The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play based on the Salem Witch Trials; it took place in Salem, Massachusetts while Salem was dominated by puritan beliefs. Puritans were encouraged to live their lives following the puritan tenets. The puritan tenets are the main staples of a puritan society. Examples of the of the puritan tenets are riddled throughout The Crucible, specifically when pertaining to John Proctor, the protagonist of the play.
The most notable puritan tenet displayed in The Crucible is ‘Man are inherently selfish.’, which comes down to men are selfish by nature. The tenet makes its first appearance in the first act, a conversation on the bewildering state of Ruth and Betty leads to the clash between John Proctor and the minister, Parris. Proctor points out that Parris demanded for the deed of the meeting house, even though Parris already had the permission to live there beforehand. Later, in act two, Proctor tells Hale of the pewter candlesticks that had been switched out ,on a whim of Parris, for a golden pair of candlesticks. Proctor sees Parris as a greedy man who priorities his whims over that of the people and the church he serves. Hypocrisy, how ever, is…show more content… Theocracy is a major part of the puritan belief system, it represented in The Crucible by John Proctor’s rejection of it. John Proctor's’ confrontation against of the court is a rejection of the puritan tenet stating, ‘Religious institutions are to be trusted.’ Due to Salem’s government being theocratic, the court is also counted as a religious institute. Proctor’s reason for being against the court is the credibility of their evidence and the fact that innocent people are being accused of crimes they didn't commit. All their evidence comes from a group of girls being lead by Abigail who wants Proctor’s wife
