the crucible quotes about power

How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? Mr. Nurse is now trying to prove the girls as frauds. Mary Warren feels entitled to, asks for, and (to some extent) receives respect because she is now in a greater position of power. This causes problems down the line as Parris allows his paranoia about losing his position to translate into enthusiasm for the witch hunt. In Act 3, Abigails power in the courthouse is on display. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris become even more rigid in their views when they feel they are under attack. He counters, the only evidence is the witch and victim's words. The Power Of Power In The Crucible If witchcraft is discovered in the Reverend's own home, it can very quickly ruin his reputation. Here are a few questions related to this theme that you can use to test your grasp of irony and its significance as a theme in The Crucible: Hale wrongly assumes that his academic mindset will save him from jumping to the wrong conclusions in the witchcraft investigation. In reality, he is constantly judging himself, and this leads to outbursts of anger against others who remind him of what he did (he already feels guilty enough!). Hale tells Danforth not to be hasty, let Proctor come back with a lawyer later. 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? Many of the Crucible quotes fall into the category of "dramatic irony", which is the irony that's created when there's a mismatch between what a character thinks or says and what the audience knows to be true. (Act 1, p. 12). How does Parris pride prevent him from doing anything to stop the progression of events in the play? In a way,John welcomes the loss of his reputation because he feels so guilty about the disconnect between howhe is perceived by others and the sins he has committed. AbracaDENIAL! Proctor is the voice of common sense here, as a counterpoint to Hale's "don't question the process" stance. A+ Student Essay: The Role of Sex & Sexual Repression in the Play, Arthur Miller and The Crucible Background. Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. I think I have made my point. . 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. But second, and perhaps more important, we see in (Act 4, p. 119). Abigail accuses Tituba first because Tituba is the one person below her on the ladder of power, so she makes an easy scapegoat. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: PrepScholar 2013-2018. Many of the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible have a strong desire for power. How do the actions of authority figures encourage the girls to continue their accusations and even genuinely believe the lies theyre telling? She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. 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! Elizabeth is defined by her relationship to John, and Mary is pushed around by other characters (mostly men) throughout the play. In the Puritan theocracy of Massachusetts, a government run by religious authorities, the dominant . John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation. The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary is unable to faint outside of a charged courtroom environment. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!" The price he has to pay in reputation to save his own life is ultimately too high. One path to higher standing and greater control would be in becoming John Proctors wife. Some of the most important Crucible quotes relate to these ideas. The Salem witch trials empowered several characters in the play who were previously marginalized in Salem society. Is the accuser always holy now? By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Rebecca Nurse, a woman whose character was previously thought to be unimpeachable, is accused and arrested. John Proctor sabotages his own reputation in Act 3 after realizing it's the only way he can discredit Abigail. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented. You can also read my full summary of The Crucible here for a review of exactly what happens in the plot in each act. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. (Proctor, Act 4, p. 133). Interested in getting even deeper into the themes of The Crucible? Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! Of course, we know that Danforth has been trading peoples lives for lies this whole time. (Act 3, p. 88), "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. God forbid I take it from him! Parris cares more about himself than others, even his own blood. In steadfastly refusing to confess, Rebecca Nurse holds onto a great deal of power. 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. Elizabeth doesnt realize that John is willing to sacrifice his reputation to save her life. Stephen Hendry criticised Mark Selby and Mark Allen for casting a 'dark cloud' over the Crucible after the second session of their World Championship semi-final was halted three frames earlier . There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. I'll not conceal it, my hand shakes yet as with a wound! 520 Words3 Pages. View ZgZx-the-crucible-quotes.docx from ENGL 122 at San Jose State University. Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation are immediately evident in Act 1. How does reputation influence who is first accused of witchcraft? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? Reverend Parris has fallen from his position of authority as a result of the outcomes of the trials. Or are you somewhere else?) Throughout the play, there is evidence that many characters, power rises while it falls for others . In The Crucible, the reputation of the church, the government, and the individual is called into question. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. In her conversation with John, Abigail claims that he helped her realize all the lies she was told by two-faced people in Salem who only publicly adhere to the conventions of respectable society (pg. the ways in which Progressives tried to help children. Abigails low status and perceived innocence under normal circumstances allow her to claim even greater power in her current situation. 22). He insists,I am not empowered to trade your life for a lie (pg. Ironically, he is the first to demand a confession from Tituba based on Abigail's dramatic but false testimony. Lie/Used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. This all takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The people in charge are so eager to hold onto their power that if anyone disagrees with them in the way the trials are conducted, it is taken as a personal affront and challenge to their authority. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? "DANFORTH, conciliatory: You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Abigails power skyrockets as the hysteria grows more severe. (Proctor, Act 2, p. 76). For example, Abigail went from being powerless to using the witch trials to become empowered. This quote shows how even Giles Corey, one of the more level-headed characters in The Crucible, got caught up in the hysteria of the witch trials and got his wife accused of being a witch. She would never be able to say what she says in this quote to, for instance, her uncle Parris, and get away with it. God will not let you clean your hands of this!, If she is innocent! The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. The witch and the victim. Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not." ~Arthur Miller, The Crucible, John Proctor, Page 51 "Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? The fear caused by the thought of supernatural evil in Salem causes the characters in the play to turn a blind eye to logic and instead believe in claims not backed by actual "hard as rock" proof. Abigails power skyrockets as the hysteria grows more severe. With that in mind, here are some key quotes from The Crucible that demonstrate irony of some kind. "You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. This line is a reference to the name of the play, The Crucible. And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow!" No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. There's also a bit of foreshadowing with "as though I come into a court", since in Act 3 Proctor will do that very thing. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!, What victory would the Devil have to win a soul already bad? "ABIGAIL, in an open threat: Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. (pg. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. Here, Proctor is anticipating the loss of his reputation once it comes to light that he has had an affair with Abigail. "And mark this. Hales involvement is taken to mean that there must be a supernatural element to Bettys illness. The authorities ignore any inconvenient logical objections to the proceedings because they, too, are swept up in the madness. How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? 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. We have listed the best ones for you here. Elizabeth notes that Mary's demeanor is now like that of the daughter of a prince (pg. This new power is exciting and very dangerous because it encourages the girls to make additional accusations in order to preserve their value in the eyes of the court. Want to find out more about the characters who say these things? His only goal is to get on the good side of the community as a whole, even in the midst of this bout of collective hysteria. In a case like this, you'd be writing directly about a specific theme in connection to one of the characters. As John gives his confession, Danforth says to Rebecca Nurse Now, woman, you surely see it profit nothin to keep this conspiracy any further. In this act, we learn more details about the accused that paint a clearer picture of the influence of reputation and social standing on the patterns of accusations. 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 (. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than considering that this might indicate that the women are innocent. Because I cannot have another in my life! First, his upstanding reputation is melted away (when he confesses to adultery) and Procto is revealed as a hypocrite; at the end of The Crucible, though, a second, stronger core is exposed when Proctor chooses to be hanged as a witch rather than falsely (and publicly) confess to witchcraft. 123). Beware of it!" - Act Three. By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. Each new false confession is thrown onto the pile of evidence of a grand Satanic plot, and as the pile grows larger, the hysteria surrounding it is fed generously. On Balance/Used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Ann Putnam jumps at any opportunity to blame supernatural forces for the deaths of her children. The idea that a witch's familiar spirit is capable of stabbing people is too scary for the superstitious and now hysterical people of Salem to give Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt. This well-intentioned mistake seals both of their fates. 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." He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Bettys affliction. The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because theyre beggars and slaves. Salem Massachusetts - Burying Point Cemetery/Used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. Puritan Minister, Reverend Parris . This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. The Crucible Quotes Act 2 With Page Numbers "Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. Ask questions; get answers. Why doesnt John immediately tell the court that he knows Abigail is faking? John feels incredibly ashamed of his affair with Abigail, so he tries to bury it and pretend it never happened. The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. See if you can answer these questions for yourself about this quote: What are the implications of this quote? He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and. In one of the most well-known quotes in the play, John Proctor angrily insists that the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom (pg. 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. Thomas Putnam tells him to Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.Parris must rush to be the first accuser so he can place himself beyond reproach. John has already confessed that the affair was the reason for Abigails dismissal. 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. And died., The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, A fire, a fire is burning! 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. First off, what is irony? Now, by God's grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it. What is the writer attempting to convey to the viewer? These connections will bolster your responses by positioning them in relation to the most important concepts discussed throughout the play. She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. (Cheever pg. (Danforth, Act 3, p. 83). I will not have it said my name is soiled! Danforth to Francis Nurse. Reverend Parris has a false notion of reputation. I may falter somewhat, Mister; I am no fool." (Act 1, p. 40), "Proctor, I cannot think God be provoked so grandly by such a petty causethink on your village and what may have drawn from heaven such thundering wrath upon you all " (Hale, Act 2, p. 75), "PROCTOR: 'Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to you.'" He appears to have no governing system of morality. Concern for reputation is a theme that looms large over most of the events in The Crucible. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? The judges cannot force her to commit herself to a lie, and her martyrdom severely damages their legitimacy and favor amongst the townspeople. 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. I hope you will be one of those." By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. He believes that Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. Act 4 is Danforths turn to shine in the irony department. God forbid I take it from him!, I cannot sleep for dreaming; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I'd find you comin' through the door., it's the proper morning to fly into Hell., Sex, sin, and the Devil were early linked., Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. How do outside forces contribute to the character's flaws and eventual downfall?". He is weak and vulnerable after Abigail's theft of his life's savings, and hes even facing death threats from the townspeople as a result of John and Rebecca's imminent executions. Sure, you don't expect or want rain, but it's not the polar opposite of getting married. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The desire to preserve and gain power pervadesThe Crucible as the witch trials lead to dramatic changes in which characters hold the greatest control over the course of events. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. In Act 2, John Proctors guilt over his affair with Abigail is demonstrated through an ironic exchange with Reverend Hale. Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. 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. No one will listen to Tituba until she agrees to confirm the version of events that the people in traditional positions of authority have already decided is true, a pattern which continues throughout the play. It is not just." "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? Proctor, gently pressing her from him, with great sympathy but firmly: Child. 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. As Reverend Hale says to Danforth, Excellency, there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots cry will end his life - and you wonder yet if rebellions spoke? (Act 4, pg. Essay On Power In The Crucible. Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. Though Rebecca Nurse's involvement has already been corroborated by other confessors, Danforth demands to hear it from John to confirm that John is fully committed to renouncing his supposed ties to Satan. The Crucible is commonly viewed as an allegorical representation of the communist "witch hunts" conducted in the 1950s. . Here are a few discussion questions to consider after you've read my summary of how the theme of reputation motivates characters and plot developments in The Crucible: If you're an old beggar woman who sometimes takes shelter in this creepy shack, you better believe these jerks are gonna turn on you as soon as anyone says the word "witch.". He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced.
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