The Crucible, by Arthur Miller Analysis

The melting pot, by Arthur moth miller AnalysisArthur miller, the agent of The Crucible was tortuous in communist activities during the Cold War in the United States which, considering the diachronic condition brought him to court. This demonization of sight who expressed different political views materialized by a witch hunt impregnates the job in the wizard that the author comp ares his situation to the one of the hundreds of thousands innocent women that were sometimes killed for the sake of personal satisfaction. This pull up stakes to label people and c whole for abomination when psyches thoughts and opinions differ from hearty conventions is symbolized in the play with characters a wish(p) fineness Putnam or Danforth who translate Millers personalisation of judgement by both society and individuals.People convicted of witchcraft belonged to the Puritan society which is know for its severity and its devotion to Christianity. The environment is therefore propitio us to all sorts of judgements. It is for eccentric the case when conjuring trick watch is asked why he does non go out Church both Sunday In the book of records that Mr Parris keeps, I celebrate that you are rarely in the church on Sabbath Day (Miller 53). crush here makes an assumption that observe is non a good Christian since he is rarely at the church. He does non ask whether prank is a good father or if he helps his neighbours, all he cares close to is whether he is physically present at the office every week. This emphasizes the importance of the social environment on ones reputation. Nowadays, in liberal countries like France for pillow slip, the factors that determine whether a person is good or not talent be his frequentations, his generosity or his involvement in the community. In the capital of Oregon of the seventeenth century, what makes someone a good person is first of all Christianity and the attendance at the Church. Judgement by society depends on th e social standards and conventions that create an ideal citizen to which everyone tries to resemble as much as possible. In this precise historical context, this ideal would be a married existence with children, all baptized, that would go to the Church every Sunday, respect all of the commandments and change by reversal hard on his piece of land without necessarily being rich. Since no one in Salem completely corresponds to this portrait, people judge and inculpate each other of not being good Christians. It is in this context propitious to judgement of others that Miller decided to install his plot.During the Cold War, a terror campaign was led through with(predicate) the United States to demonize communism and the USSR. A Manichean myth was blossoming showing the ideological state of war that opposed both superpowers as us versus them, good versus evil. The exact equal situation is present in The Crucible when in the testimonies and questions from the judge in that respec t is absolutely no space for someone like bath Proctor who is n every totally good nor evil. From the adjudicate point of view, you are either on theology of the reachs side. People convicted of witchcraft usually confess low torture or because they just dont motivation to die. The latter case is usually a lie that abides to escape termination alone involves someone elses name. This is for example the case of Tituba who, under the pressure of Hales questions names other women who she says she saw with the Devil Aye, sir, a good Christian (37) and I dont know, sir, but the Devil got him legion(predicate) witches (39). This example shows all the hypocrisy of people who call themselves good and permit judging others, but when the situation gets warm, they are capable of anything that would tho them, including buy their freedom with someone elses life. It is the same for fragility Putnam whose role in the play is to make a relation to witchcraft to everything she take ups . She wants to convict someone for her babies finis and the arrival of Reverend Hale is a good way to heighten herself it is not her fault if she cannot dedicate birth to a vigorous baby. She hence tries to get involved in the inquiry and does not hesitate to give evidence of the guilt of whoever is named by Abigail and the girls I knew it Goody Osburn were midwife to me ternary times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shrivelled in her hands (39). Goody Putnam never mentioned Goody Osburns name in the beginning Tituba in the play. This quote shows how some people hold judge others and try to hammer them down for personal satisfaction. Those who like Goody Putnam are not suspected of being evil because they are at the Church every Sunday are, at least in this play, the ones whose soul is the most blackened. This situation can be compared to Millers period of time, when people like Senator McCarthy who was f ar from being exemplar still convicted artists for un-American activities. The author fustigates this locating by giving the reader the impression that Goody Putnam for example or Judge Danforth are simple minded people. Those they convict, like ass Proctor or Rebecca Nurse are not perfect but are at least honest with themselves until proven otherwise. Throughout the play, we never see either of them spitting on someone else or trying to contract trouble to anyone. This kind of character might represent Arthur Millers ideal someone that does not permit himself to judge others since no one is perfect. John and Rebeccas closing at the end of the play might symbolise the authors wish to represent them as martyrs who died for the ideas and moral values they defended and thus bring the sympathy of the reader. The Crucible is a way for the playwright to bring the readers attention on how judgements may be dangerous and end up like a snowball effect. The settle Danforth and Hathorne already had their idea on John Proctor when he came to try to save his wife, which means nonentity could contain twisted his fate. He was condemned to death the minute he entered the court because of Parriss record of attendance at church.The judiciary system is represented as obsolete and totally inseparable in The Crucible in the sense that the judges do not show any subjectivity and that people are sent to death with no proof of their affiliation to devilish activities. Considering this play is an allegory of what happened in the United States during the Cold War, Miller explicitly criticizes the trials of all those who were convicted of un-American activities. The evidence that took Giles wife to prison for example shows how arbitrary the decisions taken by the judges were. The judgements were not based on the quality and veracity of evidence or testimonies like for Elizabeth. Had they thought more of it for a second, Hathorne and Danforth could have guessed Abigail might have seen Mary put a needle in the poppet and thus created the whole masquerade that followed. Starting from the point that Mr Parris is a minister and that John Proctor is not considered a good Christian, there is ninety share of chance that Proctor will lose his trial. The characters of Danforth and Hathorne represent justice as Arthur Miller sees it a group of pretentious old men who deliberate almost anything as long as it fits to their opinion. When Hale asks Danforth to postpone John and Rebeccas execution, all he can answer is that its impossible since other people before them have been executed. This example shows Danforths incompetence and his lack of arguments which he compensates with a complex of superiority. The judges know their decision cannot be questioned and they do not refer to anyone about what they decided so they are the supreme dictum of the court and thus, can decide whatever pleases them. John and Giles wish to save their wives with testimonies are vain i n the sense that all that appeals to the judges about this list is more names of people who can be convicted of witchcraft. It seems that Hathorne and Danforth want to give ampleness to their trial and thus to their reputations of good Christian judges that do not show pity for Gods enemies. The hypocrisy of this religious centred society arises in the whole play and through many different characters, like the judges who, instead of praying for their soul and truly follow the love messages in the Bible, favor to execute people who are thought of dealing with the Devil but against whom no concrete proof can be held, for the sake of the Lords power. mature before the execution, Rebecca throws a warning at the judges who she knows care more about their glory than following what the Bible says Let you fear nothing Another judgement waits us all. According to the holy book, God will decide who goes to Heaven and Hell on Judgement Day, and Rebecca tells John she is confident that becaus e justice was not made in this world, it will be in the other. She is more afraid of Gods punishment than an execution decided by judges who trample His name. This last sentence brings solemnity and a heroic verse touch to John and Rebeccas execution. It is thrown like a prophecy, which considering what happened to those who were responsible of their deaths and how write up remembers of the Salem witch trials, can be compared to Jacques de Molays curse over pontiff Clement V and King Philippe le Bel right before his execution. This shows Millers will to prove that true justice always triumphs, no field in what form.The Crucible can be considered as a skiagraphy of the American society during the Cold War. Fear and terror promoted by the politics disturbed the balance of justice in the United States in the sense that according to Arthur Miller, it had reached the level of freedom women who were accused of witchcraft in the 17th century had. The historical context of the play is a metaphor of what Miller really wishes to criticize, and his choice to postpone his problems to another period of time might be a constraint due to censorship. However, the playwright indignation towards judgements, either by society or individuals is highly palpable throughout the story. Miller openly criticizes the hypocrisy of religious people and politics but also everyone who wishes to enhance others problems but not theirs. Whether he treats the theme of judgement through personifications or by pointing out the whole paradox of this attitude, Miller does not hide his disgust for insincerity and mockery.