is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible

He is completely oblivious to the fact that the victims might be lying. Being a hypocrite is one of the worst things you can be called youre someone who criticizes others and yet does the same sin yourself. His guilt leads to great tension in interactions with Elizabeth because he projects his feelings onto her, accusing her of being judgmental and dwelling on his mistakes. Can a work of art bring about change in the world? Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, list of every single character in the play, details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. 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. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." Abigail distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into this hysteria. No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. Tituba is forced to accept her role as a pawn for those with greater authority and a stepping stone for Abigails ascent to power. John finally comes to the realization that Mary's truthful testimony cannot compete with the hysteria that has taken hold of the court. Examples Of Abigail's Flaws In The Crucible - 709 Words | Bartleby If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. 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. Johns concern for his reputation is strong throughout the play, and his hesitation to reveal Abigails true nature is a product of his own fears of being labeled an adulterer. Parris is hypocritical because he is not a . SAT is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. Elizabeth doesnt realize that John is willing to sacrifice his reputation to save her life. One such example would be the scene in which Proctor and Parris are discussing Parris style of sermon, when Parris randomly exclaims that he is not being provided with as much wood as his contract spells out, as well as arguing for an extra six pounds per year. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen). In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. 22). lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. Why is Cory arrested? Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren . In each paragraph these traits will be further explained . The Devil is precise.'' Essay about Human Flaws in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Compare and contrast three authority figures in this drama: Hale, Danforth, and Parris. I feel like its a lifeline. Hale truly believes that the accused have been marked by the Devil. In saying this he admits that a person can only avoid a hanging by confessing to witchcraft even if their statement contains no truth. She has the power to utterly destroy peoples lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. Now that you've read about the most important themes in The Crucible, check out ourlist of every single character in the play, including brief analyses of their relationships and motivations. How are themes like hysteria, hunger for power, reputation, or any of a number of others functional in the drama? He refers to Johns refusal to confess as a calamity, looking past his own involvement in the larger calamity of the conviction that led John to this point. 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. How do you think Arthur Miller wishes the audience to respond - eNotes The play is about human weakness, hypocrisy, and vindictiveness. officials (like Danforth) unable or unwilling to listen to reason? They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible 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. Hypocrisy In The Crucible - 1530 Words | Cram We saw that Arthur Miller used the Puritans in The Crucible to explore the themes, or main ideas of a text, in order to make the statement that society can be hypocritical and that we should question intentions. Act 4 is Danforths turn to shine in the irony department. In the play there was a character by the name of John Proctor; Proctor was a family man that made a huge mistake. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. Abigail, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle towards more power over her situation. Abigail's strength in Act I is the strength that is within her ability to influence others. As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. Even Judge Danforth, supposedly a reliable source of justice and solidity, goes against what he knows to be true by forcing those arrested to either confess to crimes they did not commit or face the gallows, all to save his name and prevent it from looking like he had hanged innocent people. The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song "Ironic" when she says that "rain on your wedding day" is an example of irony. Abigails many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. Mary Warren exemplifies hypocrisy extraordinarily well in the scene when she and Proctor travel to the courthouse so she can confess that the girls have pretended everything and they never actually saw spirits. A real example of irony would be if two married guests got into a fight about going to your wedding that ended in their divorce. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. It's atoxic strategy that causes panic to spread quickly and fear for ones life to take the place of rationality. The hypocrisy in this statement is almost funny. Many of the conflicts that occurred in the play were caused by Abigail Williams. Why is hypocrisy so common in repressive communities like Salem? 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. (Cheever pg. 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. Parris begs Danforth to postpone their hangings because he fears for his life if the executions proceed as planned. This attitude comes from a man who has shown no remorse for condemning people to death throughout the play. In the final events of Act 4, John Proctor has a tough choice to make between losing his dignity and losing his life. She is cast as a villain. 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. He is somewhat responsible for all of the witch trials; if he wouldn't of committed adultery with Abigail, she wouldn't have gone on her rampage of blaming people. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. She is clearly outspoken and dominant, but her initial position in society is one of very little influence and authority. In another section, Miller explains the teachings of the Puritans and how it related to the mess that the trials became: ''These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. Hales involvement is taken to mean that there must be a supernatural element to Bettys illness. He refers to Johns refusal to confess as a calamity, looking past his own involvement in the larger calamity of the conviction that led John to this point. There's a message here about the choices we have in dealing with guilt. Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. Many people confess when threatened with execution, and this only heightens the paranoid atmosphere. This vicious cycle continues to claim the lives of more and more people as the play progresses. 68 lessons No one considers that the accusers are lying, partially because theyre seen as innocent children and partially because many witches confess to avoid the death penalty. They are extremely biased towards believing they have made the correct sentencing decisions in court thus far, so they are reluctant to accept new evidence that may prove them wrong. Once there have been enough convictions, the reputations of the judges also become factors. These types of statements made by Hale earlier in the play become even more ironic in Act 4 when he realizes he made a horrible mistake by trusting the evidence that was presented to him. Are We All Hypocrites? | Psychology Today Before I get into the nitty-gritty of howThe Cruciblethemes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter. It is used to draw away from a person's counterargument through addressing something unrelated. Why is Cheever both astonished and afraid when he finds the poppet with the needle in it? The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. Read this character flaw list (with examples) for inspiration and develop interesting character weaknesses: 1. One path to higher standing and greater control would be in becoming John Proctors wife. is hypocrisy a natural human flaw the crucible. 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. John and Rebeccas solid reputations lead to pushback against their executions even though people were too scared to stand up for them in the midst of the trials. Once the accusations begin, Parris initiates an ironic thought process that persists throughout The Crucible: You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba! (pg. 42). However, this runs up against Danforths desire to preserve his reputation as a strong judge. This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. There are numerous connections between the flaws of individual characters and the overarching themes of the play that could be brought into this discussion. Being a person, from Latin persona ("mask", per and soneo - "resound") means precisely "being a mask . 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. 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. In steadfastly refusing to confess, Rebecca Nurse holds onto a great deal of power. Why does John decide to ruin his reputation in Act 3 by confessing to the affair? Salem is under attack from the hysteria that is encouraged by the same people who seek to keep imaginary supernatural demons at bay. They could either confess to being guilty and is punished and put into jail or deny any relationship with the devil and be hanged and killed.

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