Essays About The Crucible: 10 Essay Questions for Students,�� Interesting Essay Topics for The Crucible
Web1. Compare the roles that Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams play in The Crucible. 2. What role does sex, and sexual repression, play in The Crucible? 3. Why are Danforth, Web3 rows · The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is one of the most-studied plays in American history. What are WebThe Crucible Questions & Answers Why is the played called The Crucible? What is a crucible? One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for WebEssay Prompts: Religion Discuss Rev. Parris and how he handles his responsibilities as the guardian of Salem's spiritual welfare. Consider his true concerns, and talk about whether WebQuestions & Answers Why is the play called The Crucible? What is a crucible? One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for melting down and ... read more
He sees through humbug and shouts it down. Moreover, he has a complicated relationship with his wife, and is flawed but in an understandable way. He is independent minded, and struggles against the conformity of Salem that is so like s America. In short, he's like every other hero rebel — the same man in so many movies in stories, just realized this time in 17th century Salem. What started the Salem witch trials? In their contemporary parallel of the red scare, we know that there really were Communists. But in 17th century Salem, there was no true witchcraft. So how did this thing start, and what does Miller have to say about its origins?
A major point of the play is that the witch trials were not truly started by any event or scandal — the discovery of the girls dancing in the woods was merely a tipping point, not the true origin. Miller is steadfast in his belief that the social structure of Salem is what caused the witch hunt and allowed it to accelerate. If it hadn't been Betty Paris falling sick after dancing in the woods, it would have been something else. Act One is punctuated by prose passages in which Miller details the background of Salem and the characters. However, this background mixes facts from the historical record with the changes Miller made for dramatic reasons.
What do you think of this? Because the prose passages are contained within a fictionalized dramatic work, a reader should be aware that the passages are subject to the limitations of the form. However, Miller speaks with the voice of a historian in these passages, not with the voice of a playwright, and gives no indication that what he says is less than historical fact. Indeed, it is a slightly worrisome idea — a play about a man who died for the truth is so free with its own truths. Reverend Hale is an interesting and well-developed minor character. He serves the dramatic function of an outsider, aiding in exposition in the first act even as his presence catalyzes the witch trials.
But in the third act, he begins to question the trials, and by the fourth act has renounced them completely and is actively working against them. Hale shows that the ministry and the courts need not all be evil, but that it is possible to realize the error of one's own ways and work to fix their effects. Mary Warren is a bit of a cipher — we see her only as a pawn of Abigail, and then of Proctor, and then again of Abigail. Do we learn anything about the "real" Mary Warren? Mary Warren is a particularly undeveloped character in the narrative, who functions largely as a plot device. We know that she is a weak-willed and terrified girl, who is easily manipulated by people stronger than herself. Abigail and Proctor are the ones who manipulate her, both threatening her with violence and vengeance, which draws a lucid connection between those two.
Mary wants to be good, but she lacks the ability to see clearly where this good choice lies. Are the judges evil? Be sure to define what you mean by "evil" in your answer. This is a deceptively simple question. Miller believed that the judges in the witch trials were purely evil, and has stated that if he were to rewrite the play, he would make them less human and more obviously and thoroughly evil. But is evil a function of the will, or a failure of reason? These men did not set out to do evil — they legitimately saw themselves as doing God's work. Is it evil to be wrong?
Arguably, the Putnams are the most evil characters in Miller's interpretation of the events, as they both support the trials and clearly are aware of the falsity of the charges. The Question and Answer section for The Crucible is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. How is the Puritan society's belief in superstition first made clear to us? Quote to support your answer. The claims terrify Parris who thinks that if the gossips get ahold of these For what reason do each make their choices? I'm sorry, this is a short-answer question forum. Your Plan. SparkNotes Plus. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Not Applicable. Renews February 13, February 6, Discounts applied to next billing. This is not a valid promo code. Discount Code one code per order.
The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv bn. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for melting down and purifying metal.
Another definition is that a crucible is a time or trial of great severity, in which different elements react and something new is formed. This definitely often refers to a courtroom trial in particular. Clearly, both definitions apply to the title of the play. The Salem witch trials end up being a crucible, that is, a time of great testing and purifying, for the townspeople. Some of the trial takes place in the actual courtroom, but the metaphor extends beyond the courtroom scenes. By the end, their true natures are revealed. The girls were caught dancing in the woods with Tituba, who was apparently performing love charms for them.
Nevertheless, none of them actually saw the Devil. Tituba falsely confessed to save herself from being beaten to death, and the girls went along with her confession, making up new lies. Abigail went along with the girls as a way out of the trouble she was in with her uncle. Later, she and others in the town realized that an accusation of witchcraft was an effective way to punish people they were angry with. As a slave, Tituba had no status in Salem. Parris could have legally beaten her to death to try to get her to confess. She ended up in jail, but at least she was not beaten to death. Parris no goodly man. He spends time with her in the first act, and is kind to her, although he also makes it clear that he is not going to resume their affair.
In that scene, Abigail and John confront each other again, and John tells her he will ruin her to save his wife. In the third act, John does indeed tell the court about his affair with Abigail to try to save Elizabeth. This confession seems to indicate if John ever loved Abigail, he loves Elizabeth much more. By the end of the play, he believes Elizabeth, and hates Abigail. Plenty of people did sign false confessions, in which they were required to name others that they saw with the Devil. But many other people could not bear to falsely accuse their friends, neighbors, and families, especially since the only way those people could clear their names would be by implicating more members of the community. Like John Proctor, some people in Salem preferred to die rather than sign something that they knew was a lie.
These people may have had strong religious beliefs and felt God would damn them for lying, and they may also have realized that their reputation would be restored after the witch trials were over, even if they had lost their lives. For some, it was easier to lie and say they were witches so that they could return to their lives and families. They may have thought that they could confess to falsely confessing and be forgiven at some future point. Reverend Parris is most concerned with being highly regarded and treated well. He is also concerned with getting paid sufficiently well and complains that he has not been provided with firewood. Parris, you are the first minister ever did demand the deed to his house[.
Learn charity, woman. Elizabeth believes that Abigail is holding onto a promise—spoken or unspoken—made between Abigail and John that would make Abigail want to have Elizabeth killed in order to take her place. She decides that Rebecca Nurse is responsible because Ruth, Mrs. To accomplish this, Abigail makes it look like Elizabeth is practicing witchcraft by claiming that Elizabeth sticks needles in the poppet that Mary Warren gave Elizabeth in order to cause Abigail pain. When Mary Warren tells the court the truth that the girls were just pretending that they were being affected by witchcraft, she is challenged by Parris, Hathorne, and Danforth, and she is intimidated by the other girls.
Mary explains that she fainted because she thought she saw spirits. Abigail Williams tells John Proctor that the witchcraft is not real. After Reverend Parris finds Abigail, Betty Parris, and some other girls dancing in the woods, Betty becomes unresponsive. This makes the townspeople think witchcraft is involved, and the girls play along with the idea, accusing other townspeople of being witches. Hale presses Danforth to pardon them when they refuse to confess to witchcraft, but Danforth will not relent. Hale sees that the court has become feared in Salem for its brutality and lack of justice. Instead of saving his own life, John Proctor chooses to guard his reputation and not accuse others of witchcraft. When John confesses to being guilty, Deputy Governor Danforth pressures John to name other people who might have sided with the devil.
John dies with his integrity intact. Search all of SparkNotes Search Suggestions Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Jekyll and Mr. Please wait while we process your payment. Send password reset email. Your password reset email should arrive shortly. Something went wrong If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Log in Sign up Sparknotes. Password Your password must: Be between characters. Contain at least one capital letter. Contain at least one number. Be different from your email address.
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One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for melting down and purifying metal. Another definition is that a crucible is a time or trial of great severity, in which different elements react and something new is formed. This definitely often refers to a courtroom trial in particular. Clearly, both definitions apply to the title of the play. The Salem witch trials end up being a crucible, that is, a time of great testing and purifying, for the townspeople. Some of the trial takes place in the actual courtroom, but the metaphor extends beyond the courtroom scenes. By the end, their true natures are revealed.
The girls were caught dancing in the woods with Tituba, who was apparently performing love charms for them. Nevertheless, none of them actually saw the Devil. Tituba falsely confessed to save herself from being beaten to death, and the girls went along with her confession, making up new lies. Abigail went along with the girls as a way out of the trouble she was in with her uncle. Later, she and others in the town realized that an accusation of witchcraft was an effective way to punish people they were angry with. As a slave, Tituba had no status in Salem. Parris could have legally beaten her to death to try to get her to confess.
She ended up in jail, but at least she was not beaten to death. Parris no goodly man. He spends time with her in the first act, and is kind to her, although he also makes it clear that he is not going to resume their affair. In that scene, Abigail and John confront each other again, and John tells her he will ruin her to save his wife. In the third act, John does indeed tell the court about his affair with Abigail to try to save Elizabeth. This confession seems to indicate if John ever loved Abigail, he loves Elizabeth much more. By the end of the play, he believes Elizabeth, and hates Abigail. Plenty of people did sign false confessions, in which they were required to name others that they saw with the Devil.
But many other people could not bear to falsely accuse their friends, neighbors, and families, especially since the only way those people could clear their names would be by implicating more members of the community. Like John Proctor, some people in Salem preferred to die rather than sign something that they knew was a lie. These people may have had strong religious beliefs and felt God would damn them for lying, and they may also have realized that their reputation would be restored after the witch trials were over, even if they had lost their lives. For some, it was easier to lie and say they were witches so that they could return to their lives and families.
They may have thought that they could confess to falsely confessing and be forgiven at some future point. Reverend Parris is most concerned with being highly regarded and treated well. He is also concerned with getting paid sufficiently well and complains that he has not been provided with firewood. Parris, you are the first minister ever did demand the deed to his house[. Learn charity, woman. Elizabeth believes that Abigail is holding onto a promise—spoken or unspoken—made between Abigail and John that would make Abigail want to have Elizabeth killed in order to take her place. She decides that Rebecca Nurse is responsible because Ruth, Mrs. To accomplish this, Abigail makes it look like Elizabeth is practicing witchcraft by claiming that Elizabeth sticks needles in the poppet that Mary Warren gave Elizabeth in order to cause Abigail pain.
When Mary Warren tells the court the truth that the girls were just pretending that they were being affected by witchcraft, she is challenged by Parris, Hathorne, and Danforth, and she is intimidated by the other girls. Mary explains that she fainted because she thought she saw spirits. Abigail Williams tells John Proctor that the witchcraft is not real. After Reverend Parris finds Abigail, Betty Parris, and some other girls dancing in the woods, Betty becomes unresponsive. This makes the townspeople think witchcraft is involved, and the girls play along with the idea, accusing other townspeople of being witches. Hale presses Danforth to pardon them when they refuse to confess to witchcraft, but Danforth will not relent.
Hale sees that the court has become feared in Salem for its brutality and lack of justice. Instead of saving his own life, John Proctor chooses to guard his reputation and not accuse others of witchcraft. When John confesses to being guilty, Deputy Governor Danforth pressures John to name other people who might have sided with the devil. John dies with his integrity intact. Search all of SparkNotes Search Suggestions Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Jekyll and Mr. Please wait while we process your payment.
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The Crucible Essay Questions,Articles by Topic
Web3 rows · The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is one of the most-studied plays in American history. What are WebExplore this statement with close reference to the crucible. ‘We only reveal our true selves in moments of difficulty’. To what extent is the human experience defined individual WebEssay Prompts: Religion Discuss Rev. Parris and how he handles his responsibilities as the guardian of Salem's spiritual welfare. Consider his true concerns, and talk about whether WebQuestions & Answers Why is the play called The Crucible? What is a crucible? One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for melting down and Web1. Compare the roles that Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams play in The Crucible. 2. What role does sex, and sexual repression, play in The Crucible? 3. Why are Danforth, WebJan 24, · The Crucible Essay Questions How Does Fear Motivate the Main Characters in “The Crucible”? What Was the Critical and Public Reaction to “The ... read more
Now check your email to claim your prompts. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. A major point of the play is that the witch trials were not truly started by any event or scandal — the discovery of the girls dancing in the woods was merely a tipping point, not the true origin. Use Code: SparkPLUS These people may have had strong religious beliefs and felt God would damn them for lying, and they may also have realized that their reputation would be restored after the witch trials were over, even if they had lost their lives. Log in Sign up Sparknotes.
Did the girls really see the Devil or witches? Write an essay discussing Proctor's relationship with Abigail. Start your 7-day FREE trial now! Mary explains that she fainted because she thought she saw spirits. Be different from your email address.
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