Examine the importance of leadership and morality in The Crucible.

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“He has an idea of himself which is that of a leader of a sort, a moral example, perhaps, for others…”

Examine the importance of leadership and morality in The Crucible.

        The ideas of leadership and morality are extremely important in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible.  The quote by Arthur Miller, “He has an idea of himself which is that of a leader of a sort, a moral example, perhaps, for others…” could apply to a number of the male characters in the play, and is also applicable to a number of the female characters in the female.  Leadership is defined in the dictionary as “guidance and direction” and morality as “motivation bases on ideas of right and wrong”.  They are both very important in The Crucible, and are commonly emphasized with negative actions and ideas.  Several characters in the play show leadership over others, and many undergo immoral actions and activities.

        

        Miller says of Parris, “He has an idea of himself which is that of a leader of a sort, a moral example, perhaps, for others…”.  He has authority over the strongly religious town of Salem, yet he uses his power for personal gain, which is not only against his religion but is extremely immoral.  He uses his power to condemn innocent men who may threaten his position in the future and who he has a dislike for.  For a Reverend he has a severe lack of morality, with his incessant greed and quest for personal gain.

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        John Proctor is most interesting for the moral choice that he has to make, whether to lie and save himself or to tell the truth and save his conscience.  Although he has been immoral and sinned by having an affair, he makes the right choice by telling the truth.  He knows that he is a sinner and is not worthy of following in Giles and Rebecca Nurse’s footsteps of being a martyr, but he tries to do what he believes to be right and what will be best for his family.  The audience feels sympathetic for Proctor as he is ...

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