Growing in a Society Made of Cement (The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example)

The year 1692 in Salem Village brought a tragedy to the town, but inspired a great work to the world. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible: a play depicting a town and how the hysteria of witches brought the downfall of many. One of these people is John Proctor, a farmer who laid down his life to save his wife from his morally challenged lover and to protect what he believes in. Reverend Hale, a minister from Beverly who comes to solve the town’s witch problem, realizes his part in bringing the wrong people to merciless judgement and tries to rectify it. The Crucible and its representation of the internal conflict in Salem Village due to the Witch Trials is reflected through the character development of John Proctor and Reverend Hale who were forced to go against their theocratic ideals because of their core beliefs.

Because John Proctor is the main focal point of The Crucible, he has the most critical character development. “Tragedy and the Common Man,” an essay written by Arther Miller in 1949, four years before he wrote his play, explains why tragedies can happen to anyone. He writes, “[a man’s] inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of rightful status” (Source D). At the beginning of the play, Proctor has nothing to be passive about. Although there was talk of witchcraft, nothing had come to fruition. However, seeing Abigail accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft causes him to be spurred into action. When Mary Warren accuses him, Proctor remains passive to protect others. After he signs his confession, he articulates, “I confess to God, and God has seen my name on this! It is enough,” (Act Four). Proctor, despite what it has done to him, holds onto his religion and his God. Because members of his church declared that his merciful God has turned a blind eye to him, Proctor has been tortured. Proctor’s mention of God may surprise the reader considering his lack of attendance in church caused him to be a target of witchcraft. Although Proctor tried to “act passive,” he is forced to realize that for people to stop murdering their fellow men, he must let them murder him.

Reverend Hale is forced to not only see past his own wrongdoings, but the wrongdoings of a holy organization taken over by men and women with the goal of profiting themselves. When the reader first meets Hale, they are presented with an intelligent and arrogant man who is renowned for solving the province's witch problems. He says that his books must be heavy because “they are weighted with authority...In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises,” (Act One). Because he believes he is doing good work, and he is good at it, Hale is confident and haughty, in a way. This may be because he is also a minister, meaning he believes that he was called upon God to do His work. However, Hale eventually has to see differently. Because he has lost faith in the court, Hale exclaims,“Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned!” (Source B). In contrast to the first act, Hale has lost all of his confidence. He is now literally begging, not only for these men to stop their senseless killing, but, in a way, he is also asking his God to forgive him. Furthermore, the fact the trials are held in the meeting house accentuates the fact that these men believe they are doing God’s work. The reason Hale has his change of heart has to do with the fact that he was forced to watch men sentence women and children to death in a holy space .

Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible to accentuate the importance of one’s values versus authoritative figures. With his title character dying for a greater cause, Miller is trying to show the reader the need for heroes. Moreover, he wanted to show that it is the expectations of modern society and the fear of being ostracized that drives a modern day hysteria. It is effortless to join a majority, but those who stay sure of themselves throughout their lives are the ones who will make the greatest difference. It is not the individual who starts a panic who is remembered, but the one who stands firm, with or without hesitation because, ultimately, change is needed.