In the seventeenth century, societies in North America were principally based on religious laws and morality. In fact, people were persecuted by their own religion. evilness and goodness were two important issues that often called for justice. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a very powerful play about Puritan ethics and the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great details. The play takes place in the small village of Salem, in Massachusetts, where people lived in a theocracy, which means that the entire society was based on a single written book: the Bible. They literally interpreted every single world of the Holy Book. The Devil represents the perfect idea of insecurity and sadness, his function is to tempt people to sin. They think the Devil’s time is limited and that they have to win over this evil. Witches are considered as his agents on earth. Those facts influence the setting of the play since the standards of what is right or wrong in that society is clearly stated in the Bible. This little town is in absolute chaos when an outbreak of rumors claiming witchcraft contaminates the small village. This causes a total deterioration of Salem’s social structure

intimate. This seems to contradict the fact that Proctor has great convictions because he doesn’t affirm himself.

Finally, everybody throughout their lives is faced with inner conflicts. The character John Proctor in The Crucible is faced with the most important decision of his life. Whether right or wrong, he does what he thinks is the right decision for him. John Proctor learns about himself, as a result of this experience. He learns the strength of his will, and the power of his name. “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(p.124) He knows that it is important above all to preserve his name and dignity. “…for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.”(125) He finally discovers his true identity. As a result of Proctor’s renounced conflicts and the insecurity in the town, Salem, as well as the whole population, loses its pure values. The closeness between people totally disappears by the end of the play. The tragic hero has faced himself and evaluated himself justly, this makes The Crucible, without any doubt, a great tragedy.

Some topics in this essay:
John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Book Devil, John Proctor’s, Citizens Salem, Arthur Miller’s, Arthur Miller, Salem Massachusetts, North America, Devil Salem, john proctor, character john, social structure, character john proctor, innocent people, deterioration salem’s social, hysteria caused, arthur miller’s, tragic dilemma, justice system, town salem, salem’s social structure, tragic aspect,