Common sense in the crucible article

The Crucible – How does Miller generate vivid the triumph of superstition above reason and common sense?  In ‘The Crucible’, Miller makes an atmosphere in Salem where hysteria rules the village whilst reason and common sense will be put aside. The superstitions of a few young adolescent girls are considered genuine by the largely Christian village; to the point of a broken theocracy and where all reason can be lost.

In Act 3, there are many remarkable scenes in the courtroom which show the power of the girls’ overbearing superstitions.

At the beginning of the play, Martha Warren joined them with the other girls in the forest using their hysteria and witchcraft. However , she converts to Proctor’s side and in court says “It were pretence, sir” to Danforth. She attempts to save Proctor by submiting the girls and admitting that Abigail had been telling is. This involves no acquire and then Abigail, with the other girls, dons an take action and starts off copying Jane Warren as if Mary experienced bewitched her.

Martha gives in and opens Proctor stating “You’re the Devil’s Person! ” Mary tried to have got reason and common sense by simply defying the ladies but the way she provided in to their particular act of hysteria reveals how superstition triumphs more than reason and common sense.

As stated previously, Mary Warren initially testifies against Abigail plus the other ladies in Act III. To this point, Danforth was fully at the rear of Abigail and believed her but now inquiries her to be truthful. Abigail forcefully confronts him and says angrily, “I have been injure, Mr Danforth…To be mistrusted, denied, wondered like a -“. Miller identifies Danforth’s retorts as ‘weakening’ in the stage directions and Abigail engages on to additional threaten Danforth in the words “Let you beware, Mr Danforth…”.

With most other people in the play, Danforth simply dismisses all their stories nevertheless he is incapable of a logical argument against Abigail. Danforth is meant as a man of reason and common sense; he’s a judge after all although Abigail’s manipulation of him causes him to lose all reason and he enables her always wreck chaos. Abigail is a source of each of the superstitions in ‘The Crucible’ so her control over Danforth signifies the triumph of superstition above good reason and common sense.

Throughout the play, John Proctor is actually a respectful man; the only one which has a sense of reason but not fooled by the witchcraft hysteria. In Act IV, Proctor chooses to die instead of giving away his good brand to witchcraft. After deciding on to pass away he says “…I see some goodness in John Proctor. ” In the event that he had revealed, he would have lost his practical and given in to bogus superstitions. In this way, Proctor not only keeps his name but will not let superstitions get the better of him; one of the few elements of the enjoy where purpose and good sense prevail.  Salem is a community filled with hardworking people who have good reason and perception about them. A couple of lies and superstitions trigger all their lives to fall apart down and good beliefs vanish. Normally the one man not fooled by witchcraft non-sense, John Proctor, keeps practical alive in Salem although is hanged to pass away; leaving the village reigned over by irrational belief.

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