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Underlying Themes in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"

Analysis of Underlying Themes in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"


In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, everyone heard what everyone had to say, but did everyone know the real reasons they said it? This can be answered with a simple no. The witch hysteria in Salem was not only a cause of witchcraft itself, but a result of inner interest, greed, jealousy, desire, and guilt. Wild accusations concealed the characters self interest and hatred for each other. It was a way to reveal their true emotions without fear of being viewed as a mischief-maker or an immoral person. Witchcraft was used as a way of vengeance and as a scapegoat for their problems. Whether to save themselves or to relieve their guilt or to get what they wanted, or just extreme egotism, most characters in The Crucible had hidden reason to blame dark forces for the town’s problems; each had a hidden agenda.

Abigail was a cynical, sniveling “girl” who used her so called innocence to manipulate people into believing all her mischief and duplicities. She blamed others of witchcraft when in fact she was the one mingling with malevolent forces. All of her lies and accusations were a cover to attain her real purpose, her hidden agenda. She wanted to kill Elizabeth Proctor and have John Proctor to herself. She and Proctor previously had an affair, which lead her to believe he loved her. “You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet.”(24) But in reality, he had no feelings for her; all he felt for her was animal lust. She believed in the “promise” he made her when they had sex, but that promise was the promise that “a stallion gives a mare”(62) in his eyes. However, her human desire to want what she couldn’t have brought her to do anything to acquire Proctor’s love. She went into the forest in the middle of the night accompanied by many other girls and conjured a potion to kill Elizabeth. “You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor.”(19) Parris discovered them and she said they were just dancing. Then she threatened the other girls that if they said a word she would kill them. After they were discovered, Betty went into shock and lost consciousness. Mystical suspicion immediately rose in the town. Paranoia took over the people, and the children...

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