Women in the Crucible Essay Example

The idea of men being more superior than women has always been around. It has been a topic that the world revolves around and it always comes back to the same point. Everyone has different thoughts when it comes to men having more power than women. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller we vividly get the idea of how Miller feels about women by the way he expresses his emotion through the characters. In this play, the two main characters that were made to be seen as frail women were Elizabeth and Rebecca. Their purpose throughout the play was nothing but to be there for their families and to serve them in anything they needed. The intention of having them as “housewives” makes them seem less powerful and claims that they can't do anything better. Miller is saying that women are weak as shown through his use of shameful tone, disgraceful tone, and dismissive characterization. 

Miller interprets women as weak by his shameful tone. A way his shameful tone is being shown in the play is when Hale humiliates Martha when he sees her reading a book. “Martha, my wife, I walked at night many times and found her in a corner, reading a book. Now what do you think of that” (Miller 42). A shameful tone is being used because he makes a big deal when he catches her reading, making it seem as if it's his first time seeing her do something productive. When he sees her reading the book, he proves to be shaming her because he emphasizes that she was reading in a corner at night. This quote from Hale gives the reader the impression that Martha did not want to be seen reading because she did not want to get shamed or judged. For this reason, Miller uses a shameful tone to perceive women as weak. 

Furthermore, women are shown as fragile by Miller’s use of a disgraceful tone. Elizabeth is visiting John in jail, apologizing for not being enough of a wife to him. She feels guilty for always being cold-hearted and not showing him affection. “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery… I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me!” (Miller 143). The disgraceful tone in this quote is being represented by Elizabeth because she feels like she has dishonored him. She blames herself for his affair with Abigail for the way she has acted in the past and for being a disgraceful partner to him. 

Not only does Miller use a shameful, disgraceful tone but he also uses dismissive characterization. Mary Warren is having a conversation with Proctor when she leaves the court and he is controlling her every move by telling her she is not supposed to be out. “I’ll not be ordered to bed no more, Mr. Proctor. I am eighteen and a woman however single!” (Miller 63). As shown, dismissive characterization is being revealed because although Mary Warren is an adult, Proctor does not accept the fact that she can do whatever she wants. As a result, this demonstrates how Miller’s use of characterization can negatively affect the general purpose of men being obsessive and controlling over women because Mary has no place to say anything to Proctor. 

In the final analysis, Miller’s use of rhetorical devices throughout the play has proven the general statement that women could be considered weak, fragile humans. All affirmations have two sides and both should be heard. Many individuals have different opinions toward the idea that men have more power than women but as revealed in the play, women as well play a big role. This idea should not continue to be something that is supported and nonetheless be something that is written about because it is a way of making women feel worthless and not truly showing the difference that they make in our world.