The Crucible and Human Emotions

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The Crucible and Human Emotions

The play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, demonstrates an example of how greed, envy, and hatred can destroy any society. Throughout the play, almost every character uses their vices as a means of revenge or persecution. The main conflict revolves around many vices and society’s inability to resolve petty grievances. Puritans are taught very strictly not to covet earthly possessions or value material things; therefore, the entire situation could have easily been avoided. Also Puritan teachers emphasize how important it is to be selfless and giving. Overall, the entire play and situations rely hugely on people’s hatred, envy, and greed as motives of revenge, which still have the power to crumble a society today.

        During the play, a group of girls led by Abigail uses their own greed and hatred to start what is known simply as the Salem witch trials. It all begins when the girls are seen in the woods practicing voodoo rituals with Tituba, a slave from Barbados. One of the girls, Betty, gets so terrified that she goes into a shock and won’t speak for days. Upon realizing this, a reverend is sent for by the name of Hale. Once he arrives, Hale immediately asks the girls questions about what happened, and this is where the lies begin. “Abigail, it may be your cousin is dying. Did you call the Devil last night?” asks Hale and Abby lies and replies with, “I never called him? Tituba, Tituba…” By being selfish and not wanting to get in trouble, Abby launches a huge controversy that pins families against each other and ruins a small town.

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        Envy is one vice that launches a conflict between Abigail and Goody Proctor that draws many other characters in. (add quotes of people accusing Proctor and quotes from Abigail)

Abby isn’t the only girl who lies, Betty, after suddenly waking up, shouts out, “I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!” From there on, both girls began naming random people out of shear hate and jealousy just so they blame wouldn’t be placed on them. Also Marry Warren, another one of the girls, decided it was her turn to get some of her hatred ...

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