Hale also contends with his guilt in act 4 for his role in condemning the accused witches, who he now believes are innocent. "You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. The real "powers of dark" affecting Salem are suspicion and fear, not anything demonic. This is irony of the same type that I discussed in the overview of this theme. Essay On Power In The Crucible. (Cheever pg. Act 4 Quotes. "Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Though hysteria overpowered the reputations of the accused in the past two acts, in act 4 the sticking power of their original reputations becomes apparent. Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have a strong desire for power. 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. Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. Most Important Themes in The Crucible, Analyzed. An example would be something like: "How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? People in power continue to believe the accusers out of fear for their own safety, taking the hysteria to a point where no one is above condemnation. The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation. 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. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us cleanse our village." "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. (Proctor, Act 2, p. 76). This causes problems down the line as Parris allows his paranoia about losing his position to translate into enthusiasm for the witch hunt. This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows. Elizabeth's side of the story is disregarded because Abigails testimony is far more dramatic. what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than considering that this might indicate that the women are innocent. 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. Quotation Who said it to whom Act Thematic and Character Analysis "It is a mouse no more. Lie/Used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? 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. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary" (Abigail, Act 3, p. 106). for a customized plan. This all takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. (Proctor, Act 2, p. 73). In Act 2, John Proctors guilt over his affair with Abigail is demonstrated through an ironic exchange with Reverend Hale. (Act 1, p. 12). Abigail's version of events is held to be true even after John confesses to their affair in a final effort to discredit her. By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. Danforth also becomes frustrated with Proctor when he wont name names in his confession: Mr. (Act 2, p. 65), "It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits" (Mary Warren, Act 3, p. 100), "There be no blush about my name." Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Again, the "proof so immaculate" that Hale speaks of is the word of one person against the word of another. Elizabeth doesnt realize that John is willing to sacrifice his reputation to save her life. Interested in getting even deeper into the themes of The Crucible? The seeds are planted in Act 1, when Abigail is questioned about her activities in the woods and ends up accusing Tituba of witchcraft to avoid punishment. Why doesnt Danforth believe John Proctors confession of his infidelity with Abigail Williams? 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. The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God. As he says,How may I live without my name? 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." (Act 3, p. 88), "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. Central Idea Essay: Who Is Actually on Trial in the Play? He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Bettys affliction. Abigail is concerned about her reputation and her "name;" this is no doubt what motivates her, at least initially, to put the blame for the dancing in the woods on Tituba. They say he give them but two words. No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. Ask below and we'll reply! "There are wheels within wheels in the village, and fires within fires!" By this point in the play, Abigail has gotten powerful enough that she can threaten the Deputy Governor of the entire province without negative consequences. In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (She comes to me while I sleep; shes always making me dream corruptions! pg. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. "I have this morning signed away the soul of Rebecca Nurse, Your Honor. Parris' need to remain powerful- "Do you know who I am, Mr. Nurse?" Danforth to Francis Nurse They are all in the meeting room at court. God forbid I take it from him!, I cannot sleep for dreaming; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I'd find you comin' through the door., it's the proper morning to fly into Hell., Sex, sin, and the Devil were early linked., Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. These lines are said by Abigail Williams in court, and they are directed towards Danforth. Though actions are often motivated by fear and desires for power and revenge, they are also propped up by underlying worries about how a loss of reputation will negatively affect characters' lives. Each section also includes additional quotes that fall under the same general theme for you to practice analyzing on your own. These are themes that could be considered subsets of the topics detailed in the previous sections, but there's also room to discuss them as topics in their own right. (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.'" 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. The attitudes towards women in the 1950s, when the play was written, are evident in the roles they're given. Unlike Hale, Proctor realizes that you can only trust in accusations as much as you can trust the accuser, and Proctor has cause to suspect that at least one of the accusations is being driven by a thirst for vengeance. 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. First off, what is irony? The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. How does this philosophy perpetuate hysteria? 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. She says, "My name is good in the village! Curious about more recent (20th-century) occult activity in the U.S.? romp through Salem. 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. Miller's portrayal of women in The Crucible is a much-discussed topic. He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control. builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. As John gives his confession, Danforth says to Rebecca Nurse Now, woman, you surely see it profit nothin to keep this conspiracy any further. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!" This attitude comes from a man who has shown no remorse for condemning people to death throughout the play. Why does Reverend Hale change his mind about the witch trials? I forbid her to go, and she raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me, 'I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor; I am an official of the court!'" (55). As she begs him to come back to her, her anger Themes can be expressed in many different ways. (Danforth, Act 4, p. 119-120), "He have his goodness now. Don't leave your college application to chance. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. Is the accuser always holy now? In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (. Act 2 Characters: Proctor (Speaker), Herrick, Elizabeth, Hale He says, I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town (pg. The Crucible is commonly viewed as an allegorical representation of the communist "witch hunts" conducted in the 1950s. Throughout the play, there is evidence that many characters, power rises while it falls for others . There is a culture of keeping up appearances already in place, which makes it natural for people to lie about witnessing their neighbors partaking in Satanic rituals when the opportunity arises (especially if it means insulating themselves from similar accusations and even achieving personal gain). Here are some discussion questions to consider after reading about the thematic role of the concepts of power and authority in the events of the play: Mary Warren when she comes back from Salem in Act 2. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" 41). TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat. Enter all missing letters. And well she might, for I thought of her softly. Well, it's not. The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. In this act, we learn more details about the accused that paint a clearer picture of the influence of reputation and social standing on the patterns of accusations. The play illustrates the sudden empowerment of women, the fall of community, and the loss of power of high-ranking people, like Reverend Parris and John Proctor. Need some context to make these quotations make sense? She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Dont have an account? How is the theme of power shown in the crucible? While I speak Gods law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering (pg. "There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships. When she cant get John to abandon Elizabeth for her, she decides to take matters into her own hands and gain control through manipulating the fears of others. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. What is a crucible? How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? But I'll plead no more! Though Danforth is the most powerful official figure in court, Abigail manipulates him easily with her performance as a victim of witchcraft. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Many fungi grow out of the earth; consequently they are often discussed in books about plants. Power can change a person's whole life perspective. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. Look no further! (Proctor, Act 4, p. 133). The second major theme in The Crucible (and one that teachers often ask about) is fear and hysteria. Mary Warren Quotes. It's hardly surprising there is so much irony in The Crucible after all, one of the central causes of conflict in the play is hypocrisy. When she is brought in for questioning and claims to see Marys familiar spirit, she says Envy is a deadly sin, Mary.Abigail herself has acted out of envy for the entire play. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. their relationship belongs to the pastwhile he may still be attracted He warns Elizabeth that nothing, not even one's pride or reputation, is worth throwing one's life away on. Why do certain characters seem to be blind to the irony of their actions (Abigail, Danforth)? There's more true to this statement than Danforth knows, however; not only do the trials melt down the fronts people have put up, but they also expose people's core selves. This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows. Always include specific details, including direct quotes, to support your argument about how the theme is expressed in the play. In Act 3, Hale continues to make ironic statements about the existence of concrete proof for the accusations of witchcraft. Why didnt more people sign false confessions that they were witches to save their lives? All Quotes In the Puritan theocracy of Massachusetts, a government run by religious authorities, the dominant . Here, Proctor is anticipating the loss of his reputation once it comes to light that he has had an affair with Abigail. Abigail hates Salem, and in the course of The Crucible, she Johns concern for his reputation is strong throughout the play, and his hesitation to reveal Abigails true nature is a product of his own fears of being labeled an adulterer. At the beginning of the play, the power that Abigail holds is relatively minimal. He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. Armed with the false proof of these coerced confessions, the court officials aggressively persecute anyone who is accused. (Abigail, Act 1 p. 11), "A man will not cast away his good name. The authorities ignore any inconvenient logical objections to the proceedings because they, too, are swept up in the madness. His only goal is to get on the good side of the community as a whole, even in the midst of this bout of collective hysteria. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. 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. would be hers. Choose a single character and discuss how this person embodies one of the themes. He covers his face, ashamed. | It is not just." Her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctors position as Johns wife has led her to attempted murder, first by the charm in the woods and now by accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. Nurse?" The ruthlessness with which the suspected witches are treated is aimed at purifying Salem, but it achieves the opposite outcome. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. He has sentenced people to death based on lies about their dealings in black magic, and he has accepted other false confessions from those who would rather lie than be executed. Ours is a divided empire in which certain ideas and emotions and actions are of God, and their opposites are of Lucifer. Danforth's arrival in Act 3 raises the stakes for the residents of Salem. In one of the most well-known quotes in the play, John Proctor angrily insists that the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom (pg. Danforths image is extremely valuable to him, and he refuses to allow Parris concerns to disrupt his belief in the validity of his decisions. Why does he decide to do so anyways? He is completely oblivious to the fact that the victims might be lying. Purchasing But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Most Important Quotes From The Crucible, Analyzed, Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, Salem Massachusetts - Burying Point Cemetery, Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now, We profile Aleister Crowley and analyze some of his key quotes in this article, "ABIGAIL: I never sold myself!
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