This is a theme essay on The Crucible.

Essay by anticloudHigh School, 11th gradeA+, November 2003

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The theme of The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, is about Good versus Evil. This is portrayed throughout the book, even though it is just a witch-hunt. The people are uneducated, but in their time, it is portrayed as Good vs. Evil. Abigail, Mr. Proctor, and the whole town raise the question of whether or not the battle of Good vs. Evil is won, when it is simply superstition or off of a whim.

Abigail Williams is the center of all that is evil in the story. The battle between the centers of good and evil is the most important of the themes. Abigail sets off the sense of hate in the play. She attempts to lure Proctor into adultery and other unlawful acts which all go against the Puritan religion. She was also criticized for her dancing. To escape punishment for such actions, she uses someone else as a scapegoat, and does not care who she takes down with her.

She knows her life is ruined, and she's going to bring as many people down with her as she can. Later, when she grows into power and influence, she enjoys sending innocent people their deaths. She takes pleasure in her mayhem, and thrives on the attention and power that they bring her. These are the aspects of being evil: Power, attention, and abuse of the power you have. Therefore, she is labeled with being the evil character in the novel. She uses cloaks her evil actions, disguising them 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. This is an excellent example of her abusing her power.

John Proctor was a...