How Does Miller convey his Message through The Crucible...

How Does Miller convey his Message through The Crucible? In this essay, I will explore the message communicated through The Crucible to its audience, and the way in which its author, Arthur Miller, attempts to convey it, especially through one of the plays main characters, John Proctor. The main issues raised by the play are the role of the individual within society, the value of ones name and perceptions of justice and truth. I shall endeavour to expand on all of these topics and their relevance to the play. Miller chose to write about a small settlement called Salem, in what was (at the time the play was set) the New World, North America. He had previously read a book entitled The devil in Massachusetts by Marion†¦show more content†¦It was presided over by an all-powerful theocracy (that is, a joint Religious and Governmental power), that regulated everyday life within the Village. The first leaders of the settlement, when it was founded in 1626, devised the rules which would be the salvation and yet the downfall of the community. It was set up by a group of puritans, an extremely strict, orthodox sect of the Christian church, who were persecuted for their beliefs, back in England. The laws had two main purposes: to protect the community from outside threats and to safeguard the religious nature of the settlement. Native Indians who had hitherto occupied North America uninhibited regarded Western settlers as a threat and there were great many battles between the two parties, over land and resources. This however only commenced in a large scale, as did the colonisation of the New World towards the end of the18th century. Salemites were therefore encouraged to be efficient in their day to day tasks and prepared for any invading threats. These instructions placed a large amount of pressure on inhabitants to conform to their society. The rules imposed upon the peoples of Salem were there to maintain an effective organisation, however due to their rigid imposition, also conceived a fear and mistrust of change; the unknown and the different. Anything that fell under these categories was heavily frowned upon, and thoroughly discouraged. This suspicionShow MoreRelatedThe Effectiveness of the Closing Scene of Arthur Millers The Crucible973 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effectiveness of the Closing Scene of Arthur Millers The Crucible Arthur Miller was born in 1915 and was only fourteen years of age at the time of the Wall Street crash, this clearly affected his life. His plays often concentrated upon contemporary society and problems it may face. This is why at first sight The Crucible seems to break this mould, instead of a play showing contemporary society; it concerns a study in the mass hysteria which led to the 1692 Salem witchcraft Read MoreBelonging Crucible Essay1187 Words   |  5 Pagesunmistakably experience a sense of belonging in a multifaceted and convoluted process. Arthur Millers play â€Å"The Crucible† and George Clooneys film â€Å"Good Night and Good Luck† are both texts where acceptance into society is explored in characters through various and complex measures. While the play and film both illustrate the complexities of assimilation into society to an individuals identity the Crucible further presents this as an ironic situation as people are pressured into conforming to societal desiresRead MoreThe Value Of Reputation In Arthur Millers The Crucible994 Words   |  4 PagesIn Arthur Miller’s dramatic play The Crucible, the notable writer successfully argues that the people in Salem rely too much on their reputation by creating a connection to the audience in order to convey the message. He does this in ho pes of informing the world that in times of hysteria, reputation means nothing. To prove the argument, Miller uses ethos by developing his credibility when he explains his very own knowledge of the historical situation. Also, the appeals of logos and pathos are evidentRead MoreMillers Tension in Act I of The Crucible Essay1262 Words   |  6 PagesMillers Tension in Act I of The Crucible The anti-Communist hysteria during the 1950s led to a mass persecution of people associated with Communism. Post WW2 America was a nation if fear and suspicion because of the on going cold war with Russia, anyone one remotely connected to a known communist could be persecuted, this sparked a fear that Russia could take over the world. At the time a playwright, Arthur Miller could not express his feelings due to societys strongRead MoreThe Effective Use of Dramatic Devices in Millers The Crucible3571 Words   |  15 PagesThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is a famous play which was written in the early 1950’s. The Crucible is a play based upon the events in 1692, which led to the ‘Salem Witch Trials’, a series of hearings before local magistrates to prosecute over 150 people accused of witchcraft. This was due to the hysteria caused by a group of girls accusing innocent people of witch craft. The play was set in Salem, Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Salem was a very isolated and puritanical communityRead MoreHow Miller Uses Alfieri in A View From the Bridge1510 Words   |  7 PagesHow Miller Uses Alfieri in A View From the Bridge In A View From the Bridge Miller uses Alfieri in a great number of ways, sometimes to support the action, to narrate and to add to the literary conventions of the play. For example, to act as the chorus would have throughout a Greek tragedy, which would have been to comment on the action and to fill in minor parts of the play. Alfieri is used for both of these things. He delivers the prologue at the beginning and alsoRead MoreThe Crucible1928 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿English Homework Sophia Cassan What role does sex, and sexual repression play in The Crucible? The Crucible is a play constructed on conflict, lies and deception, written by Arthur Miller in 1952. The key theme of this theatrical four-act drama is ‘Wheels within wheels’. Set in Salem, in the heart of puritan Massachusetts, in 1692, the plot follows a community of villagers plagued by accusations of witchcraft. Amidst the executions of their friends, the remaining villagers turn to religion, rumoursRead MoreThe Crucible Essay1784 Words   |  8 Pages------------------------------------------------- THE CRUCIBLE ESSAY ‘The Crucible’ written by Arthur Miller and my related material ‘Happy Feet’ by George Miller is true to this statement â€Å"Understanding nourishes belonging†¦a lack of understanding prevents it† that represents the interpretation of belonging. To define belong is to have the correct personal and social assets to be a member of a particular group or it could be to fit a particular environment. By a sense of place, people youRead More The Role of Alfieri in Miller’s A View from the Bridge Essay7327 Words   |  30 PagesThe Role of Alfieri in Miller’s A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller is now regarded as one of the world’s greatest dramatists. In his plays he explores the struggles of the ordinary man against authority and insurmountable odds. It is his ability to dramatize the attempts to find the balance between the different conflicts of life that is Miller’s feature as a writer. â€Å"Many of his plays look at the position of the individual in relation to their responsibilities and position in society andRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagescolonial rule and, having heard Marcus Garvey speak of the importance of Africa to black people in the New World, found in his remarkable success as a leader of thousands in the United States quite an amazing thing. Those who would presage the arrival of Rastafarianism also witnessed and read about the dramatic struggle of Emperor Haile Selassie to remove the Italians from his homeland of Ethiopia, which became the ï ¬ rst African nation to effectively oust, by force, a colonial power. These were monumental