Crucible Essay, Research Paper

The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a play that takes place in the sixteen

nineties during the famous but tragic witch trials. The entire community is in

pandemonium yet certain characters are also fighting internal conflicts of their

own. Miller uses three characters who manifest this internal battle ever so

clearly. Such as Mary Warren who whole personality turns upside down, John

Proctor who contemplates between the importance of his family and his own name

and Reverend Hale who battles with himself wether to carry out his job

requirements or do what he knows is right. Mary Warren is a girl who is forced

with this inner turmoil throughout this play. At the outset of the play she is

perceived to be a very shy girl who will never speak her mind as shown when

Proctor sends her home and she responds with " I’m just going home"

(21). As the play continues and as she is influenced by Abigail, Mary begins to

break this self induced mold and does what she wants. Mary Warren, along with

many other girls gets caught up in the hype of getting all the attention and

exercising power via initiating and adamantly continuing these "witch

trials". Finally John Proctor, the rationalist, shows that when people like

Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor who are the saintliest of people are accused

of being witches, something must be wrong. Mary Warren has a difficult decision

to make. She has realized that her whole way of life has been based on

injustice. However, how can she extricate herself from Abigail and her friends,

not to mention her new feelings of confidence. Mary decides to speak out against

Abigail and the others for their false accusations and said that she "

tried to kill me numerous times"(57). Yet as she does this heroic act of

overcoming her old reality, Abigail pretends that Mary is also a witch using the

poppets against her(73). Mary is now faced with yet another grueling internal

conflict: to do what she knows is right and probably die for it, or to return to

her old ways. Mary succumbs to Abigails "hypnosis " and accuses John

Proctor of forcing her to lie. Clearly the battle which Mary faced from the very

beginning was enormous. John Proctor a farmer and village commoner similarly is

faced with an inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had absolutely no

intentions of joining in the witch trials unless hi pregnant wife were to also

get involved. After his wife got involved and eventually was set free due to the

fact that she was pregnant feels that he can’t accept this. Proctor is a good

and noble man and because of this he believes at first he can’t be hanged and

die a martyr when he has this sin blooming over him every waking moment . John

later says to Elizabeth that " My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good

man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long

before"(136) and rather confess then die for something he flat out didn’t

do. However, as John confesses, he can not allow Danforth to make it officially

documented. As Danforth asks him why John answers with a cry " 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(143). John feels

strongly about having a good name and not dying with a bad one. Proctor weighs

both sides of his internal conflict and realizes that he must not make another

mistake. He therefore, prescribes himself to death, not for his own sake, but

rather for the sake of the others. As John dies Liz weeps saying " He have

his goodness now. God forbid I take it away"(145). Another internal

conflict is evident in Reverend Hale who initiates these problems. At first

Reverend Hale is sure about his belief that there are witches and feels that he

is carrying out the desires of G-D himself. Yet as the play moves on and Hale

sees all these honest and good people being sentenced and executed he too sees

an inner conflict. He contemplates whether to do what he is sent to do, listen

to Danforth, or does he listen to his own conscience and denounce these

proceedings as unjust and wrong. Hale decides to help out all the people wrongly

accused by encouraging them to confess and save themselves from these false

proceedings. Hale attempting to repent his own sins by tying to make people

confess states" I come to do the devils work. I come to counsel Christians

they should belie themselves . . . can you not see the blood on mt head(131).

Hale overcomes his turmoil by following the truth he knew in his heart of

hearts. Yet he is counseling people to " prevail upon your husband and

confess " and says " God damns a liar less than he that throws his

life away for pride " and convinces people to lie which is against his

religion and considered a moral sin. But he decides that earthly life is a

greater gift than eternal life. Everybody throughout their lives are faced with

inner conflicts. One must make a decision based on what they think is right and

true. These three characters probably just faced the most important decision of

their lives. Whether right or wrong their went with what they thought was the

right decision within their heart of hearts.