In this case, you're asked to discuss the concept of a tragic character, explaining who fits that mold in The Crucible and why. To Hale: She comes to me while I sleep; she's always making me dream corruptions!" (Proctor, Act 2, p. 73). This causes problems down the line as Parris allows his paranoia about losing his position to translate into enthusiasm for the witch hunt. I'm a good girl! Mr. Nurse is now trying to prove the girls as frauds. To Danforth, anything that doesnt confirm that he was right all along is a lie. Miller's portrayal of women in The Crucible is a much-discussed topic. How does reputation influence who is first accused of witchcraft? You can also read my full summary of The Crucible here for a review of exactly what happens in the plot in each act. How does this philosophy perpetuate hysteria? Enter all missing letters. In the Arthur Miller play, The Crucible, one person abused their power; while the other person was elevated . At the end this act, John Proctor delivers a short monologue anticipating the imminent loss of the disguises of propriety worn by himself and other members of the Salem community. You surely know that" (Proctor, Act 3, p. 102), "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. It is a marvellous sign, Mr Parris!" (pg.24) . He is weak and vulnerable after Abigail's theft of his life's savings, and hes even facing death threats from the townspeople as a result of John and Rebecca's imminent executions. First, there is her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor Below you'll find several quotes that demonstrate irony (dramatic or otherwise). (Proctor, Act 4, p. 133). She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. He covers his face, ashamed. Each line, when completed, should have three words similar in meaning. Who is Reverend Parris? 10. Proctor is the voice of common sense here, as a counterpoint to Hale's "don't question the process" stance. We profile Aleister Crowley and analyze some of his key quotes in this article. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. This well-intentioned mistake seals both of their fates. In Act 3, Hale continues to make ironic statements about the existence of concrete proof for the accusations of witchcraft. Each section also includes additional quotes that fall under the same general theme for you to practice analyzing on your own. It's possible that Danforth cannot fathom that women or children would lie to him (a judge!) Reverend Parris has a false notion of reputation. This quote also fits a little bit under the "Power/Authority" theme the witchcraft trials have turned the world upside down, so that those who used to be powerless ("the little crazy children") are the ones in power ("are jangling the keys of the kingdom"). 67). Where before she was just an orphaned teenager, now, in the midst of the trials, she becomes the main witness to the inner workings of a Satanic plot. As he says, How may I live without my name? Before I get into the nitty-gritty of howThe Cruciblethemes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter. She comes to me while I sleep; shes always making me dream corruptions! pg. Thomas Putnam tells him to Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.Parris must rush to be the first accuser so he can place himself beyond reproach. The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Abigail's version of events is held to be true even after John confesses to their affair in a final effort to discredit her. John attempts to crush his guilt instead of facing it, which only ends up making it an even more destructive factor in his life. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Why doesnt John immediately tell the court that he knows Abigail is faking? Beware of it!" For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!, Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer., PROCTOR, his mind wild, breathless: I say--I say--God is dead!, When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regardded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and essentially friendly to man despite occasional lapsesl when we see the steady methodical inculcation into humanity of the idea of man's worthlesseness - until redeemed - the necessity of the Devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men into a surrender to a particular church or church state., What work you do! 129). The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. "I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it" (Hale, Act 3, p. 92). While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. Try your hand at explaining why each one is ironic and analyzing the difference between what the character mean when she said the quote and the hidden meaning. While touting his holy credentials, he claims that he dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of my conscience may doubt it (pg. 130). Proctor slept with Abigail, which led to her being fired by his wife, which led to her accusing his wife of witchcraft, which led to Proctor being accused of witchcraft and ultimately hanged for it. Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". (Act 4, p. 119). Essential Passage 1: Act 1. 118). Parris is very quick to position himself on the side of the accusers as soon as Abigail throws the first punch, and he immediately threatens violence on Tituba if she doesn't confess (pg. What motivates their attitudes and responses toward the witch trials? hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? The Crucible | Quotes Share 1. Did the girls really see the Devil or witches? This is taken as evidence that things are really getting out of control ("if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." In The Crucible, Miller gradually reveals Reverend Parris's persona as the play goes on. "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? Abigails low status and perceived innocence under normal circumstances allow her to claim even greater power in her current situation. 118). Essay questions that ask about themes in this straightforward way can be tricky because there's a temptation to speak in vague terms about the theme's significance. If that was the case, though, this quote shows how even those not taken in by the hysterical claims or fear can still be affected by it. The Crucible is four acts of tight dialogue and economical action. (Danforth, Act 3, p. 83). The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. "Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped awaymake your peace!Peace. As he says,How may I live without my name? Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. Want to find out more about the characters who say these things? Shes not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). Danforth has extensive pride in his intelligence and perceptiveness. "For how else is she struck dumb now except some power of darkness would stop her mouth? There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. This attitude comes from a man who has shown no remorse for condemning people to death throughout the play. The authorities ignore any inconvenient logical objections to the proceedings because they, too, are swept up in the madness. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. At the end this act, John Proctor delivers a short monologue anticipating the imminent loss of the disguises of propriety worn by himself and other members of the Salem community. This is ironic becausesearching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious. Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other witches to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Bettys accusations, now validated by a coerced confession. Danforth, who has the most authority, is also the most sold on her act, and it only takes a few screams to persuade him that hes in the presence of witchcraft. Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris become even more rigid in their views when they feel they are under attack. The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. This act also sees the irony of Hale discussing the powers of the dark that are attacking Salem (pg. 42). Hale demonstrates perfectly the mindset of the characters affected by the hysteria and fear. But second, and perhaps more important, we see in One could make the argument that Giles didn't intentionally accuse his wife of witchcraft and that he just wanted to ask the witchcraft expert about his wife's strange behavior, that's all. Curious about more recent (20th-century) occult activity in the U.S.? Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. Crucible Power Quotes - 1147 Words | Cram He is appalled by Elizabeths lack of emotion when he asks her to help the court get a confession out of her husband (pg. They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong. By the second act, the repercussions of the trials are starting to reverberate out of the courtroom. He manages to make himself confess and signs the confession, but when the court officials try to take the confession away to show to the whole town, that is the sticking point. You'll also receive an email with the link. references the many sentencing decisions he has already made in the trials of the accused. Puritanism was a very strict and specific facet of . Shes not a traditionally accepted target like the others (except in her susceptibility as a woman to the misogyny that runs rampant in the play). 41). Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. The Crucible Quotes - eNotes.com The Crucible: Important Quotes Explained | SparkNotes In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. I pay you, sir, this argument, let lawyers present to you." If you argued that John Proctor was the central tragic character, you could say that his flaws were an excessive concern for his reputation and overconfidence in the power of reason to overcome hysteria. In his 1953 play The Crucible, playwright Arthur Miller employs a fictionalized account of Massachusetts Bay colonists accused of witchcraft in 1692 as a metaphor for government persecution of suspected communists during the mid-20th century. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, list of every single character in the play, details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. Purchasing These people are the only ones who refuse to throw out false accusations or lie about involvement in witchcraft, so they find themselves condemned (this is the fate of Rebecca Nurse). "There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit" Rev. This hysteria-based evidence of witchcraft includes the discovery of the poppet in the Proctor household with a needle in it. (Abigail, Act 1 p. 11), "A man will not cast away his good name. Danforth makes a shocking argument defending the way the trials have been conducted, insisting that only the victims testimony can serve as reliable evidence in this type of trial. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. Contact us 67). Why is everyone so quick to believe Abigails story? Irony abounds throughout The Crucibleascharacters who believe they are combating the Devils handiwork actually perform it themselves. 91). Essay On Power In The Crucible. Parris asks Danforth to postpone Proctor and Rebecca's executions in Act IV after Abigail and Mercy run away, which casts doubt on the entire trial. Many of the Crucible quotes fall into the category of "dramatic irony", which is the irony that's created when there's a mismatch between what a character thinks or says and what the audience knows to be true. 61). He refers to Johns refusal to confess as a calamity, looking past his own involvement in the larger calamity of the conviction that led John to this point. There's also foreshadowing in this quote because by the end of this act, Hale is full of qualms, and by the end of the play, Hale feels he has "blood on [his] head" (p. 121). Proctors good reputation is almost a burden for him at this point because he knows that he doesnt deserve it. Mr. Nurse is now trying to prove the girls as frauds. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. The Crucible Power Analysis 705 Words | 3 Pages. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? "She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris's house tonight, and without word nor warnin' she falls to the floor. He says, I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town (pg. The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. This is also the commandment that he has violated most explicitly, so youd think it would be the first one to spring to mind. (Elizabeth, Act 4, p. 134). The Danger of Ideology Theme in The Crucible | LitCharts The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. Theme Religion Quote "The parochial snobbery of these people was partly responsible for their failure to convert the . The judges cannot force her to commit herself to a lie, and her martyrdom severely damages their legitimacy and favor amongst the townspeople. (Act 1, p. 40), "Proctor, I cannot think God be provoked so grandly by such a petty causethink on your village and what may have drawn from heaven such thundering wrath upon you all " (Hale, Act 2, p. 75), "PROCTOR: 'Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to you.'" Salem Massachusetts - Burying Point Cemetery/Used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. They so fear the devilish consequences of challenging the accusers that theyre willing to take them at their word and ignore any defenses the accused have to offer. How has the power dynamic in the town shifted from the beginning of the play to this point? As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Here are a few discussion questions to consider after you've read my summary of how the theme of reputation motivates characters and plot developments in The Crucible: If you're an old beggar woman who sometimes takes shelter in this creepy shack, you better believe these jerks are gonna turn on you as soon as anyone says the word "witch.".