The Crucible: Emotion Vs. Reason

The Crucible: Emotion Vs. Reason

Many different themes are presented in Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Of those many themes, one of the more dominant ones is emotion versus reason. This theme is found throughout the play. It occurs when there is an internal struggle between the better decision or what is right and what is felt or done on the spur of the moment.

In The Crucible, emotion sometimes prevailed over reason. This is evident in Act III during the scene in the courtroom where Abigail and the other girls are frantically claiming that Mary Warren is afflicting them. The other girls get caught up in the emotion created by Abigail and pretend to see and feel what she does so as to be a part of the group. The whole time, they do not realize that Abigail sees and feels nothing, but has only gone too far in trying to win Proctor.

Arthur Miller, American playwright

ABIGAIL SPEARS

The Crucible (1996 film)

In this instance, it is clear to the reader that emotion has overpowered reason on the girls' part.

Meanwhile, reason, in some instances, prevailed over emotion. This is seen in Act IV when Proctor has signed the confession and refuses to hand it over. He refuses because it has his name on it, and he does not want the court to own his name and display it like a prize on the church door. He believed that they had already taken his soul and he wanted to retain his name so that they did not take everything. Reason won against emotion in this scene because he had thought about it and had a reason for his action. Sadly, though, it cost him his life.

The Crucible contains a plethora of themes. Though only one was discussed here, there are still many others. Emotion...