Human Nature In The Crucible

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The Crucible: A Study on the Primitiveness of Human Nature
Mankind will never truly rise above its savage predispositions. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, takes place in the colony of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Rumors of witchcraft, originating from a small group of girls, cause the town to descend into madness and ultimately result in the punishment of hundreds of innocent lives. The play offers a commentary on human nature during times of great fear, in which a civilized society is reduced to a pack of irrational and anxious animals. Self preservation and greed cause individuals to abandon their morals regardless of the circumstance. Humanity will always be enslaved by these primal instincts, allowing societies to condone unspeakable acts of evil.
Fear caused by the witch trials motivate one to act selfishly in the name of self preservation. Mary Warren, one of the girls who began the rumors of witchcraft, is brought to court to testify against Abigail, the leader of the girls. When Abigail feigns a fit and accuses Mary of witchcraft, Mary loses all hope of defeating Abigail. She quickly turns to Abigail’s side and tells her opponents, “No, I love God; I go your way no more... Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more!” (Act III; 119). In …show more content…
Although The Crucible is historical fiction, the play captures patterns and events that have repeated themselves throughout history. One such event would be the Holocaust, where most communities chose to stay silent out of fear that the Nazis will make them their next target, while Nazi officers refused to question Hitler’s orders because they enjoyed having power over people’s lives. Though mankind can never fully overcome its fear or greed, it must learn to recognize the evil that results from their actions. Humanity must evolve beyond its selfishness and look to benefitting the majority in order to achieve a peaceful

Paranoia In The Crucible

witchcraft. In fact, The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller depicting the Salem Witch Trials, has a strong correlation with a modern witch hunt in the Holocaust. The Holocaust, regarded as one of humanity’s darkest times, was a genocide orchestrated by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany in which about six million Jews were killed. The lack of importance of truth, paranoia, and valuing one’s reputation over what’s considered right are characteristics…

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Witchcraft In The Crucible

something that is not popular with the majority. It’s been proven to be human nature to go to extreme lengths for personal gain, accuse others out of fear, or having fear itself. The Crucible, is based off a story of young girls in Salem, who claim to be affected by the devil practicing witchcraft. The girls in the village start accusing citizens in Salem of practicing witchcraft, choosing victims who they are not fond of. The Crucible reflects on the Salem witch trials in 1692. The accusation of being…

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Examples Of The Puritan Tenets In The Crucible

Puritan Tenets in The Crucible 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…

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Analyzing The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, focuses on the irregularities of the Salem witch trials and the extreme behavior,the characters display, that can come about because of dark desires. The play reflects a wide range of personalities and motivations from the characters.The Salem villagers also display flaws that include, greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the abstraction of their town. In The Crucible, the people of Salem are trying get rid of the evil/ witchcraft that they assume…

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Lgbtq In The Crucible

aspects of human nature of being LGBTQ. The word “LGBTQ” stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer. Anyone is can be any of these, but it is just a matter if the world will accept it or not. While The Crucible explores the fear of human nature, the issue of being LGBTQ in contemporary society illustrates we are still faced with this fear through people not being able to be themselves, problems with family and society, and the stress that leads to bad outcomes. The Crucible and the LGBTQ…

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The Crucible Never Again Essay

After tragic events in history, it is common for people to say “Never Again”, but unsurprisingly, it always happens again. For example, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was originally based on the Salem Witch Trials, with allusions to the Red Scare. Still, this powerful book can be applied to many other historical events because humans constantly repeat their mistakes. Any historical era where fear triumphs over truth can be reflected in Miller's skillful storytelling. Moreover, the story paints a vivid…

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The Crucible Act 2 Scene 2 Analysis

Before the reading version could be published, Arthur Miller promptly removed Act 2 Scene 2 from his The Crucible. He never gave any reason as to why and many have speculated over the years since its release. The scene is set in the woods at nighttime, with John Proctor and Abigail Williams. It is Proctor’s last plea to Abigail before he tries to speak against…

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The Crucible Essay

Vivian Wells The Crucible and today’s Society Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible about the Salem Witch Trials to compare to the events of the Red Scare that was sweeping across America. To mostly explain how silly it was for Senator McCarthy to accuse innocent people of trying to bring communism to the United States. He compared the allegations of witchcraft, which is imaginary, to what the Senator was making. The relevance to today is still potent, not only does it relate to the McCarthy period…

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Parris Obsession With Recognition, Wealth, And Safety

The Crucible: Parris' Obsession with recognition, wealth, and safety. The Crucible, a popular play by Arthur Miller, delves into the intricate internet of Puritan society and the Salem witch trials. One of the most compelling characters in the play is Reverend Samuel Parris, whose moves and motivations screen a deeply self-focused nature. Parris is an extremely self-centered character as he demonstrates an excessive amount of challenge concerning his recognition of materialistic wealth and his safety…

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Examples Of Order In The Crucible

Order in Disarray Chaos…the very existence of humans has categorized this as another form of control, but from a third person view, a question forms: what factor is under that influence of power? The Crucible is a tragedy written to represent the theme of hysteria and society’s reactions when given to fear and panic. The symbols observed in this text are as follows: Abigail’s lying personality, the corrupt leadership, and the human nature to pursue self-interest and suppress grudges. In this pandemonium…

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