User:The Crucible Essay

In all of time there has been fear, suspicion, and lack of integrity, which in today’s society would just bring a weird look or a quirky smile. Unlike the Puritan society in Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible”, where those sentiments brought many unjustifiable accusations and hangings. In the play “The Crucible” the author Arthur Miller expresses themes such as fear and suspicion producing hysteria, integrity (or the lack of), and secrecy. Fear and suspicion are infectious and can produce a mass hysteria that destroys public order and rationality. This is a theme that is highly supported throughout the play. ‘“I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shriveled in her hands!”’ ( Mrs. Putnam, Act I, 1110). This shows that Mrs. Putnam brought her suspicion and turned it into an accusation against Goody Osburn. Without a good amount of proof, to fully support her hypothesis. Just like when all of the young ladies started shouting the “witches” names, ‘“I saw George Jacobs with the devil! I saw Goody Howe with the devil!”’ ( Betty, Act I, 1111). ‘“ I saw Sarah Good with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil!”’ ( Abigail, Act I, 1111). This gives a strong sense of hysteria and suspicion on the women that were accused. As well as anybody else in the village that might be showing erratic behavior. It’s Mr. Putnam who calls, ‘“The marshal, I’ll call the marshal!”’ (Act I, 1111). One knows that the adults trust the girls fully and give in to their suspicions because they got the marshal to start going out and picking up the condemned women. It almost seems like this Puritan village was just looking for something to start trouble about, so when the girls started going off with this nonsense they took it and ran with it. It is more noble to die with integrity than to live with compromised principals that harm others. Which simply means that one would rather die with knowing that what they did was right and true, rather than compromising their beliefs to live and maybe hurt someone. ‘“ Let them that never lied die now to keep their souls”’ (Proctor, Act IV, 1162). It is the Puritan belief that liars go to eternal damnation, so when Proctor says that one keeps their souls if they die now, he means that they shouldn’t confess to being a witch. That would of course be lying. ‘“ Why, it is all a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot”’ (Rebecca, Act IV, 1163). Rebecca, an elderly woman, also believes in this sentiment because she is standing for what she knows is correct and not backing down even with the promise of life. This shows that even though people are pressed and influenced to obey their peers one can rise above the hype and live up to their own standards. ‘“Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”’ (Proctor, Act IV, 1167). John Proctor realizes that the court system is set up that you either confess to witchcraft or you die. So one needs to pay homage to people who have sacrificed their lives so they wouldn’t compromise their beliefs, and confess to witchcraft. “Whatever hysteria exists is inflamed by mystery, suspicion, and secrecy…” (Elia Kazan). This is a strong theme of the play that shows the Puritan outlook of suspicion and paranoia on all things not in ordinary every day life. ‘“I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you… I heard screeching and gibberish coming from her mouth. She were swaying like a dumb beast over the fire!”’(Parris, Act I, 1093). This supports the theme because Reverend Parris did not understand what the girls were doing -it was a mystery to him- and due to the fact that none of the girls would give a straight answer when asked what they were doing he automatically assumes that they, ‘“…trafficked with the devil…”’(Parris, Act I, 1093). ‘“ Martha, my wife. I have waked at night many a time and found her in the corner, readin’ of a book. Last night…could not say my prayers, and then she close her book and walks out of her house, and suddenly… I could pray again!”’ ( Giles, Act I, 1107). Giles Corey leans on the mystery and secrecy of the book that leads him to the suspicion that the book has something to do with the supernatural. At the time however, he had no idea that he was calling her out to be a witch. ‘“ She never waked this morning, but her eyes open and she walks. And hears naught, sees naught, and cannot eat. Her soul is taken surely”’( Mrs. Putnam, Act I, 1094). Since the Putnam’s cannot come up with a name for their daughters ailment-it was a mystery- they immediately refer to the worst possible answer; that her soul was taken by the devil. This play has very strong opinions, which lead to very strong accusations, that lead to strict punishments such as hangings. These all result from fear, suspicion, and secrecy -the main themes of this play. All in all the three most predominant themes in the play “ The Crucible”, were fear and suspicion producing hysteria, integrity, and secrecy.