The Reverend John Hale embodies the growing awareness of the illegality and immorality of the Salem witch trials.
Kit Carrau 5th January 2002 The Crucible by Arthur Miller The Reverend John Hale embodies the growing awareness of the illegality and immorality of the Salem witch trials. The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts, USA, and is a study in the mass hysteria which led to the 1692 Salem Witchcraft trials. The trials then led to the execution of twenty people. Arthur Miller was born on 17th October 1915 in New York and wrote The Crucible in 1953. This was in the middle of the McCarthy Witch Hunt in America. McCarthyism was an anti-communist crusade in America that started in the early 1950's and led by Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy. The Crucible was meant to be seen as a political parable to this. This is because the McCarthy trials were very similar to the 1692 Salem Witch trials. In the Crucible, the Reverend John Hale embodies the growing awareness of the illegality and immorality of the Salem Witch trials. In the essay I will focus on the situation that Hale walks into when he makes his entrance to the play. I will also focus on the way the audience perceives him, the changes he undergoes and his reflection on the Salem community. Reverend John Hale is brought into Salem after Betty Parris is taken ill and Dr Walcott could not find any answer to her illness. Betty is the daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris and is ten years old. People in the village
Death of a Salesman is an indictment not of Willy Loman but of the American Dream. How far do you agree?
Death of a Salesman is an indictment not of Willy Loman but of the American Dream. How far do you agree? The American dream is an ideal for all Americans to get the best out of life. It stands for an easy and comfortable life, which makes you independent and your own boss. Historically, the American dream meant a promise of freedom and opportunity, offering the chance of riches even to those who start with nothing. This is something that Arthur Miller conveys in his play Death of a salesman. Before the Depression, an optimistic America offered the alluring promise of success and riches. Willy Loman, Millers main character suffers from his disenchantment with the American dream, for it fails him and his son. In some ways, Willy and his older son Biff seem trapped in a transitional period of American history. Willy, now sixty-three, carried out a large part of his career during the Depression and World War II. The promise of success that entranced him in the optimistic 1920's was broken by the harsh economic realities of the 1930's. The unprecedented prosperity of the 1950's remained far in the future. Death of a Salesman tells the story of a man confronting failure in the success-driven society of America and shows the tragic route that eventually leads to his suicide. Loman is a symbolic icon of the failing America; he represents those that have striven for success but, in
Quotes from All My Sons
Quotes from All My Sons CHARACTORS Joe Keller "I saw your factory on the way from the stations. It looks like general motors"p150 Allusion-Savy businessman "Well that's only your business, Chris"p100 Inability to stand up to Kate "in hopeless fury, looks at her, turns around, goes up the porch, and into the house slamming screen door violently behind him" p126 Shows he can be neurotic "Chris... Chris, I did it for you...For you! A business for you."p158 Keller deals with guilt by blaming others and unfortunately taints his love for his son "A man can't be a Jesus in this world"p169 Allusion He is realistic but slightly jaded you can try to fulfil your moral and social responsibility "I'm his father and he's my son and if there's something bigger than that I'll put a bullet in my head!"p163 Dramatic irony and prolepsis- family is the most important thing for him commendable but leads to his downfall as he convinces himself that he shipped the cylinder heads for his family rather than himself "(Chris with admiration) Joe McGuts"p116 He is very brave "But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were" p170 Recognition that he has social responsibility can't live with the realisation "I can't sleep here; I'll feel better if I go"p170 He shows determination there is a metaphorical recognition that he needs to die he is admirable even in death
A View From The Bridge involves the audience and their emotions.
Many hundreds of years ago, the ancient Greeks produced the first theatre. This theatre, at first, had no actors, and the numerous chorus figures told the whole story, which was usually a tragedy. Later, in the 6th century B.C., Thespis introduced the actor. The chorus figure was still in plays - he now commented on the action, divided it into scenes and linked these scenes together by covering any action that the audience didn't see during a time gap. He represents sanity, reason and compassion in modern plays. The choric figure usually talks more standard English, and this is true in this play, where Alfieri is much more articulate than most of the characters. Arthur Miller has used this characteristic in Alfieri to divide each act into unofficial scenes, and inform the audience on any missed action. As David Thacker, a Director said, Alfieri is the "mechanism by which the play unfolds." A View From The Bridge involves the audience and their emotions. Arthur Miller has used various methods to keep these emotions controlled. He has used calm scenes between those of high tension and emotion, but the main method is the chorus figure. The audience listen to Alfieri, for many reasons. They respect his opinion because he is a Lawyer, but they also like his character and can connect with his position in the play. I believe that the chorus character in this play has the "View
"Willy is a good father and husband. Do you agree?"
"Willy is a good father and husband. Do you agree?" In some respects Willy is both a good father and husband. Most of Willy's good points as a father can be seen using flashbacks within the play in his past and thinks about the things he did with Biff and Happy in Act One. He encourages and supports his children, Willy -"That's it, that's it, good work. You're doin' all right, Hap." He also takes an interest in them and their lives, Willy-[Examines the ball] "Where'd you get a new ball?" This shows the audience he wants his children to do well and is concerned about their lives. He also, in the past, maintained a good relationship with his children and this is shown in the fact he was missed while away, Biff-"Where'd you go this time, Dad? Gee we were lonesome for you." The boys not only idolise him and look up to him but also mimic him, Biff- "He's likes, but he's not well liked." This is an example of Biff copying Willy not only in his speech but also in his way of thinking. Willy also tells his boys the right things to do in life and when Biff "borrows" a ball he tells him, Willy-"I want you to return that." Willy also gives up things for his children. In Act One when Willy recalls his brother Ben we see this, Willy-"When Ben came from Africa that time? Didn't he give me a watch fob with a diamond in it? Linda-"You pawned it, dear. Twelve, thirteen years
Is Death of a Salesman a Tragedy?
Is Death of a Salesman a Tragedy? Hayley Porter 12NH The question which arises within Death of a Salesman is, 'Is this a modern Tragedy?' A tragic play can be commonly observed when a protagonist falls from a great height. His decline is not about immediate death, although in most cases death becomes apparent at the end of the play, e.g. Macbeth. A tragedy shows the suffering of a character and utter compulsion of him if he does not succeed to reach his dream. These plays show the blissful release from intolerable suffering this character feels. In most tragedies the immediate audience is unable to relate directly to this torture the character is going through. They will still have emotions towards the play but usually, e.g. Shakespeare's plays the main tragic protagonist is that of status, a king. Aristotelian defined tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself." It incorporates "incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions." The tragic hero will most effectively evoke both our pity and terror if he is neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly evil but a combination of both. The tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is "better than we are," in that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth. But this is not always the case in today's
What Dramatic Techniques Does Miller Use to Explore the Concept of the American Dream and Ultimately Criticise It?
What Dramatic Techniques Does Miller Use to Explore the Concept of the American Dream and Ultimately Criticise It? The American 'Dream' consists of a genuine and determined belief that in America all things are possible to all men, regardless of birth or wealth and if you work hard enough you will achieve anything. A man has to be resourceful enough so he can make his own luck and he has to imagine that if he tries hard, the sky is his limit. However in the Death of a Salesman, Miller argues that people have been misguided from the original dream. The original dream started, when the 18th and 19th immigrants came to America to have a chance of a better life. Also many of the people who came to America wanted the opportunity to own their own land. Eventually the land ran out, cities developed and massive variations in wealth arose and this is when the American Dream, changed from reality onto a 'dream'. The original ways of the American Dream were to be hard working, honest and have an ambition. Eventually this would lead onto success, wealth and power, but this soon developed into encouraging greed, selfish behaviour, as well as pride and rivalry between one another. Willy Loman liked the idea of being rich and successful and became caught up in this American Dream. Willy wants to prove himself through successes as a salesman, but as he fails his own life destroys him.
There is too little to admire in Eddie Carbone for him to be seen as a tragic hero. Discuss this view.
Joe Stanford 'There is too little to admire in Eddie Carbone for him to be seen as a tragic hero'. Discuss this view. In his essay Tragedy and the Common Man, Arthur Miller writes of how 'the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were', and uses the protagonist, Eddie Carbone, an as illustration of the 'common man'. Miller has a unique perspective on tragedy, and tries to reinvent its conventions by attributing the Aristotelian characteristics of a tragic hero to the simple longshoreman Eddie Carbone, who contrasts against the 'kings' that are King Lear or Othello. Eddie is human, and although he may be subject to an array of flaws, we appreciate in him the 'heart and spirit of the average man'. It is important that Eddie is introduced as a warm, caring character so the audience's admiration can be tested throughout the course of the play, and also to illustrate that Eddie was once happy and has suffered. Eddie is presented as a devoted family man, which is evident from Catherine's presence. Catherine is Beatrice's niece and has no blood relation to Eddie, yet Eddie still states he is 'responsible' for her because he 'promised [Catherine's] mother on her deathbed'. This demonstrates that Eddie believes in the idea of family, rather than the idea of just helping biological family. Eddie is devoted also in the sense that he has always
The Salem Witch Trial - Brief History and Thoughts as to What Caused Them
The Salem Witch Trials: A Brief History and Thoughts as to What Caused Them Christina Fleming Fall 2002 History 131 There are many theories as to what afflicted the girls of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, all very founded and well thought out, but there is still the more widely believed theory that the girls were lying and having a bit of fun that got out of hand. When historians, theologians and those of the medical profession try to find an answer, sometimes thoughts and ideas get out of hand and over analyzed, making them forget the plain and simple right there before them. During the winter of 1692, strange things began happening to the girls of Salem. The Reverend Samuel Parris' 9-year-old daughter Betty and 11-year-old niece Abigail began exhibiting irregular behaviors. The girls began slipping into trances, cowering in corners, muttering incoherent phrases, having horrific convulsive fits that made it seems almost as if their bones "were made of putty." (Wilson 22) Slowly other girls of the town became afflicted and eventually this led to the insistence of parents and clergy to know who was doing this to them. The girls finally admitted that it was Tituba, the Parris' West Indies slave. When Tituba was pressed to confess who else was involved in the devil's work, she blurted out Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. Sarah Good was a middle aged, pregnant
Death of a Salesman - Requiem
Shakespeare's tragic heroes left their audience with lessons to be learned and other characters in the play gained knowledge and understanding with reference to the Requiem to what extent does this happen in Death of a salesman? Death of a Salesman reflects on modern day tragedy. It shows the downfall of Willy Loman and how he has always dreamed of a better life for his family and himself however his 'American dream' has always been futile and unattainable. Death of a Salesman ends with the death of Willy due to his suicide and is then followed by the requiem which is his funeral. "But where are all the people he knew? Maybe they blame him?" Linda is speaking to her son's and Charley at Willy's funeral. She is confused at why Willy has no friends or colleges who attended his funeral. This is an indication that Willy was not popular and well-liked as he made out. Miller is conveying the fact that Willy has always lied about his life. He exaggerated to his family to 'show off' however, this did not work in his favour; all this achieved was polluting his son's minds with false importance and futile dreams. "He had all the wrong dreams. All, all, wrong." Here Biff may be referring to the American Dream of which Willy longed for. The audience can see that Biff can see that Willy was chasing an impossible dream, and could even say he has wasted his life trying to achieve this