The essay is an analysis of three key characters, Abigail, John Proctor, and Judge Danforth. The essay answers the question of 'To what extent does the exploration of human experience in The Crucible invite you to reconsider your understanding of fear?'. The essay has been checked and reviewed by s...
To what extent does the exploration of human experience in The Crucible invite you to reconsider
your understanding of fear?
Composers effectively elucidate shared and personal human experience through their media to convey the
corrupting force of human motivations and behaviours amidst a society governed by mass hysteria and fear.
These notions are explored within the political allegory of Arthur Miller’s theatrical play, The Crucible (1953),
where he extensively appropriates the disastrous impact of cultural and political hysteria within his drama of
Salem Massachusetts that concurrently sheds light on the suppression of communism within American
McCarthyism. He unravels the development of desire for power when the fear of authorial demise afflicts one’s
ability to view their immorality. As a consequence, power officials instil fear within society that causes the
desire for self-preservation through societal destruction. Opposed to these, Miller displays those who desire a
sense of righteousness in the spirit of redemption despite potential harm. The relationship between fear and
one’s desires dictates its influential impact upon individual behaviour.
Miller explores how the fear of one’s reputation being striped overwhelms their mind into abusing power to
manipulate society for their own gain. Miller presents the highly respectable Judge Danforth to have qualities of
egocentricity. He declares, ‘’I cannot pardon these when twelve have been hanged for the same crime. It is not
just’’; the irony of his statement showcases his awareness of the injustice inflicted upon those individuals, but
his fear of being excused from his state of superiority instigates the misuse of power. Indeed, the complexity of
human behaviour is presented by Danforth’s rejection of religious beliefs to defend himself from his name of
being God’s chosen man. The imperative language of, “You are either lying now, or you were lying in the court,
and in either case you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it’’, is Danforth’s way of intimidating
Marry Warren and a reflection of the fear within himself of losing his title. This reinforces the abuse of power
within the judicial system of the McCarthyism era, as the lives of innocent people were confiscated to validate
the false accusations of communism. Sardonically, further into the play, Danforth declares, ‘’Hang them high
over the town! Who weeps for these, weeps for corruption’’, as Proctor refuses to sign the confession which was
the justification for the multiple wrong hangings that Danforth was accountable for. His forceful tone is a
representation of how easily individuals with power murder to shield themselves from the attacks of society as
they cherish their reputation over the values of their beliefs. Therefore, Miller effectively insights audiences into
the impact of fear which distorts one’s perception of power to gain their own shield. Hes trying to maintain
justice as a judge-the external pressure leads him to worry of his reputation.
Furthermore, Miller establishes the impact of fear upon individuals that compromise societal upheaval and their
morality in attempt for self-preservation. He exemplifies this through the arise of emotional anxiety of Abigail’s
constant accusations, ‘’don’t lie! She comes to me when I’m asleep…’’ as the speculation of the Devil’s arrival
ascends. Through the use of exclamatory language, Miller presents her as the root of social paranoia as her fear
of exposure overshadows her ability to recognise the immorality of her actions. Elizabeth ‘’…always making
‘her’ dream corruptions’’ is the dramatic irony of Abigail’s accusation which dictates to us the complex nature
of human emotions as fear of societal hostility is overpowering over one’s submission to virtue. The immorality
of Abigail’s actions is further illustrated as the biblical allusion, ‘’I danced for the devil; I saw him; I wrote in
his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand…’’, showcasing her retrieval of God until she continues to exclaim
her lies, ‘’… I saw Sarah Good with the devil!’’, deceiving society for her gain of control to protection from
being victimised. Her self-serving accusations enable her to shift the burden of shame to others, contrasting her
behaviour to McCarthyism depicting the distortion within individuals which acts as an influence on the
inconsistency of the human emotions. Hence, Miller extensively represents the gravity of fear which permits one
to disregard their morals for their gain of freedom
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