A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. The protagonist, John Proctor, a damnable farmer, has a lecherous affair with the antagonist, Abigail Williams, an ignorant and covetous juvenile. if the president had all the power, he would be able to pass whatever ludicrous laws and basically do anything to benefit himself. The Devil, as a key figure behind the immense witchcraft occurring in Salem, is crafted by Miller as the most influential character due to his infamous reputation and his ability to control characters actions. "You shall not stir out of your house today." (Miller, 19). to view the complete essay. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the power of society is bound upon a pronounced hierarchy. Abigail sees Tituba's false confession as a way out of her own dilemma: if she also admits she's a witch, she will be forgiven for casting charms in the woods with Tituba and her friends. Fear comes in many forms; fear for loved ones, fear for health, fear of losing reputation and fear of reprisal. The Crucible: Misuse of power. Action was taken and millions perished all. Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends, This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. The Crucibles, a play written by Arthur Miller takes place during the Salem witch trials. In the play, many of the characters with power abused it. Abigail also gained her power as women in Salem were the lowest class with few or no options in life. This selfish act of misusing power in The Crucible is very influential to how the plot develops. A prime example is the power that presidents and prime ministers have. Analyzes how a functional society can't exist without balance in power. While Tituba lacks power due to her gender, race, and indentured servitude, she ultimately achieves power by maintaining an alleged alliance with the devil and through pursuing accusations of witchcraft. Believing that the Devil. Patricia Cornwell. With a bad reputation you can do bad things. Abigail was lying that who court case so she didnt get in trouble, she wanted to save herself even if it meant that others were going to die. The power in a Puritan society was only given to specific people, but by making accusations, it could be gained. As a result, a per-son of such power could say almost anything they pleased, people would listen and appropriate action taken. Analyzes how abigail uses her power to denounce mary and john proctor in the crucible. 1. she denied having any relation to witchcraft and blamed it on others, especially tituba. Power- power is the complete domination of others, and since all men want to dominate those around them, power is valued as one of the most important possessions. Act 2. in arthur miller's the crucible, people abuse their position or power to use it for what they want. Like everyone else in Salem, Danforth draws a clear line to separate the world into black and white. The Plays and Poems of William Shakspeare, p.34. Th abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power. Danforth used his hierarchy to take advantage of people and situations. Fear corrupts - perhaps the fear of loss of power. What the accusers didnt realize, was that that they all had a common motive behind their accusations, and that was power. She also has most of the girls of Salem obeying her, due to a mixture of respect and fear, fear of Abigail and also a fear of getting in trouble for the dancing. Explains that literature can relate to or connect to the real world that we live in, and one of those things is the abuse of power. The Crucible demonstrates how people of authority, like Parris and Danforth, try to use good judgement to make fair decisions, but are often influenced by their own personal opinions whether they realize it or not. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, I feel that a lot of roles in television can really typecast someone as one type of actor or playing one type of role, but I really don't think that my role in 'Weeds' did at all. She threatens the group of girls that accompanied her in the woods while they all danced. The cause of the hysteria was caused by Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth. Millers The Crucible, demonstrates how people misuse their authority for cruel purposes through a fascinating plot, well-crafted characters, and well-set theme. Abuse Of Power In The Crucible By Arthur Miller. They took complete control of situations influencing other characters to do bad things. Abuse of Power in "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller - GradesFixer Abuse Of Power Quotes - BrainyQuote Mrs. Putnam does not buy her daughter Ruths act; rather, she sees it as the Devils touch which is heavier than sick (13). When citing an essay from our library, you can use "Kibin" as the author. 123Helpme.com. Thus demonstrating how mob mentality can impact an individual and ultimately drive the action of the play. In the play, Miller reveals how people can go against their own morals, therefore they can protect themselves. Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctors wife Elizabeth. In this play it shows who people really are when a person gets power they don't care about others they get what they want. It is easy to abuse powers once you have obtained them, but once you start abusing it, you want more and then you cant. The idea of having authority lead to some conflicting situations. If the reader begins to focus on John, his actions and what he stands for, they are easily able to recognize he portrays characteristics of the flawed nature of an individual. You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! A recent example can be seen in Guatemala, a country that has struggled with corruption of power for a decade. The desire for power and authority has always been a part of the human nature. The Crucible: Abigail Williams Quotes | SparkNotes Power and influence is often associated with gender, conflict and roles and relationships. When Abigail is accusing Mary Warren of witchcraft in the courtroom, Governor Danforth begins to question Abigail. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a group of girls start a huge uproar in Salem, Massachusetts when they start screeching about Salemites being associated with the Devil. Characters: Proctor (Speaker), Herrick, Elizabeth, Hale. What if there was a society where God was loved the same amount as His wrath is feared? Power in the crucible is everywhere, many people abuse power and some lack greatly. These two women are almost complete opposites. Multiple characters, including Abigail Williams, Reverend Samuel Parris, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Thomas Putnam, misuse their influence in the drama. Well, when I always had an issue or an argument between my brothers and I, my mother would always be the judge, and whatever she said was right and had to be followed immediately. Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 3 April 1887, in Louise Creighton 'Life and Letters of Mandell Creighton' (1904) vol. elizabeth proctor was not agreeing with the witch business. Life is valuable and precious that everyone alive possesses, but when you encounter the undeserved inevitable fate of cruel death or false charges, can you really protect yourself? Abigail then begins to threaten Danforth with how hell could take him in: think you be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? The witchcraft hysteria was a tremendous outbreak of multiple irrelevant trials causing 20 people to get hung. 888 words Open Document It is easy to abuse powers once you have obtained them, but once you start abusing it, you want more; then you can't stop. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. Analyzes how the high court and the girls became consumed in their newfound power. In the past, every decade and every generation has had its momentous event that has shaped it and left a mark on its history. Abuse Of Power In The Crucible By Arthur Miller - bartleby He says that if they are not obedient, then they will burn in hell. Explains that abigail's lies have reached the proctors household and everything turned for the worse. Analyzes how miller's stage direction at this moment in time shows how hale "turns from francis, deeply troubled.". decisions must be made when dealing with power, loyalty, and trust. However, the bandwagon is seen after she has accused the two people in which many of the other young girls also start to accuse others in hopes of not being accused. he is a fear monger who preaches more about hell than god. Abigail did have power over John Proctor when he was having an affair with her, as he lusted after Abigail. Most members in Salem feel the need to prove their authority in ways such as accusing those who have done nothing or hanging them without proving their innocence first. Disinformation is abuse of power. Quotation Who said it to whom Act Thematic and Character Analysis "It is a mouse no more. Abuse Of Power In The Crucible Free Essay Example - PaperAp.com The Crucible: Abuse of Power Essay Example | StudyHippo.com (Miller, 19). The example essays in Kibin's library were written by real students for real classes. Topics: Books. Both characters struggle and fight through the story in their own ways. The parlors packed with people,sir (10). abigail has elizabeth jailed for witchcraft, while thomas putnam, another carnivorous soul, always wants more, including the house he lives in. Sign language interpreters, though extremely helpful, do not allow deaf audience members to fully experience a show. Abigail Williams Misuses her power extensively throughout the play. The importance of the power and influence can be thoroughly examined using texts that demonstrate ideas presented as truths. Abigail is the character that no ones wants to be in a story. A group of teenage girls is discovered dancing naked in the woods by the town minister. As we can all recall, abusive power was a severe problem in the villages of Salem. Once he became an officer, he started to feel powerful and became commanding and acted like he knew about the world, and knew better choices for us. The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse. We don 't let our people have guns. ABIGAIL. To learn more, read our. Today, in the world there are so many different types of societies that unite for numerous reasons. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth. Power, the ability to maintain control, command, or authority over others can often be determined by ones reputation and his or her persuasiveness. In this play, the author illustrates the central idea that people should not allow jealousy to control their actions. Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power. Danforth, deputy governor, brought forth the main issue of the whole novel, "A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between" (Miller 94). The Puritan theocracy looked down upon activities that would be considered fun, an example being dancing. Why should we let them have ideas?". Throughout history, there have always been issues with power abuse and the consequences of them are fatal at times. She has most of the adults in Salem believing that she is a sweet innocent girl and so is never accused or suspended of doing anything sinful or unlawful. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an interpretation of the Salem witch trials of 1692 in Puritan Massachusetts in which religion, self- preservation and self-dignity play a vital role. the community's egotistical attitude motivates them to only think of themselves; their ignorance damages the reputation of these families; the demoralization of this once pious theocracy crumbles beyond salvaging. Power and influence in society have a huge impact on the way things happen and affects perception. In this play, the author illustrates the central idea that people should not allow jealousy to control their actions. She could manipulate anyone to do anything she wants through power. In this play many characters hold power, though some hold more than others. Another point about Abigail is that she is a liar and she is very good at it. The dark makes the light stuff brighter. (2023). Conclusion. - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University, We use cookies to provide the best possible experience on our site. (Kibin, 2023) Reference list entry: Kibin. 714 Words. Both by those we disagree with, as well as those we may agree with. Parris causes innocent peoples deaths all because of his beliefs, stubbornness, selfishness and his misuse of power. Happy to read and share the best inspirational The Crucible Abuse Of Power quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. Analyzes how honesty is a negative trait in the crucible. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. He made it basically impossible for an accused witch to be innocent. Liberty is there only when there is no abuse of power. In The Crucible, the author, Arthur Miller, demonstrates many. These three themes are outlined by many characters. The purpose of The Crucible is to educate the reader on the insanity that can form in a group of people who think they are judging fairly upon a group of people. The Crucible is largely concerned with the abuse and misuse of power in Salem. This protagonist is seen as inhumanly diabolical, as she does not express any remorse, via the motif of manipulation and accusations. Colum McCann, Love is nothing but a pain in the ass Ava Gardner, I used to go into pubs and people would want to pick a fight with me. Some characters have showed their weakness in certain situations when they are afraid to face the truth. he feels like the community doesn't respect him and his authority. Abigail is hinting that no one (especially Danforth) isn't safe from the devil. Power in the Crucible by Evan Nold Analyzes how the power of religion and fear is prominently displayed throughout the crucible. As the adolescents wail in their pretentious horror of a fictional bird, Proctor slowly realizes the conformation that Satan has entered Salem. He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to the state. Charles de Secondat Montesquieu, baron de, Charles de Secondat baron de Montesquieu (2005). Analyzes how hale's abandonment of his original beliefs plays into his actions during act 4. his attempt to save the convicted witches portrays a shaky belief in the puritan society. A prime example is the power that presidents and prime ministers have. Look, people are allowed their own opinions and they don't always coincide with yours. Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctors wife Elizabeth. Abigail about Elizabeth Act 1 Jealousy, hysteria, power, vengeance "My name is good.I will not have it said my name is soiled" Abigail to Rev. the characters abigail williams, deputy governor danforth, and . Abigail Williams utters these words in an Act I conversation with John Proctor, clueing the audience in to her past affair with him. To keep all the attention off of herself she starts accusing other people of witchcraft. For how else is she struck dumb now expect some power of darkness would stop her mouth?(Miller 16.) The mysterious world of witchcraft and witch hunts is the centrepiece of this story, which parallels to the Senator Joseph McCarthy communist witch hunts in the 1950s. It's the power to abuse. Opines that if there was a balance of power and not such an emphasis on what could happen, the actions and events would not have occurred. The idea of witchcraft seems preposterous now, but it pulled me into its issues with its bony hands. However, at certain points some of the characters begin to lose their authority as the problems continue. All these deaths and trials were all caused by one girl, Abigail Williams. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-abuse-power-in-the-crucible-a-play-by-arthur-miller-8tns5Isr. show more content, A real life example of someone abusing brother could be an older sibling who takes care of you when your parents are gone, or even corrupt police. If you have a powerful reputation you can get whatever you want and when you want it. Analyzes how proctor realizes that the church is no longer ruled by god but by the devil. Arthur Miller is telling us that all the power in Salem is given to those who are corrupt and their abuse of it is directly shown through: the actions of Abigail throughout the play, the corruption and desires of Parris, as well as the witch trials held by Judge Danforth. Power is the ability or right to control people, things, or outcomes. Enjoy reading and share 10 famous quotes about Abuse Of Power In The Crucible with everyone. He shows through a story that the witch trials were much more than just people calling others witches. However, one cannot maintain success without a purposeful and achievable position of power. In the play, the town becomes corrupt due to their fear of the government because Abigail, Hale, and Parris abuse their power in order to protect their reputations. The government puts many people in a crossroad because they are forced to choose between their true beliefs or what the government wants to hear. This can be seen at the end of act 1 when "Abigail rises. The misuse of power in The Crucible leads to horrible suffering and even the deaths of some innocent people, in the town. one must be prepared for irrational decisions, as seen in shakespeare's "julius caesar". Alexander Gould, How freeing it can be to realize that maybe we don't "need" everything we think we do-instead, what we need to do is scale back on our perceived needs. In the Crucible by Miller, we can see how the trials affected every individual in a negative aspect. Kibin. Analysis Of How Abigail Williams Abused Her Power Betty Parriss great power throughout Act I can be seen by her ability to single handedly create chaos and hysteria within the town for her own personal gain. Abigail was able to influence a whole group of girls to. Power And Authority In The Crucible By Arthur Miller Satan mixes their interior motives to manufacture a catastrophic concoction. Governmental Control. A group of young girls were caught doing witchcraft in the forbidden woods. That is what Abigail Williams did in The Crucible, yet she blamed the townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts resulting in a massive witchcraft hysteria. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrayed many people as good puritans. Danforth ran all the trials for the witches , and was completely unfair. In the most current case, Arthur Millers portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall The Crucible, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. The theme of the importance of name will become apparent by studying John Proctor and Abigail. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-abuse-power-in-the-crucible-a-play-by-arthur-miller-8tns5Isr, ("The Abuse Power in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller. And, for love, it will soon itself come back.' (Rebecca) Act 1 'There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. The town of Salem, Massachusetts was run by a strict theocracy. Abigail was a very deceiving when she spoke to anyone about anything throughout the story. And do you know that near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature? They loved and feared Him to a point where they blamed others for their sins. Mrs. Sachs Given this power they can effectively influence and persuade others. #3: We are what we always were in Salem, but now the . Analyzes how reverend samuel parris uses ity of the church to place himself higher than others in the community. As a result, the Church and the people in its service were people of prominence and power. Power is not always beneficial, it can be a very dangerous possession. The author, Arthur Miller, displays a theocracy to demonstrate a court's ignorance towards actual facts. Abigail is the one most responsible for the hysteria and witchcraft in Salem. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late. It's nothing new. There was also corruption of power and authority in the court, specifically by a judge named Danforth. They were the only people who could successfully interpret the Church's doctrine, often to their own benefit, without being accused of a wrong doing and what could be more powerful than this in a theocratic society like Salem? Explains that making the right decisions is an ongoing struggle for man, because the wrong decision can lead to endless perils. The most important of these is the nature of power, authority and its costly, and overwhelming results. So the main theme is don't abuse power and don't let it corrupt you because the consequences are great and. Crucible Dressmaker - Quotes - Green Bee Study Guides A functional society can't exist without a balance in power. Examples Of Abuse Of Power In The Crucible The Crucible: Important Quotes Explained | SparkNotes The government must have power, or it would not be a government at all, but if it goes into one human hand it will be abused. Repetition is everything in that time.Reputation and integrity is a big role in this book just because everyone's reputation changes dramatically over and over again. She has the power to control and scare the girls into listening to what she says and this is shown when she says "let either of you breathe a wordI will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you" (Pg 20). But in turn, they are taking the lives of potentially innocent people that would create a form of Dystopia. The dark, witchcraft-filled production follows a series of deaf characters who are narrated in English, rather than the other way around. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the setting is Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s where the towns pious Puritan beliefs directly influence their government. Every day we present the best quotes! Analyzes how power functioned in both the crucible and the holocaust. Analyzes how judge danforth's witch trials are filled with corruption and the abuse of power. The Puritans, known for turning to God when given any matter at hand, lay blame on the Devil, regardless of their contradictory values. Further, there is example of authority in this novel when Abigail has full power over the girls as she manipulates them and the society to believe her act. Analyzes how people of authority can feel pressured to go along with actions or make decisions they know are wrong because they fear losing their power and influence in society. You know how looking at a math problem similar to the one you're stuck on can help you get unstuck? the essence of government is power, and it can be and will be abused. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. Its agony. The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government. And so, with one short speech, Abigail goes from a powerless girl to a powerful accuser. This is all refracted through the lenses of my own attitudes, values and beliefs of an egalitarian society. My curiosity is conveyed through Abigail. Fear that spread among a group of people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials, that event in history is a prime example of Mass Hysteria. The courage in the play is when the characters still fighting for either themselves or others, even when they think they have a small chance of them succeed to win their fight. She describes this to the girls in a hard-hearted way, which shows that her emotions have all been drained apart from her love/lust for proctor and her jealously of Elizabeth. The crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, a story about adultery, false accusations, and forgiving. Abuse Of Power In Arthur Miller's The Crucible - 1210 Words | Cram