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Post by jekenny38 on Oct 10, 2011 13:25:11 GMT -5
One major theme that is in The Crucible is the role that hysteria can play in tearing apart a community.
Hysteria enables people to believe that their neighbors whom they always believed to be good people, are now committing ridiculous crimes that involve the devil. For example, Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and therefore, she is sent to jail. Also, Thomas Putnam gets revenge on Francis Nurse by getting his wife Rebecca convicted of the "murders" of Ann Putnam’s babies. Through all of these examples it is evident how hysteria can continue to thrive because people can benefit from it.
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Post by sahearo38 on Oct 10, 2011 14:47:28 GMT -5
Another theme in The Crucible is intolerance against others. The people of Salem do not accept anyone who is even associated with witchcraft. They also don't take the time to actually prove whether or not the person practices witchcraft or not, instead they immediately judge them and associate them with the devil. They view the people accused as outcasts and lock them up as a result of their difference in life and religion.
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Post by ashorow35 on Oct 10, 2011 16:14:07 GMT -5
I would agree with the first post that hysteria is a major, if not the biggest driving theme in the play. It almost seems as if the hysteria builds as the play goes on. What causes utter madness and the explosion of accusations in the play is the constant fear and doubt of the people closest to you.
I would also agree with the second post that another big theme is intolerance against others. The members of this community are in no way whatsoever open to change in their life style. They accept what they currently have. Like states above, once an accusation is made, they are immediately paired with the devil, instead of being proven for their "sin".
Another theme I would like to introduce into the discussion is empowerment in the Salem community. The events of this play allow characters who are normally not dominant figures in society to obtain power. For example, Abigail is a woman who usually resides in the lower ranks of society as a servant to men in the community. However, once the trials begin, she places the blame on others. This puts her on the courts' good graces, and makes herself appear as if she is aligned with God. These actions give her immediate power and she is trusted in the community.
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Post by kaconti38 on Oct 10, 2011 16:30:01 GMT -5
i agree that empowerment is also a big part of The Crucible. Along with Abigail, another character that gains power is Cheever (and also Herrick in the same way). The two of them went from being on the low end of things in the community to being the people entrusted with taking all the "witches" from their homes and bringing them to court.
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Post by mitrope38 on Oct 10, 2011 20:07:42 GMT -5
Going along with the last two posts, the empowerment of females is greatly represented, as well. I think the fact that any woman (Abigail) had such a prominent and trusted say in a court of law speaks great volumes because in that time period women were greatly overlooked. Not only did Abigail have influence in court, but she was empowered by her relationship with Proctor because she had something to hold against him, which give her even more control of the situation.
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