What happened in Salem, in 1692, is today described as one of the darkest episodes in American history. Still today, historians try to find out what caused the disastrous outbreak of the witch craze but the only thing they can be sure about is that they can not explain why so many people had to die. “Accusations of witchcraft were not unusual in the seventeenth-century world […]” What was so special about the time and place that such an outbreak of random accusations became possible? “[…] “Salem” has become an icon in American culture. The trials have become a metaphor for hysterical prosecution, unfounded accusations, and confessions that have no reasonable explanation.” Believe in witchcraft had existed for hundreds of years before the hysteria broke out in Salem. The colonists who came to Massachusetts had a strong belief in the devil and his agents and were mainly Puritans, who came to America to gain religious freedom.
There are many things you could compare between the historical account of the witch hunt and Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. This paper is going to analyse the portrayal of a Puritan society in Miller’s play and will try to find out whether the religion of the people and therewith their way of life have caused the rising of the witch scare and the horrible outcome for the characters in the play. It is going to be analysed why normal people start accusing their neighbours and friends for witchcraft although many of them are aware of the consequences for the accused.
At first it is going to be described how Arthur Miller informed himself about the happenings of 1692 in order to underline his credibility of being able to create the Puritan society of that time. In the following the terms ‘Puritanism’ and ‘Puritan’ will be briefly defined. The main part of the paper will concentrate on the analysis of Puritan traits, beliefs, and lifestyles in The Crucible in order to find out whether they might have played a part in the catastrophe.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. The coming about of The Crucible
1.2. Puritanism - Puritan
2. The Puritan World in The Crucible
2.1 Church Services
2.2 The Bible
2.3 Believe in the Devil and his servants
2.4 Everybody can be a target
2.5 Women and their link to the devil
2.6 Oppression of personal feelings and freedom
2.7 Clergy and Judges
2.8 Confession
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores the portrayal of a Puritan society in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," examining how the community's rigid religious ideology and social structure contributed to the witch craze of 1692. The research investigates whether the people's strict way of life and the combination of religion and state power fostered an environment of fear that enabled the tragic outcome of the trials.
- Analysis of Puritan beliefs, traits, and lifestyles as depicted in the play.
- The influence of religious dogma on the community's perception of the Devil.
- The role of social and institutional oppression in suppressing personal freedom.
- Examination of the power dynamics between the clergy, judges, and townspeople.
- The impact of confession as a tool for survival and social control in Salem.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3 Believe in the Devil and his servants
“Fear of the devil permeated New England culture. Puritan ministers cautioned their flocks about Satan’s omnipresence, and the laity worried in spiritual diaries and conversation narratives, that the devil would likely win the battle for their souls.” (Reis 12) The devil was always a very real creature to the Puritans and a natural part of life as the antagonist to God. (Fremon 23) As strongly as the people believed in God, they also believed in the Devil and his agents. In a Puritan society every person could be mislead by the evil forces. Therefore the souls of children, men, and women could be taken over by the devil. (Fremon 11) On top of that they believed that every human being was born with an original sin within him or her. That is why even babies and small children could be persuaded by the dark lord. (Fremon 27) In contrast to that it were still mostly women who were accused of being involved with devil. Especially in New England the people believed that the devil had reigned in the land until they arrived there. (Fremon 23)
Just as the devil was very real to the people, they also believed in magic and witchcraft. (Fremon 10) It is conveyed that it was not unusual for kids of that time to play fortune telling games although it was not permitted by the Puritan clergy. (Breslaw 94) Additionally the tale of people being able to send out their spirits was embedded in the minds of the people. (Breslaw 100)
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of the 1692 Salem witch trials and sets the research goal of analyzing the Puritan society's portrayal in Arthur Miller’s work.
1.1. The coming about of The Crucible: Examines Arthur Miller’s research process, his use of historical documents, and his creative adaptation of events for the stage.
1.2. Puritanism - Puritan: Defines the origins and core characteristics of the Puritan movement and its impact on the "New England Way of life."
2. The Puritan World in The Crucible: Provides an overview of the strict, communal, and fear-based society depicted in the play.
2.1 Church Services: Discusses the central role of mandatory church attendance and sermons in maintaining religious discipline.
2.2 The Bible: Explores how literal interpretations of the Bible and the Ten Commandments were used to judge an individual's character.
2.3 Believe in the Devil and his servants: Details the profound, literal belief in Satan that permeated the lives and fears of the Salem inhabitants.
2.4 Everybody can be a target: Analyzes the social hierarchy and how anyone could become a victim of accusations, regardless of their piety.
2.5 Women and their link to the devil: Examines the gendered nature of the witch trials and why women were more frequently targeted as practitioners of witchcraft.
2.6 Oppression of personal feelings and freedom: Investigates the stifling social atmosphere and the lack of privacy that fueled the children's eventual hysteria.
2.7 Clergy and Judges: Describes how the interplay of religious authority and state power led to the judicial failure of the trials.
2.8 Confession: Analyzes the paradoxical function of confession as both a mechanism of survival and a tragic instrument of further state control.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, asserting that religious ideology combined with social oppression was a key catalyst for the tragedy in Salem.
Keywords
Puritanism, The Crucible, Salem, Witch Trials, Arthur Miller, Religion, Devil, Witchcraft, Social Oppression, Confession, 1692, Theocracy, Moral Rigidity, Fear, Persecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the societal and religious atmosphere of the Puritan community in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and how this environment facilitated the witch craze in Salem.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
Key themes include religious dogma, the intersection of church and state, social control, gender dynamics, and the psychological impact of constant surveillance within a strict society.
What is the central research question?
The work attempts to determine whether the religious and social way of life of the people in Salem directly caused the rising witch scare and the subsequent tragic outcomes for the characters.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon historical accounts, contemporary research on Puritanism, and textual evidence from the play itself to substantiate the argument.
What topics are addressed in the main body?
The main body breaks down the specific Puritan institutional and social mechanisms, such as church services, the interpretation of the Bible, the fear of the devil, judicial procedures, and the repression of personal emotions.
Which keywords best describe this work?
The study is characterized by terms such as Puritanism, witch trials, social oppression, religious authority, and the historical and literary analysis of Arthur Miller’s drama.
How did Arthur Miller's research influence the historical accuracy of the play?
Miller visited Salem and studied court documents from 1692, but he explicitly admitted to altering characters and timelines to heighten the dramatic impact of the narrative.
Why was the confession of witchcraft considered so important by the judges?
Confession served to validate the judges' authority and the existence of the Devil, essentially allowing the court to claim a victory over evil while simultaneously forcing the accused to submit to the power of the state.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anika Kehl (Autor:in), 2010, Arthur Miller’s "The Crucible". A Portrayal of a Puritan Society, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/279046
