Who am I?
Who is Parris?
The minister of Salem’s church. Reverend Parris is a paranoid, power-hungry, yet oddly self-pitying figure. Many of the townsfolk, especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with building his position in the community
What is Parris' biggest motivation?
His reputation and job
"And I pray that you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry's at stake, my ministry and perhaps your cousin's life" (Act 1)
- Parris is feeling the threat of the witch-hunt upon his reputation and less importantly his family
- Personification of truth having "weight" articulates this lie is having heavy consequences
- Low modality of "Perhaps" reinforces his lack of care for betty's life
What themes can be related to Parris?
- Reputation
- Power and authority
- Fear
- Manipulation
How could we relate Parris to the context of Arthur miller?
During the time of McCarthyism, people with political status would often use the idea of fear and hysteria to sustain their power
Who is Hale?
A young minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft. Reverend Hale is called into Salem to examine Parris’s daughter Betty. Hale is a committed Christian and hater of witchcraft. His critical mind and intelligence save him from falling into blind fervour. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused
How does Hale differ from Act 1 to Act 4?
At the start of the play, he believes he is a servant of God and it is his mission to cleanse the devil in Salem
By the end of the play, he realises what he has done is wrong (persecuting innocent people) and how religion has been used as a tool of manipulation
"There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!" (Act 4)
Hale has an epiphany that he is responsible for the deaths of innocents which leads to an internal conflict
- idiom of blood on my hands. His way of thinking has killed manny innocents
What themes can be related to Hale?
- Corruption
- Religion
- Manipulation
- Conflict
How could we relate Hale to Arthur Miller's context?
Miller writes the Crucible to highlight that like Hale, many Americans were easily manipulated by systems of authority, thus making them responsible for the persecution of innocents
Who is John Proctor?
A local farmer who lives just outside town; Elizabeth Proctor’s husband. A stern, harsh-tongued man, John hates hypocrisy. Nevertheless, he has a hidden sin—his affair with Abigail Williams—that proves his downfall. When the hysteria begins, he hesitates to expose Abigail as a fraud because he worries that his secret will be revealed and his good name ruined
Why is Proctor so protective of his secret?
For Proctor, reputation is his most important asset. He would risk his life and family before his reputation.
"PROCTOR, with a cry of his whole soul: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!... I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" (Act 4)
Proctor refuses to die with a tarnished reputation
- Personal pronouns reinforce his obsession with his reputation and how he will sacrifice everything but
- Repetition of "because" refinances how he is justifying his reputation as pure and innocent
What themes relate to Proctor?
- Reputation
- Conflict
- Judgement
How can we relate John Proctor to Arthur Miller's context?
Some say that John Proctor is actually inspired by Miller. Like Proctor, Miller writes "The Crucible" to sustain his reputation and speak his truth after being accused
Who is Marry Warren?
The servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail’s group of girls. She is a timid girl, easily influenced by those around her, who tried unsuccessfully to expose the hoax and ultimately recanted her confession
Who does Mary Warren have a conflict with?
1. Proctor- whips her and is his servant
2. Abigail + the girls - sacrifice her to the court
3. Herself- wants to be an individual but conforms to others
"[and all the girls run to one wall, shielding their eyes . . . they let out a gigantic scream].” (Act 3)
The girls try to frame Mary Warren for witchcraft because she betrayed the group by confessing to Proctor
- Symbolism of shielding eyes, shielding from the truth
What themes relate to Marry Warren?
- Individual vs. collective
- Manipulation
- Gulit
How can Mary relate to Miller?
She represents those manipulated by mcccarthyism