Why Was It Named The Crucible? A crucible is defined as “a pot in which metals or other substances are heated or a difficult test or challenge,” according to Merriam Webster. As a result of this definition, Arthur Miller decided to name his popular play The Crucible. His drama was about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The play does differ from the truth, however the major details and characters are correct. In The Crucible, the characters are presented with many tests and challenges that can get very heated. Some will come out melted while others will change and come out purified. Specifically, John Proctor goes through a huge test in the play. Proctor goes through guilt and the question of whether he is a good man after committing adultery. …show more content…
She gave him peace and did not try to convince him to confess because she knew he was at peace. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him,” (134) whispered Elizabeth once he was taken away to hang. Goody Proctor allowed John to go because that was best and he would not want to live any more. “I have three children - how may I teach them to walk like men in the world when I sold my friends,” Proctor said while he was pressured to confess. In the meantime, Reverend Hale is going through changes in his character as well. Hale is a dynamic character that at first believes in witches and the fact that he will be the one to save Salem, but that soon changes. “Excellency, if you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are stirring for their confessions that speak mercy on your part, not faltering,”(120) said Hale wanting to stop the hangings. Rev. Hale changes his idea and feels guilt for the innocent deaths because he realizes that the whole trials are based on lies and are fake. Basically, Hale goes through a change of character when he gets put through the …show more content…
“There is news, sir, that the court must reckon with. My niece sir, my niece - I believe she has vanished,” (116) said Rev. Parris speaking about the girls leaving. They understood their whole setup was going down the drain after the people began to assess the situation and came to the realization that they were induced “You see sir, she told me she would stay a night with Mercy Lewis. And next day when she does not return, I send to Mr. Lewis to inquire. Mercy told him she would sleep in my house for a night.” (116)
(35) This shows that Hale is so involved in his work that he could possibly end up accusing someone who was not guilty of witchcraft. Hale seems overly conscious about his own life and his duty to serve the people to find the devil in Salem; he doesn’t seem to like the idea that he himself could be wicked. This shows that Hale too, did not show himself to be truthful and courteous when it came to the
The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1952. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Puritan era. The Crucible is based on the beliefs of witchcraft (the use of spells and the invocation of spirits). John Proctor, one of the main characters, is a farmer in the suburbs and a husband to Elizabeth Proctor. Elizabeth discovered an affair between John and their servant, Abigail Williams, and let the town know how Abigail truly was.
The Crucible The Crucible, a play written by Author Miller portrays the hysteria that happened in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The play is fiction, however the plot of the play is based on the Salem With Trials which did occur in history. During the play, the citizens of Salem portray very exaggerated and uncontrollable emotion as the fear of witches, witchcraft, and the Devil fill the town. Judge Danforth also displays hysteria.
Proctor is tested severely when he goes to the court to defend Elizabeth. In order to save his wife, he must publicly announce his sin and, therefore, lose his good name. Although he gives up his good name in court, he regains it at the end of the play by destroying his signed confession. The crowd watches Proctor as the play advances and judges his activities as indicated by his inspirations and responses to the different "tests" through which he passes. As the audience observes the characters, the audience itself is tested and forced to acknowledge that desire — whether positive, such as the desire for pleasure, or negative, such as lust, greed, or envy — is a realistic part of life.
Throughout the play, Reverend Hale serves as the voice of reason in the trials. Hale is well educated and respected, and is initially brought in from Beverly to determine the cause of Betty’s ailment that keeps her inanimate in her bed. He directs his focus to seeking out the presence of the Devil in Salem, and then to cleansing the village. However, when Hale realizes that the Girls were manipulating the trials for their own gain, he seeks instead to undo the actions of the court in the name of truth. Miller develops Hale as a character who is willing to sacrifice what might be moral in the name of truth as a means to show how
Hannah Doherty Mrs. Jones American Lit. and Comp. 10, November 2015 One Word, Three Meanings In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is clear evidence as to why he named the story, The Crucible. John Proctor battles conflicts between himself and others and stands up for what he believes in, Abigail Williams’ is motivated to keep the truth hidden so she is not punished, and Elizabeth Proctor is torn on what the best thing to do is.
Throughout The Crucible, during the Salem Witch Trials, Reverend Hale slowly changes from a ‘confident man with a plan’, to a haggard preacher who seems to be losing himself amongst the chaos of these colonial trials based off of lies. After a life-altering experience, Hale is never again the same person he started out as. In the beginning of
The Crucible True Meaning A crucible meaning has a definition of either a severe test or when different forces come together to cause change. If you’ve read The Crucible, then you should know that both definitions have a bit of significance. The entire Salem community was put through a test. One can also say that a significant change came as a result of the trials.
To begin, When reverend hale went to salem he was very confident. Reverend Hale, knew a lot about witches and spirits. Hale took witchcraft very seriously, he believed there was actually something going on in salem. Next, Hale is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. When hale gets to salem, he is very tired and has very little motivation.
The Lies, Envy, and Revenge The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a work written about the Salem Witch Trials taken place in 1692. According to dictionary.com, a crucible is defined as: a severe, searching test or trial. “It is the essence of power that it accrues to those with the ability to determine the nature of the real.” (The Crucible) While reading The Crucible, my high school experience immediately popped into my mind.
She was so desperate to rekindle her romance with John Proctor but he would not. She hated Elizabeth, his wife. John Proctor even told her that although he cared for her “...I will cut off my hands before I’ll ever reach for you again.” (page 23) She was spiteful and therefore accused his wife of witchcraft.
In the beginning acts, Hale was trusting the court more than John and was a big part of handling warrants of the accused individuals along with having much confidence in himself, his knowledge of witchcraft, and knowledge of witches in Salem. In Act 2 and 3 in the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the character Reverend Hale was changing a lot. Throughout the first act of this play Reverend Hale had much of his trust in the court and fully believed the devil is in Salem but as the trial begins and goes on things start to change when Hale starts to question the court shown when he pleads
Reverend Hale, from the play The Crucible, is a dynamic character who was involved in determining the guilt of convicted witches in the Salem Witch Trials. The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller is based on the true events that occurred in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1953. Reverend Hale enters Salem with the assumption that there is witchcraft in the colony due to many unexplained events. Hale's character change can be traced in events that occurred throughout the story. He seeks to convict and condemn the witches in the beginning of the play, but by the end, he realizes the corruption of Salem in the convectors, judges, and witnesses and seeks to change the fate of the accused.
Integrity’s Role in The Crucible and in Today’s Society Interpreted literally, a crucible simply refers to a large caldron, in which metals are melted down. But symbolically, a crucible can be considered a test of one’s moral righteousness, whether one softens when things get hot or chooses to stand firm. Integrity, or the lack thereof, plays a huge role in both The Crucible and in today’s world; displaying the characteristic of integrity is important in the play, and it is important in the present. John Proctor sacrifices himself in order to spread the truth. After tearing his confession to shreds, he states, “You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see a shred of good in John Proctor.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. It gives insight about what people had to deal with in this situation and how they handled it. The trials were basically a big test which helped figuring out whether or not people were guilty of witchcraft. This is an example of what a crucible is. In our world today we still have crucibles and even though they are different than back then, they all relate to each other because of what influence they have on people.