Preview

Theme Of Fear In The Crucible

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
866 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Theme Of Fear In The Crucible
Fear is a topic frequently addressed in plays novels. Fear may cause an individual to try to gain control over other people. Some use fear as an advantage over others.Throughout the play The Crucible, the author develops the theme that the fear of the unknown causes hysteria.This theme is seen throughout the novel and is used mainly by Abigail Williams who gains power during the Salem witch trials of 1692. She uses the fear factor to protect herself and to manipulate others.Other factors of Fear are shown when we see “Fear of the Devil” theme in the novel and how everyone fears that the devil takes control of theme and they fear that the devil is the cause of all this witchcraft.Throughout the play The Crucible, the author develops the theme …show more content…
She claimed that “[She] saw Goody Osburn with the devil and [she] saw Bridget Bishop with the devil.(48)” This accusation clearly demonstrates the theme “fear of the devil” since it shows how Abigail is so afraid of the devil and being known for witch that she starts to blame others for being a witch. Thus, also depicting power control and power over the other girls. Next, the author again explores this quote by when Reverend Hale talks about different kinds of superstitions… “ We cannot look too superstitious in this. The devil is precise, the marks of his presence are definite as stone(35).” In this quote Revv. Hale is essentially describing how people are believing too much in non-sense and are fearing over the devil. Revv. Hale also says that with how precise the devil is he is the definitive one. Thus, proving another reason how the theme ‘’fear of the devil’’ goes to show how people can experience paranoia under circumstances and in relation to the devil. Early in Act 1 and 2 Miller began to develop a theme about how the ‘’ fear of the devil’’ causes people to react illogically and how this might cause people to experience hysteria and paranoia because of the fear
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    How Does Elizabeth Proctor Change In The Crucible
    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Elizabeth Proctor Change In The Crucible

    The Crucible, a play written to criticize the Red Scare, involves a theme which focuses on how the characters change as an effect of the intensity and hysteria of the town’s witch trials. Elizabeth Proctor and Reverend Hale, two major characters in the play, experience internal changes as the play progresses due to the individual pressures of the witch trials. Elizabeth Proctor faces the test of having been accused as a witch, having her husband be accused and condemned as a witch, and trying to move past her husband’s affair with a local girl. Reverend Hale was challenged by the corruption of the ministry in Salem and encountered much adversity while doing his job, seeking out witchcraft. Both of these characters come to realize the witch trials only result in death and lies, which causes these characters to evolve.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible In Relation To The Red Scare
    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Crucible In Relation To The Red Scare

    The Crucible In Relation To The Red Scare. During the 1940’s and 1950’s there was mass hysteria that broke out in the United States. The “Red Scare” was a large scale panic across the United States Of America. This was during the cold war, at this time the U.S. was worried about communists and espionage due to that we had caught Russian spies across the U.S.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Crucible Act One Deconstruct on Evils
    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Crucible Act One Deconstruct on Evils

    The play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is an allegory for the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials. Its based in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. In Act 1 the play introduce many of the essential characters of the play. It introduces the fact that everyone in the town is carrying their own demons inside and their willing to bail them on anyone to escape judgment. In the play there are two types of demonic forces at work, literal demonic forces, like witchcraft, possession, death during child birth, people being turned into witches, and dancing in the forest late at night. As well as figurative demonic forces, examples of that would be reputation, intolerance, deceit, lies, and rumors.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Miller Use Fear In The Crucible
    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Miller Use Fear In The Crucible

    Fear was one of the most important things which shaped society but as Miller wrote in his book lies were affected society almost in the same way. Abigail, the main character in The Crucible, uses intimidation to create an atmosphere of fear that pervades the entire play. In act one, she tried to scared girls for do not tell the truth: "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 . . . I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" This treat predicted Abigail's accusations of…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    What Is The Hysteria In The Crucible
    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page

    What Is The Hysteria In The Crucible

    In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, various people had been accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. This leads to a hysteria of fear of the devil and witches. Hysteria is often an outcome of jealousy, revenge, and greed. The characters in the play all contributes to the paranoia occurring in the town.…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Importance Of Fear In The Crucible By Arthur Miller
    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Importance Of Fear In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    Have you ever done something you should not have because you were afraid? Such as, lie to keep yourself from getting in trouble? Did your actions cause you to question yourself? Arthur Miller was a famous playwright during the twentieth-century whose work opened up the eyes of the blind by showing them what they could not see through the arts of American theatre. He has written numerous plays, but out of them all The Crucible, written in 1953, is one of the most popular. Acting on fear causes us to become someone that we are not. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, he shows us that the fears of the past are always evolving into something that we fear…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Human Nature In The Crucible
    • 157 Words
    • 1 Page

    Human Nature In The Crucible

    One of the most common characteristic societies throughout history is the fear of unknown things. Natures of human are weary of thing which is different, and the Puritans’ actions during the events that appeared in The Crucible have no difference. Many characters in the Crucible were forced into horrible situations where their beliefs, morals, and overall faith were put into the trial. The reputation, intolerance and hysteria are the main themes surround in the novel, and through those phenomena that show clearly of struggles of human nature. This is what happened to John Proctor, Elizabeth and Abigail when they were in the trial of Salem.…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Theme Of Revenge In The Crucible
    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page

    Theme Of Revenge In The Crucible

    Have you ever wanted revenge on someone that has wronged you in the past? Sometimes we find deceitful ways to get revenge on these people. In The Crucible revenge is a common circumstance in the lives of the characters that contributed to the catastrophe.…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Power Of Fear In The Crucible
    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Power Of Fear In The Crucible

    In The Crucible, the author displays the power that fear and suspicion have over people through the divine will of the main characters as it spreads throughout the community. During act three of The Crucible, Mary Warren was taken in front of the court to confess the lies and suspicion that the young girls were spreading throughout the town. While trying to confess, Mary was pressured into irrational fear of being convicted of being a witch, because of this Mary turned against Mr.Proctor, accusing him of witchcraft. Without thinking Mary let her fear control her actions, which resulted in the arrest of John Proctor. People would rather make decisions based on avoiding fear then facing them, finding the easy way out of a bad situation.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Mass Hysteria In The Crucible
    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

    Mass hysteria can exist when a number of people behave in an uncontrollable, unmanageable way because of fear and/or anger. Arthur Miller easily shows this in the play The Crucible which takes place in the late 1600’s in Salem, Massachusetts when more than one-hundred people were getting accused of being witches. United State Senator Joseph McCarthy had done something similar to this when he had accused many people of being “Reds” or communists during the Red Scare going throughout the United States.Human nature prompts mass hysteria \because people with good reputations start it and it’s more likely for people to believe them and also mass hysteria occurs when people want to get back at someone for something they want. Media might bring people…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Abigail Williams In The Crucible
    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Role Of Abigail Williams In The Crucible

    When present, fear can often be exploited for one’s personal gain. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, exemplifies the power of fear due to the imaginary idea of witchcraft in the small village of Salem. During the time this play was written, the United States was overcome by the fear of communism, which had led to the government accusing many innocent people for ridiculous reasons. Miller uses The Crucible to show how many of the accusations in the Salem Witch Trials, a similar event, often had underlying, selfish, and personal reasons behind them. In the play Abigail Williams, and Thomas Putnam’s take advantage of the pervasive fear in the village, allowing them to fulfill their selfish and exploitative motives which are what truly fuel the Salem Witch Trials.…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Crucible Themes
    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Crucible Themes

    The themes of hysteria, paranoia, falsehood, and honesty functions in the play in many characters, but in this essay I will be specifically talking about how it is displayed in Mary Warren. In the beginning of the play, Mary was freaking out about how she was a godly woman and that there was nothing wrong with her. She kept talking about how she loves God and she wants to come back to God and worship God. For the most part, she is a very honest woman and tells the truth a lot of the time.…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Essay On Aids In The Crucible
    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Aids In The Crucible

    “Hysteria is an overwhelming fear and excitement that overrides all logic, and is often enhanced and intensified by the presence of others who are acting out on that fear” (Campbell). The play The Crucible takes place in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. The story is centered around a group of girls who terrorized their neighbors by accusing them of witchcraft. One of the girls in the group is named Abigail. Her straitlaced uncle, Reverend…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fear In The Crucible
    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Fear In The Crucible

    It is only human nature to succumb to and delve into the knowledge of the unknown or of…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible Character Analysis
    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Crucible Character Analysis

    “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” (H. P. Lovecraft). The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is set in a controversial religious part of history that uses strict morals and disquietude to install panic of the unknown. In The Crucible, the reader can see that Abigail is a depraved, vengeful, manipulative, evil minded young girl who uses fear and spite to dictate the world around her. Using her vengeful and nasty, unforgiving past of witnessing her parents getting bashed in the head right next to her pillow helped her form a wall to hurt others before they hurt her. To be above everyone else at all times by using her evil mind, malicious words is how she sees success and safety in herself.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics