Tragically Forced to Choose A Novel Study on The Crucible-Arthur Miller Written by Alison Friedt

Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. On the edge of a continent is a community dedicated wholly to the service of God. A gang of teenage girls, stifled by the crushing piety of their elders, dance naked in the woods. One girl, Abigail Williams, her innocence lost in the bed of John Proctor, drinks a charm to kill his beloved wife. Suddenly, the Devil is loose in Salem. The girls are discovered and the entire village is consumed by cries of witchcraft.

According to the Webster's Dictionary, a crucible is "a vessel in which metal is heated to a high temperature and melted for the purposes of casting". It can also be referred to a situation in which a person has to make a decision that can be critical to his morals and principles. There are many interpretations of the word 'crucible.' Closely related to the word "crucifixion", The Crucible is about a man put in a terrible situation, who is forced to choose between life and morality, just as Jesus Christ did.

Abigail

Deposition of Abigail Williams v. George Jacobs, S...

"The witch no. 1" lithograph

The Author, Arthur Miller, interweaved these scenarios to form the main themes of the play - the problem of making the right moral choice and the necessity of sacrifice as a means of redemption. Both of these themes can be abridged to form one main theme, good versus evil. The Crucible is not only a reflection of society during the time of the Salem witch trials, but can also be seen as a tragedy based on the tragic dilemma the main character is faced with. This character, John Proctor, does not appear as the main central character at the outset of the play; however readers discover how important he is as the story takes shape. John is a man with a divided nature and this is...