The Crucible

Outline

The paper has been divided in several headings. The fisrt heading of the paper is introdcution. The beginning lines of the introduction mentions that The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play about the Salem Witch Trials, in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. In this play, the characters are obsessed with goodness, and evil. The next heading is the thesis statement which states the purpose of the paper. The next heading is the discussion and the final heading is conclusion.

Introduction

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play about the Salem Witch Trials, in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. In this play, the characters are obsessed with goodness, and evil. In the 17th century, it was not acceptable to be evil, or have evil thoughts. Most fun was also considered evil. Characters in this play are caught "dancing," and it somehow turns into a witch-hunt (Blau, pp. 61-66). There are many evils in this play, like, greed, murder, vengeance, manipulation, obsession, lying, and lechery. The Puritan religion is the reason for why the people are being executed. The easiest evils to explain are obsession, lying, and manipulation.

Thesis Statement

The Crucible explains the themes of obsession, lying, and manipulation.

Discussion

The biggest obsession in Salem is purity in the lives of the people. Reverend Parris for example, questions his niece Abigail's purity by saying; "Your name in the town-it is entirely white, is it not?" (Act 1, Page 12). She argues that her name is not soiled. Abigail is again questioned by Parris of her purity. "Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctors service? I have heard it said, and I tell you as I heard it, that she comes so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled. What signified that remark?" (Act 1, Page 12). The people of Salem are obsessed with preserving the perceived cleanliness of their souls, and that if you do one thing wrong, you are practically a leper (Blau, pp. 61-66).

Mrs. Putnam has a strange obsession with talking to her dead babies. "And now, this year, my Ruth, my only - I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin' on her life too. And so I thought to send her to your Tituba -" (Act 1, Page 15). She thinks that someone killed her babies, and since people think that Tituba has been practicing witchcraft, Mrs. Putnam wants her to talk to her babies, and find out what happened to them.

Abigail also has a big obsession, his name is John Proctor. They had an affair once, and because of it; Abigail believes that someday John will leave his wife for her. "I cannot sleep for dreamin'; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I'd find you comin' through some door." (Act I, Page 23). She tempts Proctor into lechery, ...