Crucible Analysis

The Crucible is a 1953 play written by Arthur Miller, an American playwright, on the Salem tragedy that occurred in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The play is dramatized and somewhat fictionalized the story of these trials through which it provides a parable that extends across centuries. In the dramatized play, the author implies that the relationship between Abigail Williams and John Proctor is the major cause of the witch hunt. However, Miller also points a finger at Thomas and Ann Putman, Reverend John Hale, and Reverend Samuel Parris.

This paper seeks to identify which of these characters is the most culpable for the tragedy based on the textual evidence provided by the author. Notably, the town of Salem is not as holy as one would think. One important theme in The Crucible is religion and keeping up with it. Witchcraft is looked down upon and is completely prohibited in this town. Religion and Witchcraft in The Crucible As previously mentioned, one of the most important theme presented by Arthur Miller in The Crucible is religion.

Religion is knitted into the social fabric and daily life of people in Salem since they practiced a form of Christianity. Miller portrays the idea that townsfolk in Salem practice a form of Christianity that is based on a clearly established set of rules. Some of these rules that characterize the lives of people in Salem include going to church every Sunday, resting on the Sabbath, believing the Gospel, and respecting the minister’s word like its God’s word or instruction.

In The Crucible people in Salem often use religion to justify, cover, or excuse their actions (Norman p.1). For example, Salem people illegally took land from Natives on the premise that Natives were not Christians. “The parochial snobbery of these people was partly responsible for their failure to convert Indians. Probably they also preferred to take land from the heathens rather than from fellow Christians.

At any rate, very few Indians were converted, and the Salem folk believed that the virgin forest was the Devil’s last preserve, his home base, and the citadel of his final stand” (Miller, p.3). As portrayed by Miller, religion played an influential role in the decisions, actions and life of folks in Salem. Religion influenced intolerance for individualism by Salem people as evident in the fact that illegally took land from Natives on the basis that the latter were not Christians.

Additionally, religion influenced these folks’ emotions by fueling fear of being accused and hung. In essence, townspeople in Salem were afraid of being accused and hung and as a result blamed others in order to survive.  “I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand.

I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osborn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Miller p.39). Given the influential role of religion in the lives of townspeople in Salem, witchcraft is a major sin and disliked in Salem. Actually, townspeople in Salem lived in fear of accusation of witchcraft, which would result in their death. Witchcraft was considered as deviation from the clearly established set of rules for Christianity.

Witchcraft was prohibited in Salem because these people practices strict Puritan theocracy and ruled under priests (Lai, p.6). Strict Puritan theocracy that dominated the lives of townspeople in Salem implied that they practiced a more extreme form of Protestantism. Therefore, these people not only considered anything against the government as evil, but also viewed witchcraft as deviation from the set rules, which could be punishable by death through hanging.

One of the characters in Act One of the play states, “I do not wish to be put out like the cat whenever some majority feels whim… there is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning” (Miller, p.24). The play is characterized by a lot of accusations and counter-accusations on those who practiced witchcraft.

As previously stated, most of the characters in this play blamed others and failed to take personal responsibility for their own actions for fear of being accused and hung, particularly for deviating from the established set of rules that governed Salem. Consequently, there were lots of conflicts on witchcraft, which made many people frustrated. These frustrations were fueled by the fact that there was no way to be free following accusations of being a witch or practicing witchcraft.

Some examples of accusations or incidents of witchcraft include people’s belief that poppets were used to harm others, Tituba’s confession that she spoke to the Devil, and naked dancing and chanting rituals. Most Culpable Character At the core of this play is witch hunt and conflicts about witchcraft, which was prohibited in Salem. Miller postulates that the adulterous relationship between Abigail Williams and John Proctor is the root cause of the witch hunt.

However, there are other characters that are considered culpable for the witch hunt including Thomas and Ann Putman, Reverend John Hale, and Reverend Samuel Parris. The conflict, accusations, and witch hunt relating to witchcraft in The Crucible results in a tragedy as portrayed by Arthur Miller. The most culpable character for the witch hunt in The Crucible is Reverend Samuel Parris, who used religion as a means for selfish gain and to fulfill his greed (Johansson, p.18).

Reverend Parris seemingly uses religion as a cover for his own selfish ambitions even at the expense of others’ labor. Apart from his greed and use of religion for covering his selfish ambitions, Reverend Parris played a major role in the beginning of the witch hunt through his slave woman, Tituba.

Together with his slave woman, Tituba, Reverend Samuel Parris influences the commencement of the witch hunt in The Crucible.  Reverend Samuel Parris’ role in the commencement of the witch hunt begins when he suspected that there were witches who labored in the village. This suspicion comes after his daughter, Betty, was struck with a strange/weird disease. The incident occurred after Betty, her cousin, and Tituba engaged in a black magic ritual in the woods.

Additionally, Reverend Parris knew how witchcraft worked given that he lived at a time when many learned clergymen studied and commented on this issue. Reverend Samuel Parris initially discovered the girls i.e. Betty, her cousin, and Tituba dancing naked in the woods, which was a sign that they were engaging in the dark arts or practicing witchcraft. Parris states,  “Now then, in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very centre of some obscene practice.

Abominations are done in the forest - … And I thought I saw – someone naked running through the trees” (Miller, p.8). Even though Reverend Samuel Parris does not practice witchcraft himself, his actions after.