tend to make decisions that seem like the “right” thing to do, and the determination of what’s right and wrong is based off of one's morals. The motif of morality, and its effects on the human condition, is presented in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. In his play, Miller establishes Reverend John Hale as a dynamic character and shows how he changes from being obligated to the church, his actual job, to being…

Transcendentalist thinking flourished in the nineteenth century and inspired many philosophers and literary writings. Transcendentalist believe that organized religion and society corrupted people and made them impure. The belief was that when a person chose to free themselves of a specific rule set that they would become spiritually and mentally free and independent. Transcendentalist believed that people were good and that everyone has a purpose on earth. Transcendentalism took root in…

It is often observed within both real life and within literature, that the moment when one learns the most about themselves is achieved through having to face a conflict either mentally or physically. At this point where one learns about them on a deeper level results in the individual undergoing a change in character. Within Arthur Miller’s Play, The Crucible, this idea of conflict sparking the change within a character is a constant underlying focus as the play’s theme depicts how individuals…

Lie to Live, Confess to Die Readers of The Crucible recently discovered a serious phenomenon: cowards are the most sought after and well-admired individuals in all social situations, while brave individuals are abased to that of useless liars. It absolutely seems paradoxical and unrealistic, but this premise exists in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In his play, the antagonist Abigail, who operates in cowardice, manipulates others for her personal benefit, and to induce hatred towards the…

or love. The Crucible was like the Red Scare because the people of America in the 1950’s were scared of communists, so many Americans were killed and imprisoned. Symbolism in The Crucible involved the rocks and the doll. The rocks mentioned when Giles Corey said, “More weight” (Miller 135), symbolises the weight of Salem’s sins crushing the good in its society. The Crucible is not about whether the accused were actually witches, but rather if the court officials would believe the…

Panic for the People Palms are sweating, legs shaking as anxiety creeps in, and the heart beats faster and faster, racing at a speed rivaled by a racehorse. Fear is a crippling emotion that leaders have used for centuries in order to control the masses that they rule over, ignoring the fact that the use of fear weakens the government. During the time of colonial America, the leaders of Salem intimidated the people of Salem into following their orders, similar to how McCarthy controlled America…