The Crucible
It was with ardent horror that the prehistoric man first witnessed a solar eclipse---the sun swallowed by the predator moon until all light ceased and darkness fell on to the land. We, the more enlightened descendants, have also suffered eclipses. One such eclipse was the darkness of evil that fell upon Salem in 1692, when many men and women were accused of compacting with the Devil. These charges were what snowballed into the huge misfortune known as the "Salem Witch Trials." The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play based upon these witch trials, in which John Proctor, a prominent member of their Puritan community, falls into the hurricane of the accusations. Not willing to blacken his name, John hangs for not confessing to compacting with the Devil. When John destroys his untruthful confession, he condemns himself to die and by doing so becomes a true symbol of tragedy. John Proctor, a respected and followed Puritan, although an adulterer, became one of the most afflicted men in Salem when vengeance was sought upon his wife. Elizabeth, John's beloved wife, became envied by Abagail Williams, when John ended their affair. Abagail accused Elizabeth of sending her spirit out to stab her with a needle so that Elizab
By pushing Elizabeth out of John's life, Abagail thought that John would rediscover his love for her. " Despite signing the contract, by ripping it up in front of the accused, his example turned from cowardly to courageous. John had to make the decision to either, live a lie and disgrace his family, or die with pride and a clean name. In an attempt to save his wife's life, he pressures his maidservant, Mary Warren, to confess that the group of girls crying "witchery" were faking. Quail not before God's judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he throws his life away for pride. By showing the world his love and courage, John Proctor changes their views, at least the slightest bit, to let their goodness shine through their sinful bodies. When this madness strikes the streets of the United States again, many believe that they will be able to resist being caught up in the insanity. 132However, John Proctor was not just rebelling against their power to spite them, he was becoming an example for his children and neighbors. That cause was to stop the wild prosecutions of so called witches. "John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you'll not forgive yourself. Once we can understand the mistakes that they made and how to avoid repeating them, then our society will be theoretically trouble free. She tells him that he has to make the decisions for himself, then whatever they may be, they are from a good man's heart. However, as said before, this principal made him in to a model for how others should deal with the situation if it was put in front of them. His response showed his courage and love for himself, God, and his family.
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Acceptance Essays
