The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a story that explains a down side to human nature. This shows how human nature can be cruel to it's own kind. In such a way that killing of it's own species begins to take place. The Crucible takes place in a little town called Salem where not too much happens besides a few disagreements between neighbors. The horrible, unexpected events that take place show how the people of Salem can actually blame their own fellow neighbors and friends of witchery to watch them hang. Others accuse out of nothing but spite. In this story mankind takes on a different kind of role, one in which is not explainable. .
In this story, Abigail Williams is the niece of a man named Reverend Parris who is Salem's minister. Abigail has already committed adultery with a man named John Proctor. At the beginning of the story Abigail drinks chicken blood to create a charm to kill John Proctor's wife Elizabeth, "She wishes to dance with me on my wife's grave!" (106). This shows how cruel mankind is to it's own species over worthless matters. Killing another human being over love is meaningless, and this is just one of the very many examples that take place in this story representing the horrible cruelness that humans present.
Another example, a man by the name of Thomas Putnam presents his very cruel side over wanting more land. Thomas has his own daughter accuse all of his fellow neighbors of witchery just to receive their land. "If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" Selfishness is yet another one of humans? worthless immoralities. So instead of buying or just inheriting his own land himself, he would have innocent people killed to benefit from their life. Thomas Putnam would have people hung for his own good and would not care at all if the people accused were guilty.
