The Crucible; Good Intentions - 1092 Words

Good Intentions; Unfortunate Results â€Å"The path to hell is paved with good intentions,† says an English Proverb. This can also be seen as true about literature set in the 17th century all the way to characters living in the turn of the 19th century. Those were simpler times when people believed in the devil, witches and vampires as explanations because there were so many things they didn’t understand. Characters in these strict moral times would try to do what they thought would be for the best only to have the situations turn out worse than before. The irony in these works of literature is that a lot of times, good intentions ended badly. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a prime example of how good and pure intentions go wrong and†¦show more content†¦In the very beginning of the story, Jonathan Harker is traveling to Dracula’s castle in place of his boss who couldn’t go. His intentions are good so he can help his boss and make some money off of the land he is planning to sel l, however his intentions get turned around when Dracula traps him inside the castle and he fears for his life. These are examples of situational irony. Reverend Hale, the specialist in dealings with the devil, has great intentions to save people from sin when he comes to Salem. In Act One, Miller writes of Hale: His goal is light, goodness, and its preservation.(36) His goals and intentions when arriving in Salem are very specifically laid out for him when Miller speaks of him. However after events unfold, Hale ends up inadvertently sending many people to the courts. During the trials, he councils convicted witches to confess, so that they won’t be hanged. Hale knowingly counseled people to lie. The events that happen to Hale and the twisted way that he ended up saving lives is cosmic irony. Hale came to Salem to save souls from the devil and tell people not to lie, cheat, or sin, but when the play ends Hale has tried to save lives by telling those accused to lie and sin. Th erefore, he has actually damned the very souls he came to save. In The Crucible, Reverend Parris’ actions were supposed to keep his good standing in the community but actually caused him to lose the town’s respect. Reverend Hale came to Salem to saveShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Arthur Miller s The Crucible 1732 Words   |  7 Pagesthe world. II. Biographical Arthur Miller was a controversial playwright during the 1950’s and 60’s, note because of the material that he choose to write about, but because of the events that took place surrounding one of his best works: The Crucible. One of his friends and a fellow playwright Elia Kazan was accused of being a Communist by the house Un-American Activities Committee. Elia, who had admitted to being previously a Communist during the 1930’s (long before the cold war) was askedRead MoreThe Crucible Character Analysis736 Words   |  3 PagesIn Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the people of Salem, Massachusetts experience several â€Å"bizarre supernatural events† that really highlight these characters’ morality. A morality play is a kind of drama with personified abstract qualities as the main characters and presenting a lesson about good conduct and character. The Crucible dramatizes good and evil to give rationale of these characters’ true intentions. The â€Å"good† characters in the play are portrayed as Reverend Hale, Elizabeth, Mr. ParrisRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1653 Words   |  7 PagesPublished in 1952, during a period of cold war tensions, which culmi nated in the ideological witch trials of the McCarthyism era in America, the allegorical play, the crucible, by Arthur Miller, is set in Salem Massechutsets, in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. The author has intentionally used allegory to draw parallels between the two events and invite the reader to think critically about the persecution that occurred during both time periods. One of the themes that the author has used toRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1653 Words   |  7 Pagesublished in 1952, during a period of cold war tensions, which culminated in the ideological witch trials of the McCarthyism era in America; the allegorical play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is set in Salem Massachusetts, in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. The author has intentionally used allegory to draw parallels between the two events and invite the reader to think critically about the persecution that occurred during both time periods. One of the themes that the author has used toRea d MoreElements of Good and Evil in The Crucible by Arthur Miller1072 Words   |  5 Pages The play, The Crucible, is a fireball of guilt, evil, and good compiled into one magnification. It is a play with tremendous feelings, with many inside twists hidden in the archives of the true story. It is a play with emotional feelings; feelings of anger, hate, and evil, yet also feelings of goodness, and pureness. Undeniably, The Crucible is a play illustrating good versus evil.nbsp; The principal characters, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, Ann Putnam and Marry Warren all contain within themRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1653 Words   |  7 PagesPublished in 1952, during a period of cold war tensions, which culminated in the ideological witch trials of the McCarthyism era in America; the allegorical play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is set in Salem Massechutsets, in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. The author has intentionally used allegory to draw parallels between the two events and invite the reader to think critically about the persecution that occurred during both time periods. One of the themes that the author has used toRead MoreThe Crucible- Conflict Resolution Essay734 Words   |  3 PagesThe Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a movie that focuses on the conflict and resolution that occurred during the Salem witch trials during 17th century Puritan New England. After a group of young girls are found dancing and chanting during the night in the middle of the woods, strange things begin to happen within the small town. Conflict arises when Reverend Parris, the local minister, discovers the girls in the forest being led by a black slave named Tituba. Two girls out of the groupRead MoreMass Hysteria In The Crucible Essay713 Words   |  3 PagesThe Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, was a historical play written about the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692-93. The Salem witch trials created mass hysteria throughout the entire village of Salem, which was also mainly inhabited by Puritans. Puritans had a set ideal of firm beliefs that managed how they lived. Essentially, they were living as an elect, which meant they (referring to the Puritans) had a place in heaven for the righteous acts they haveRead MoreThe Crucible : The Potential Of Change916 Words   |  4 PagesJoie Lim Johnston English 11H, Period 7 8 October 2015 The Crucible: The Potential of Change Introduction: In The Crucible, Arthur Miller recreates the anxiety and hysteria of the Salem witch-trials from 1692. Although the title, not once is the word â€Å"crucible† spoken in the play. However, the people and events of the Salem witch trials correspond with the definition of a â€Å"crucible†. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines â€Å"crucible† three ways: â€Å"A pot in which metals or other substances are heatedRead MoreThe Crucible And Breaker Morant Analysis789 Words   |  4 PagesThe tales of Arthur Millers The Crucible and Bruce Beresfords Breaker Morant while appearing vastly different at a glance; share many common themes. These include scapegoats, trials and revenge. In The Crucible the antagonist, Abigail, is depicted as a spiteful and vengeful character that will stop at no end to gain the satisfaction of revenge through destructive means. Good Putnam is portrayed as a revenge driven character from The Crucible. In the movie of Breaker Morant, the p rotagonist