22). The Crucible is four acts of tight dialogue and economical action. The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. 50). You surely know that" (Proctor, Act 3, p. 102), "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. In Act 3, Abigails power in the courthouse is on display. Danforths image is extremely valuable to him, and he refuses to allow Parris concerns to disrupt his belief in the validity of his decisions. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Rebecca Nurse. A good example of just how multi-layered events in The Crucible are can be found by breaking down why John Proctor is hanged for witchcraft. By Act 2, there are nearly 40 people in jail accused of witchcraft. For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!, Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer., PROCTOR, his mind wild, breathless: I say--I say--God is dead!, When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regardded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and essentially friendly to man despite occasional lapsesl when we see the steady methodical inculcation into humanity of the idea of man's worthlesseness - until redeemed - the necessity of the Devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men into a surrender to a particular church or church state., What work you do! How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". 22). Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. Mary Warrens sense of self-importance has increased as a result of the perceived value of her participation in court. No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. 42). In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect. Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in. While touting his holy credentials, he claims that he dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of my conscience may doubt it (pg. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. If you hope to write an awesome essay onThe Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. Refresh and try again. 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. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Need some context to make these quotations make sense? Parris is extremely dismayed by this revelation because of the damage it will do to his reputation. Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. "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!" (one code per order). Mrs. Putnam intends her exclamation to refer to the fact that there are witchy plots afoot, but it holds true even outside of that context things are not what they seem in Salem, and there are complex cause-and-effect chains. Now that you've read about the most important themes in The Crucible, check out ourlist of every single character in the play, including brief analyses of their relationships and motivations. Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris become even more rigid in their views when they feel they are under attack. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. This quote reveals how much she is willing to do to protect herself, it is one of the most heart-wrenching quotes about fear in 'The Crucible'. View ZgZx-the-crucible-quotes.docx from ENGL 122 at San Jose State University. I'll go over the most important quotes from The Crucible, explaining both their literal meaning and why they're important. Dont have an account? God will not let you clean your hands of this!, If she is innocent! Why is Elizabeth Proctor accused of witchcraft? A real example of irony would be if two married guests got into a fight about going to your wedding that ended in their divorce. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Got an essay to write on 'The Crucible', but aren't too sure about which quotes you should be analysing?. Here's another example of a potential essay question for The Crucible that's less explicit in its request for you to discuss themes of the play: "Most of the main characters in the play have personal flaws and either contribute to or end up in tragedy. Parris Act 1, Power, paranoia, hysteria, repression, self righteous society, "It's a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman" Abigail about Elizabeth Act 1, "My name is goodI will not have it said my name is soiled" Abigail to Rev. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" 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. Try our summaries of all four acts of The Crucible, as well as our comprehensive plot summary. Reverend Parris, Act 1 (Betty Is Bewitched) Reverend Parris questions Abigail Williams about the girls' dancing in the forest. (Hale, Act 2, p. 68). By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. This quote also fits a little bit under the "Power/Authority" theme the witchcraft trials have turned the world upside down, so that those who used to be powerless ("the little crazy children") are the ones in power ("are jangling the keys of the kingdom"). Both Hale and Proctor don't want to live with the consequences of their mistakes, so they try to ignore or undo their past actions. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Puritan Minister, Reverend Parris . The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God. The court's attempts to preserve Puritan morality by arresting and executing accused witches ironically lead to the removal of the most virtuous people from society. Quail not before God's judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride." The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation. . What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. Themes tell us what the purpose of the work is. Even in cases when the girls display symptoms (going cold and clammy or having needles stuck in them), there's never any physical evidence directly linking the accused witches to their supposed crimes. The only power they have left is in refusing to confess and preserving their integrity. This leads to Marys hysterical accusation of Proctor after she finds herself targeted by the other girls and about to be consumed by the hysteria herself if she doesnt contribute to it. ann putnam quotes the crucibleimplications of these symbolic interactionist thoughts to education dorothy virginia gumm. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. Purchasing Parris Act 1, Paranoia, jealousy, power, reputation, repression, "You cannot command Mr Parris, We vote by name in this society, not by acreage." She has the power to utterly destroy peoples lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of, Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven., Because it is my name! Hale tells Danforth not to be hasty, let Proctor come back with a lawyer later. If her name is "soiled," Abigail could face harsh consequences in the Salem theocracy where women are already low on the totem pole if it's discovered that she, an unmarried orphan woman, slept with a married man, she would face huge consequences (although what these consequences would be aren't specified in the play). Read on for an overview of what a theme is, a list of important themes in The Crucible with specific act-by-act details, and a summary of how to use this information in your essays and other assignments. I'll tell you what's walking Salem - vengeance is walking Salem. What are some of the factors that feed the panic and suspicion in Salem, and why are. Danforth continues to demonstrate the effects of hysteria in act 4 even after things have died down a bit in Salem and there have been rumblings of discontent about the courts actions. She believed she had seen spirits earlier because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her. 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 overall message is that when a person's actions are driven by desires to preserve favorable public opinion rather than do the morally right thing, there can be extremely dire consequences. As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. 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. Enter all missing letters. The real "powers of dark" affecting Salem are suspicion and fear, not anything demonic. It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister." Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. Where before she was just an orphaned teenager, now, in the midst of the trials, she becomes the main witness to the inner workings of a Satanic plot. Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation are immediately evident in Act 1. The irony is that, in the face of Johns rejection, Abigail turns around and creates her own lies soon after that give her increased control over the society she resents. By the second act, the repercussions of the trials are starting to reverberate out of the courtroom. Abigail hates Salem, and in the course of The Crucible, she 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? Danforth cannot speak. Will you confess yourself with him? (pg. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. One example of this is when Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of being the Devil's man: when push comes to shove, she is not strong enough to tell the truth (Act 3, p. 110). Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? It's strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women!, [W]e conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. A+ Student Essay: The Role of Sex & Sexual Repression in the Play, Arthur Miller and The Crucible Background. Throughout The Crucible, Mary Warren shows that she is a weak and submissive person who cannot overcome fear in order to stand up for what she knows is right. Have I not? Mary Warren Quotes. The prisoners have lost all faith in earthly authority figures and look towards the judgment of God. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. He says, I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in the town (pg. 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. Nowhere is there any consideration of ulterior motives. This includes not only accusatory lies about the involvement of others in witchcraft but also the lies that people consistently tell about their own virtuousness and purity in such a repressive society. The Crucible Danforth's Innocence Quotes. Never fear! In steadfastly refusing to confess, Rebecca Nurse holds onto a great deal of power. "I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it" (Hale, Act 3, p. 92). Is it really the weather, as some characters in the story think? Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Many people confess when threatened with execution, and this only heightens the paranoid atmosphere. It'll mean the loss of his good name, but on the other hand, it'll be a way for him to atone for his sins maybe he'll at last feel "God's icy wind" and be able to put this behind him. John Proctor surrenders his agency at the end of Act 3 in despair at the determination of the court to pursue the accusations of witchcraft and ignore all evidence of their falsehood. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Our blog has complete analyses and discussion of all The Crucible themes as well as of McCarthyism in The Crucible. The fact that he forgets only this commandment shows that he is trying extremely hard to repress his guilt. A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. As we'll see in a quote by Danforth later on in this article, the proof only remains beyond reproach if you believe in witchcraft more than you believe that people are fallible. For clarity, the quotes are grouped into four themes: irony, fear and hysteria, pride and reputation, and power and authority. As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. This new power is exciting and very dangerous because. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. At the end this act, John Proctor delivers a short monologue anticipating the imminent loss of the disguises of propriety worn by himself and other members of the Salem community.
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