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The play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, was about the Salem witchcraft trials that killed many Puritans in Massachusetts. In this play, Miller shows the reader that the Puritans, as a whole were not as godly as they were portrayed. Miller also shows how mass hysteria can be sparked by almost anything. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Reverend Parties daughter, Betty, falls sick and for some reason the townspeople suspect witchery. Taking advantage of this situation, a group of unexpected girls that are greedy and envious of other peoples property and belongings start to accuse people of witchcraft.
The court believes them and after all is said and done, twenty people are put to death, one hundred and fifty are jailed, and the girls flee. Through this experience, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Reverend John Hale all experience drastic changes in beliefs, habits, and morale. John Proctor is a very dynamic character who changes almost everything about himself from the plays beginning to the plays end. In the second act, Proctor talks with Elizabeth and finds out that Mary Warren had left the house without permission. As soon as he sees her, John grabs her by the cloak, furiously shaking her, and says, How do you go to Salem when I forbid it? Do you mock me?
Ill whip you if you dare leave this house again! This statement demonstrates Proctors quick tempered ness and shows that he is a very emotional person. John Proctor is not a very godly man because he doesnt go to church much. He even cheated on his wife Elizabeth although he still cares for her. When she is charged with witchcraft, he goes to the court in an attempt to defend her. Here he learns to control his anger while becoming a calmer and more reasonable person.
After Mary Warren turns on him and accuses him, Proctor goes to jail and becomes a completely different person. He realized the flaws in himself and had come to peace with God. Right before his hanging he says, Then who will judge me? God in heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor? In the end he decides to stand up for what he believes in and die Christian. Not only did John Proctor change, but his wife Elizabeth Proctor changed throughout the story as well.
Elizabeth Proctor didnt seem to compassionate or caring when she talked with John in act two. She scrutinizes everything that John does ever since he had an affair with Abigail. Elizabeth is very suspicious of him. There doesnt seem to be any love in their relationship. When Proctor was just trying to make a point about proving Abigail wrong, she automatically accuses him of something that he didnt do. She accuses so much that he finally says, Spare me!
You forget nothin and forgive nothin. Learn charity woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since she is gone. I have not moved form there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house. She goes through the same ordeal as described with John Proctor except that she is charged with witchcraft first.
This experience changes her character and attitude toward John. This is noticed when she and John meet for the first time in quite a while, right before John is to be hanged. When they first see each other, emotions flow between them, preventing anyone from speaking for an instant. They show a lot of compassion for each other and now Elizabeth will not judge John even when he asks her. She keeps saying, I cannot judge you, John, I cannot! This is exactly the opposite of how she was acting in the beginning of the play.
Another character that goes through a drastic change is Reverend Reverend John Hale does not change much in the attributes of his character but he does dramatically switch roles in the play. At first he plays the bad guy of the play. He goes around arresting innocent people just because some girl told him to. He is very gullible. Just because the girls start to name random names of people that they claim to have seen with the devil, he says, Let the Marshall bring the irons. Then, as he sits through the proceedings of the court, he realizes that the court is corrupt and that he has been making a mistake by arresting all these people.
While in court he says, Is every defense an attack upon the court? Can no one-? and after court is adjourned he says, I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! He then changes to the side of Proctor and the rest of the victims. He feels sympathy for them and goes to the jail in order to try and save their lives. He pleads with them to confess, and rejoices when they finally do.
This experience might have changed his views and beliefs about witchcraft, and perhaps Through this experience, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Hale all experience drastic changes in beliefs, habits, and morale. Although a lot of characters were changed by the experience of the Salem Witchcraft trials, I believe that these three were changed the most. They all changed for the better gaining strong religious beliefs, compassion, or good judgment. The Crucible was a very interesting play that gave insight into the Salem witchcraft trials. It also demonstrates how mass hysteria starts with people beliefs and accusations. This play is a good lesson to teach us not to make the same mistakes that these people made.
It also showed how petty human emotions can get out of hand. In all three of these cases we learned that character is formed under situations such as this. You will never know how you will react under pressure unless you experience it. As someone once said, Pain is a great teacher of men; the soul grows Bibliography: blah
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Research essay sample on Salem Witchcraft Trials Elizabeth Proctor
