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Example research essay topic: Reverend Parris Mccarthy Hearings - 1,505 words

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In the 17 th century a group of Puritans from England immigrated to America to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. The white settlers arrived in New England in 1620, and Salem, Massachusetts had been in existence for about forty years by 1692. Salem developed as a theocracy. This was based on the coexistence of religious prayer and hard work. Entertainment, such as dancing, or any enjoyment at all was perceived as a sin. The isolation of the Puritan society created a rigid social system that did not allow for any variation in lifestyle.

The Puritans felt insecure with the knowledge of the Native Americans in the forest. They felt persecuted and constantly under attack. Abigail mentions her past when she says that she witnessed, Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine. Throughout the play it is apparent that the community becomes more divided. In the beginning there were arguments about ownership of land between some of the villagers. As the story progresses people fear for their own safety and begin accusing their neighbours of witchcraft in order to escape being hanged.

HALE 'They have confessed it. ' PROCTOR 'And why not, if they must hang for denying " it? There are them that will swear to anything before they " ll hang; This is like when Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft so that she will know that there will be a clear path to John Proctor whom she had an affair with and now is in love with. Salem becomes overrun by the hysteria of witchcraft. Mere suspicion itself was accepted as evidence.

As a God-fearing community, they could not think of denying the evidence, because to deny the existence of Evil is to deny the existence of Goodness; which is God. A crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extract the pure element from dross or impurities. This definition is easily connected to the play. To start with, witches supposedly use cauldrons to brew their magic potions, and a synonym for cauldron is crucible.

Not only do witches use cauldrons, but the word crucible also could have some metaphorical meaning. The actions in Salem were like that in a brewing cauldron, there were many heated arguments, and people were being stirred and mixed around like a vile potion. The plays central theme is the spiritual development of John Proctor. He changed from thinking solely about himself to thinking about who was in need most beside himself. He is made better and purified. The story illustrates how people react to mass hysteria, created by a person or group of people desiring fame, as people did during the McCarthy hearings of the 1950 s.

Many Americans were wrongly accused of being communist sympathisers. The activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee began to be linked with the witchcraft trials that had taken place in the town of Salem. This provided Miller with the catalyst to write the crucible. Arthur Miller himself was called before the committee in 1956.

He found himself I the same dilemma as John Proctor, as a hero. He was asked to name people who had attended a meeting in the past. He refused to do so and was fined for contempt of Congress. Miller claimed it was the courageous thing to do in those circumstances. Without the knowledge of the McCarthy hearings The Crucible could be seen as a melodrama and the events in the play may be sensationalized. It is not a melodrama because it is not over dramatic.

The McCarthy hearings add realism. The play deals with historical events and with characters that had an historical context. Through the use of dialogue, stage directions which enable us to envisage what is going on the stage, and characterisation we can see how the dramatic tension is created by Miller. These aspects are to be explored for each act. Act one begins with Reverend Parris praying over his daughter, Betty Parris, who lies unconscious on her bed. Parris is frightened and angered that the doctor can find no explanation for Betty's illness in his books.

He turns on Abigail and confronts her and through the conversation between Reverend Parris and his niece Abigail Williams, the audience learns that these girls, including Abigail and Betty, were engaged in activities in the forest lead by Tituba; Parris slave from Barbados. The audience is involved in the story immediately because they are oblivious to what is going on and they want to find out. At this moment they are only provided with conflicting accounts of the truth. Parris caught them and jumped from a bush startling the girls. Betty fainted and had not recovered. During this session, Abigail drank chicken blood to kill Elizabeth Proctor.

BETTY 'You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that! ABIGAIL 'Betty, you never say that again! You will never-' BETTY 'You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!

Abigail doesn't want anyone to find out that she was in the forest as she and the other girls would be severely punished if they were exposed. To overcome this she harshly threatens Betty Paris and Mary Warren not to say anything. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you... And you know I can do it...

I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down. We can tell that this is a frantic time on the stage because of the short sentences and use of exclamation marks. Also we can clearly see the strong physical capabilities of Abigail during this time through the way that she frantically shakes and pulls Betty around the room. This would have been visually exciting for the audience. As the scene develops, Thomas Putnam, John Proctor and Giles Corey are arguing about the land. This is the first instance in which the community is becoming divided, where by as if these people cannot settle their petty disputes then it is unlikely that they will offer support to each other in the forthcoming events.

It shows the selfishness is ripe in Salem. Proctor and Abigail talk and Abigail tries to seduce him. The atmosphere starts of calm but soon there is anger between them. John Proctor tells Abigail that he wants nothing more to do with her after their affair. Again the use of exclamation points shows the anger. The speed of the dialogue is increased due to the short sentences.

This is more effective than if the sentences were longer as the points almost sound listed rather than direct and implanted, when the speech is quicker. When John Hale arrives he is told by Parris of the dancing in the woods of which Abigail was involved with. To avoid being accused of witchcraft, Abigail quickly lays the blame on Tituba for what happened, because she fears for her own safety. The girls know that Tituba did not consort with the Devil but because of the fear and ignorance of the society they did not listen to her. Tituba, afraid of being hanged, confesses her faith in God and accuses Goody Good and Goody Osborne of witchcraft.

At the end of the act the girls ecstatically chant the names of the townspeople whom they accuse of consorting with the Devil. The curtain falls at this point and the audience are left in suspense because they are eager to discover the results of these new accusations aswell as the progression of evil that is to come in Abigail. The opening of Act Two contrast to Act One as it opens on a quiet note. As a result of Abigail's actions trust amongst the community is being broken.

Mary Warren gives an account to Elizabeth and John Proctor of how she was in court testifying against the townspeople and that Goody Osburn was condemned. Proctor is angry that Mary Warren left after he instructed her not to do so. This is indicated by violence. When she begins crying it we dont empathize with her at all; especially when we realise Elizabeth has been accused. I think we feel frustrated with her false confession; she clearly does not realise the extent of the harm she and the other girls are causing. 'But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one, and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed it.

When Reverend Hale questions Elizabeth and John Proctor on the commandments, it is evident that there is still a void between the couple. All commandments could be recited except for adultery, which is the main reason for the tension between this couple at the moment. In the Puritan culture, adultery is a grievous sin, one punishable by death...


Free research essays on topics related to: mary warren, john proctor, elizabeth proctor, mccarthy hearings, reverend parris

Research essay sample on Reverend Parris Mccarthy Hearings

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