The Crucible By William Shakespeare - 978 Words

MJ The Crucible is set in a theocratic society, in which the church and state are one, and the religion is a strict, austere form of protestantism known as puritanism. Because of the theocratic nature of the society, moral laws and state laws are one in the same: sin and the status of an individual’s soul are matters of public concern. There is no room for deviation from social norms, since any individual whose private life doesn’t conform to the established moral laws represents a threat not only to the public good but also to the rule of God and true religion. In Salem, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the devil; dissent is not merely unlawful, it is associated with satanic activity. This dichotomy functions as the underlying logic behind the witch trials. As Danforth says in Act three â€Å"a person is either with this court or he must be counted against is.† The witch trials are the ultimate means of restoring the community’s purity. The trials brand all social deviants with the taint of devil worship and that necessitates their elimination from the community. Another critical theme in The Crucible is the role that hysteria can play in tearing apart a community. Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered upstanding people, are committing absurd and unbelievable crimes that are communing with the devil like killing babies, and so on. In The Crucible, the townsfolk accept and becomeShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By William Shakespeare1468 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play The Crucible there are some truly heroic characters who deserve to be admired, and there are other characters who are filled with hubris and an overinflated sense of themselves. Some characters, such as Reverend Parris, care too much about their reputation, and this egotistic attitude can become the cause of their downfall. Others, like John Proctor, are not willing to live anymore because their reputation has been spoiled. And some characters, such as Abigail Williams, are so self-importantRead MoreThe Cruc ible By William Shakespeare962 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Crucible† is a melancholy story about witchcraft that occurs in the town of Salem, Massachusetts which takes place in 1692. Salem is a very strict, religious Puritan community which does not tolerate any form of non-religious behavior or action. In this Puritan town, a witch hunt ensues after young female members of the community tell multiple lies to their leaders; under those circumstances, many individuals are condemned and hung for these false accusations. It is until one member of thisRead MoreThe Crucible By William Shakespeare1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe title of this book is significant because it has two meanings. One, a crucible is actually a piece of lab equipment that boils to a high temperature and becomes full of violent reactions. That symbolizes what is happening with the people in Salem in this book. The second reason it is significant is because a crucible is also known as a test or a trial. We see that often in this book because every one of the accused is put on trial. MAIN CHARACTERS: John Proctor is one of the most important charactersRead MoreThe Crucible By William Shakespeare1363 Words   |  6 Pagessomeone, paranoia and hysteria begin to break down the human brain and influence the decisions they make. Throughout history, we as a people have seen the abstraction of fear dominate the masses while at the same time, cultivate hysteria. In â€Å"The Crucible†, neighbors begin to shift on one another and allege individuals they have known for a long time of exercising witchcraft and worshipping Lucifer. The small town of Salem, Massachusetts declines into mass agitation and paranoia, a status in whichRead MoreThe Crucible By William Shakespeare1610 Words   |  7 Pageswho eventually set out to kill her. In The Crucible, there were many accusations towards the people of Salem of being a witch or wizard. None of them were true because witches and wizards are not real and therefore, all the accused people, were innocent. They share the same relationship as the victim of this song. I will always love you This song is about how the singer will always love another character no matter what they put them through. In The Crucible, Abigail displays this same trait when sheRead MoreThe Crucible By William Shakespeare904 Words   |  4 Pages The Crucible was based on a Puritan society where religion played as the foundation of everything. Fear was operating in the witchcraft accusations and in the people who lived there. During that time, these fears were masked by anger toward one another. This misplaced anger grew to vengeance and only led to more fear. Throughout the stage play, the Putnam family helped fuel that fear. For their greediness, led to accusations of which craft. From their first child, Anne Putnam had said that RebeccaRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Crucible 1294 Words   |  6 Pagesof them can attain being imprisoned and even when they do battle to determine who wins Emily’s hand that is ultimately left to fate as the gods intervene when Arcite initially wins the bout. They make no attempt, as romantic heroes, to romance the object of their affection. Furthermore, despite the Knight’s tale being a romance, its center is more on the competition between the two men as opposed to the relationship Emily would have with one of them. Chaucer devotes two pages to their argument onRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Crucible 913 Words   |  4 Pages Are you in highschool and are going through a rough time. Than you could relate to the book Speak. Speak is about a girl going into highschool with no friends. Not even her friend from junior high, but why. This book takes place at Merryweather High School. It is in the modern day. It takes place somewhere in the United States. It sometimes at Melinda’s house and other places. Melinda Sordino is sweet and nice. She is really quiet and doesn’t speak much. She Doesn’t fit in anywhere and doesn’t haveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Crucible 1735 Words   |  7 Pagessides of the same coin†. That phrase is what Shakespeare personifies through As You Like It, using the play as a means of making an observation on the idea of duality itself. Shakespeare posits that a method of achieving happiness is simply perspective. The ability to see the positive in the negative or in the play, freedom in exile. Rosalind does not see Arden as a curse but as a blessing in disguise, allowing her to take a new outlook at life. Shakespeare s message seems to be that while there areRead MoreThe Tragedy Of William Shakespeare s The Crucible 1038 Words   |  5 PagesAct Three has ended and Elizabeth has been imprisoned for witchcraft soon after the hysteria began. The frigid, unilluminated cell, with its harsh stone-walls surrounds Elizabeth, along side her depressive, lonely thoughts. The only light permitted to enter the claustrophobic room bleeds in through the cracks around the perimeter of the wooden, bolted doorframe. Elizabeth sits hunched over in the farthest corner from the door. Dust covers the useless, ragged blanket that is the only possession she