Crucible Essay Research Paper Does power corrupt
Crucible Essay, Research Paper
Does power pervert? In Arthur Miller s The Crucible, Miller takes his readers on a journey back to 1692 to revisit the Salem witchery tests. He smartly portrays a little Puritan town and the disappearing of their committedness to each other and the truth. One of the chief characters in Miller s drama is Abigail Williams, who is a 17 twelvemonth old orphan with an eternal capacity for feigning. ( p.8 ) She, along with an evil land proprietor, Thomas Putnam, and a distinguished justice, Danforth, is able to pervert the town to acquire what they want. Through their manipulating tactics of lead oning the town and doing them believe that immorality has taken over, Danforth, Putnam, and Abigail Williams are able to destruct the ethical motives and values the town one time had to acquire what they want.
Judge Danforth is the first of the three persons that use power to pervert. He is a deputy governor and a grave adult male in his 1960ss with an exact trueness to his place and cause ( p.85 ) . Danforth sees his place every bit justice as an of import one, and in the instance of witchery in Salem, his chief aim is to free the town of all evil ( p.140 ) . However, he misuses his power to penalize the inexperienced person in order to delight the town s bulk. An illustration of how Danforth uses his power to accomplish his end occurs towards the terminal of the narrative. He makes an illustration out of John Proctor, and makes him squeal to being involved with witchery. John Proctor was a really of import participant in Danforth s program because he is so good known throughout the town. If Danforth could utilize his power as a justice to do Proctor confess, so the presence of witchery and immorality in the town would shortly vanish and order would be restored.
Thomas Putnam, a affluent landholder, is another character that uses power to pervert the town to profit himself. He is really good known throughout the town non merely as a well to make landowner ( p.13 ) , but besides as a adult male with many grudges, at least one of which appears justified ( p.14 ) . Throughout the narrative, Putnam reappears as a cardinal participant in the battle against witchery. He, along with Reverend Paris, represents the group of people in the town who believe that immorality does be in Salem and anyone even remotely suspected of being involved must be hanged instantly. An case where Putnam uses his power maliciously towards the town occurs during the test. Giles Corey accuses him of utilizing his position to kill his neighbours for their land ( p.84 ) ! Corey claims that Putnam is impeaching others of witchery merely so that he can take over their belongings.
Although there is no concrete grounds that proves that Putnam did seek witchery on some people in the town to acquire their land, he is known as a individual of evil character and a avaricious adult male who does utilize power to pervert.
The last character who repeatedly uses power to destruct the town and assist herself is Abigail Williams. Throughout the novel, Abigail is described as a lonely, yet driven character with an deathless demand for control. She yearns to govern over the town and pull strings her love-interest John Proctor. In the narrative, Abigail is the perpetrator behind all the events of immorality that have all of a sudden occurred in Salem. Abigail s need for control is what possesses her to perpetrate the offenses she commits, and she uses witchery as a accelerator to destruct the town and finally herself. One of the many events where Abigail uses her power to pervert occurs in the courtroom during the test. Marry Warren and John Proctor go to seek to turn out that Abigail and the other misss are lying about being involved in witchery. To protect herself, from being condemned of witchery, Abigail bursts out and claims that Marry is possessed by the Devil and that she is utilizing her power over Abigail and the remainder of the misss. She cries, Mary! Don t come down ( p.115 ) , in an effort to convert the justice that Mary is commanding them with the work of the Satan in the signifier of an fanciful bird. By making this, Abigail manages to do Marry s and John Proctor s testimony meaningless. Another case where Abigail uses her power to destruct people in the town occurs when she causes Elizabeth Proctor to be taken off. Before the test Abigail is seen with a needle stuck in her tummy and subsequently a acerate leaf that was planted in a doll that was given to Elizabeth Proctor was found. The town concludes that Elizabeth was involved in witchery because of the alleged juju doll. Because of Abigail, Elizabeth Proctor and others were taken off and sentenced to be hanged because of witchery.
Miller s The Crucible is an illustration of how corrupt a society can go when power falls into the incorrect custodies. Abigail Williams, Putnam, and Judge Danforth are illustrations of how people use power to their advantage. Because of their ill-will Salem is subjected to the immoralities of corruptness disguised in the signifier of witchery. The one time good and sort town leaders are accused of being involved in the Devils work, and they, along with their married womans, are ridiculed and finally hanged. Chiefly used for fiscal and emotional addition, power is what causes Salem, Massachusetts to fall into a pool of prevarications and use.
