The Crucible

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play about the Salem Witch Trials, in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. In this play, the characters are obsessed with goodness, and evil. In the 17th century, it was not acceptable to be evil, or have evil thoughts. Most fun was also considered evil. Characters in this play are caught "dancing," and it somehow turns into a witch-hunt. There are many evils in this play, like, greed, murder, vengeance, manipulation, obsession, lying, and lechery. The Puritan religion is the reason for why the people are being executed. The easiest evils to explain are obsession, lying, and manipulation. The biggest obsession in Salem is purity in the lives of the people. Reverend Parris for example, questions his niece Abigail's purity by saying; "Your name in the town-it is entirely white, is it not?" (Act 1, Page 12). She argues that her name is not soiled. Abigail is again questioned by Parris of her purity. "Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctors service? I have heard it said, and I tell you as I heard it, that she comes so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled. What signified that remark?" (Act 1, Page 12). The people of Salem are obsessed with preserving the perceived cleanliness of their souls, and that if you do one thing wrong, you are practically a leper. Mrs. Putnam has a strange obsession with talking to her dead babies. "And now, this year, my Ruth, my only - I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin' on her life too. And so I thought to send her to your Tituba -" (Act 1, Page 15). She thinks that someone killed her babies, and since people think that Tituba has been practicing witchcraft, Mrs. Putnam wants her to talk to her babies, and find out what happened to them. Abigail also has a big obsession, his name is John Proctor. They had an affair once, and because of it; Abigail believes that someday John will leave his wife for her. "I cannot sleep for dreamin'; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I'd find you comin' through some door." (Act I, Page 23). She tempts Proctor into lechery, and commits unlawful acts which all are against the Puritan religion. She can't justify what happened, so she has to lie to everyone instead. Lastly, One of John Proctor's obsessions are telling the truth. This may not really be an evil, but because of this, John Proctor winds up dead at the end of the play. "Because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life . . . How may I live without my name? Have given you my soul; leave me my name!" (Act 4, Page 143). John feels strongly about having a good name and not dying with a bad one. Because John won't sign the papers, he is put to death. Lying and manipulation are other major evils in this play. Abigail is the star liar and manipulator. To escape punishment for dancing, she deflects the actions and blames them on someone else, and does not care how many lives she ruins. "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 Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (Act 1, Page 48). Later when she grows into power and influence, she seems to enjoy sending these innocent people their deaths. She takes pleasure in her lies, and thrives on the attention and power that they bring her. "And mark this. 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. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" (Act 1, Page 20). Abigail asserts her power over the girls right away so as to ensure she is not exposed. "She made me do it! She made Betty do it!. . . She makes me drink blood!" (Act 1, Page 43). She uses evil actions disguised as good by admitting who was with the devil. Of course the people she accuses are actually innocent, but she has the ability to manipulate people into believing that she is doing good. Abigail also tries to manipulate John Proctor into loving her, and leaving his wife. "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? It's she puts me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now!" (Act 1, Page 22).

At one point, Reverend Hale tries to manipulate Elizabeth into making John confess. He would much rather put Proctor to death, being only one person, then let the trial continue, and kill many more innocent people. He realizes his part in the whole affair and is trying to save lives in the only way possible. "Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up." (Act 4, Page 132). Manipulation, lying, and obsession were the main evils in this play. Because of these evils, Salem turned evil. Even though sometimes, the characters evils were supposed to be for good, the bottom line was made for evil. This play was a constant battle of good versus evil.