American Histroy in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
American History in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"
Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, is based upon actual events in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The Crucible highlights the tendency in America to witch-hunt and how some people used this leverage to gain power for them without telling the truth. To be accused in Salem you were sent to trial, which ultimately meant a sentence. Those people who decided to live by confessing to witchery were outcaste from society; Arthur Miller based this situation on the communist hatred spreading over American society at that particular time. Power was given to those who used the hysteria to their own advantage and the victims in due course were condemned. Arthur Miller uses a lot of imagery in his text to show the events. Darkness and dirt were used to represent sin and evil. Reverend Parris for example, questions his niece Abigail’s purity by saying; your name in the town-it is entirely white, is it not? She argues that her name is not soiled. The people of Salem are obsessed with preserving the perceived cleanliness of their souls.
John Proctor is the major character in the play, he is perceived as being pure and honest even though he had an affair with Abigail Williams, she is shown to be pure evil which out weighs our feelings towards Proctor. John Proctor throughout the play is seen to be in power. Abigail accuses Proctors wife to witchery and is determined to see that she and those who Proctor cares deeply for are doomed unless he runs away with her. When she sees that this will never happen she accuses Proctor to witchery, even though Proctor proves to the court that he did not commit acts of witchery and that Abigail and her accomplices are all frauds he still is condemned.
“She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And she might as well, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it’s a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it” . . . Proctor breaks down in a last attempt to save his wife and prove the dishonesty of the girls, revealing Abigail’s motivation to see Elizabeth condemned.
John Proctor is motivated to save Elizabeth but is powerless against some very good actors led by Abigail. Abigail and the other...