In the late 1600's, in a town named salem, a tragic event shook its foundation, the salem witch trials. The play, the crucible вќ was created to describe what really happened in these witch trials, and the effects it had on the colony itself. There were more that 50 men and women accused of this witchcraft вќ however, less than 20 were actually hung. Although the town of salem embraced these trials as a template for their envy and hate, one young woman abigail williams, is the due instigator for this cataclysmic event in time. Others may consider the town as a whole being responsible but in actuality, abigail used her neighbors as pawns, manipulating their emotions and actions for her benefit. Others may argue that abigail was not responsible for the hangings of these individuals, but they are mistaken, the moment abigail accused tituba of making her drink blood and dance around the fire, was the moment that decided the fate of her fellow colonists.

Some may also accuse john proctor for being the root of the problem, not explaining to the court from the beginning his relationship with abigail, or that he knew that the girls were committing perjury, but silence is not a crime, and lying to the court most certainly is. Abigail had made the girls do what she wanted, which was to create enough mischief in the town, so that they would eventually forget about their dancing in the forest. Therefore, john proctor may have elongated the court process, but he was most certainly not the main reason for the towns multiple witch trials. Another argument one might use to disprove that it was abigail's fault, would be to blame the courts, their misconceptions, and willingness to accept the plainly false statements of abigail and the girls. The courts had a big part in these trials, and it is evident that they did not consider the distinct possibility that the young girls were lying to get out of the hole that t discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria. The trials in the crucible take place against the backdrop of a deeply religious and superstitious society, and most of the characters in the play seem to believe that rooting out witches from their community is god rsquo s work.

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However, there are plenty of simmering feuds and rivalries in the small town that have nothing to do with religion, and many salem residents take advantage of the trials to express long held grudges and exact revenge on their enemies. Abigail, the original source of the hysteria, has a grudge against elizabeth proctor because elizabeth fired her after she discovered that abigail was having an affair with her husband, john proctor. As the ringleader of the girls whose ldquo visions rdquo prompt the witch craze, abigail happily uses the situation to accuse elizabeth and have her sent to jail. Meanwhile, reverend parris, a paranoid and insecure figure, begins the play with a precarious hold on his office, and the trials enable him to strengthen his position within the village by making scapegoats of people like proctor who question his authority.

How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless? salem is a strict, hierarchical, and patriarchal society. The men of the town have all of the political power and their rule is buttressed not only by law but also by the supposed sanction of god. In this society, the lower rungs of the social ladder are occupied by young, unmarried girls like abigail, mary warren, and mercy. Powerless in daily life, these girls find a sudden source of power in their alleged possession by the devil and hysterical denunciations of their fellow townsfolk. Previously, the minister and the girls rsquo parents were god rsquo s earthly representatives, but in the fervor of the witch trials, the girls are suddenly treated as though they have a direct connection to the divine.

A mere accusation from one of abigail rsquo s troop is enough to incarcerate and convict even important, influential citizens, and the girls soon become conscious of their newfound power. In act ii, for instance, mary warren defies proctor rsquo s authority, which derives from his role as her employer, after she becomes an official of the court, and she even questions his right to give her orders at all. How does john proctor rsquo s great dilemma change during the course of the play? proctor, the play rsquo s tragic hero, has the conscience of an honest man, but he also has a secret flaw mdash his past affair with abigail.

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Her sexual jealousy, accentuated by proctor rsquo s termination of their affair, provides the spark for the witch trials proctor thus bears some responsibility for what occurs. He feels that the only way to stop abigail and the girls from their lies is to confess his adultery. He refrains for a long time from confessing his sin, however, for the sake of his own good name and his wife rsquo s honor. Eventually, though, proctor rsquo s attempts to reveal abigail as a fraud without revealing the crucial information about their affair fail, and he makes a public confession of his sin. But by the time he comes clean, it is too late to stop the craze from running its course, and proctor himself is arrested and accused of being a witch. At this point, proctor faces a new dilemma and wrestles with his conscience over whether to save himself from the gallows with a confession to a sin that he did not commit. The judges and hale almost convince him to do so, but in the end, he cannot bring himself to sign his confession.

Such an action would dishonor his fellow prisoners, who are steadfastly refusing to make false confessions more important, he realizes that his own soul, his honor, and his honesty are worth more than a cowardly escape from the gallows. He dies and, in doing so, feels that he has finally purged his guilt for his failure to stop the trials when he had the chance. Compare the roles that elizabeth proctor and abigail williams play in the crucible. Why are danforth, hathorne, and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that abigail and the other girls are lying? 4. What kind of government does salem have? what role does it play in the action? 5. What are his motivations in supporting the witch trials? the literary work the crucible by arthur miller is a very good choice for your essay.

The crucible is one of the most mysterious, and at the same time very utilitarian creation of the outgoing century. The play, which hitherto raises heated debates of people, who are trying to bring to light the subjects of much controversy, which are discussed in the play: the theme of the moral choice, justice and injustice, truth and lie, trials of the innocently accused person, witchcraft, evil powers vs. This literary creation is loosely based on historical facts: the salem witch trials of the late 1600's.

Miller leaves a lot of uncovered questions at the end of the play, which give much food for readers' thoughts. Miller gives a wonderful opportunity to read between the lines, and to conjecture some ideas. You'll be impressed by the originality, eccentricity of the plot, splendidly selected system of the title characters, and those who make the general foil for them. The characters in the play were based upon real people who judged or were judged in hysteria. You'll close the book with a comma like state, as there are a lot of ambiguities in it. Undoubtedly, you'll benefit from writing your essay on one of the crucible essay topics.

Hl English Paper 1 Rubric

Discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria. How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless? how does john proctor's great dilemma change during the course of the play? compare the roles that elizabeth proctor and abigail williams play in the crucible. What role does sex, and sexual repression, play in the crucible? why are danforth, hathorne, and the other authorities so resistant to believing the claim that abigail and the other girls are lying? what kind of government does salem have? what role does it play in the action? analyze reverend parris. What are his motivations in supporting the witch trials? discuss the changes that reverend hale undergoes in the course of the play.

Personal Philosophy on Classroom Management Paper

What is your perception of the girls' allegations in the play? do they really believe in witchcraft or are they fabricating the events? is john proctor a tragic figure? compare his fate to that of such tragic literary figures as king oedipus in sophocles's oedipus rex and the title character in william shakespeare's hamlet. Examine the historical facts regarding the salem witch trials and joseph mccarthy's hearings. In what ways does miller employ these facts in the service of his drama? how do the two historical events compare to.

What was witchcraft? who practiced it? describe the social response to witchcraft in europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. What social and religious factors are given to account for the harsh response to witchcraft? what can you find out about modern witchcraft or wicca? compare and contrast the characters of rebecca nurse and john proctor. What is the function of reverend hale in the play? miller originally wrote the crucible as a critique of mccarthyism, but he distanced his narrative by using the salem witch trials as the setting for the play. At the end of the play, john proctor recovers his sense of goodness by tearing up the confession that would have saved his life.