The Crucible- Act One Reflection Blog

In The Crucile, I think that Aurthur Miller incoperates many Puritan qualities into his writing. So far, we have been introduced to many different characters and we have gotten a pretty good look at what is going on in this play. This play takes place in 1692, and back in this time people had little knowledge of the causes of people being ill. From the beginning of this act, we see that Parris' daughter Betty is very ill, and people are beginning to say that it is because of witchcraft. Back during this time, to be acused of witchcraft is punishable by being hung and it was not a good rumor to be going around that you practice witchcraft. For example, in this passage from the play Parris says

Thomas, Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft. I know that you--you least of all, Thomas, would ever wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house (Miller 14).

This passage shows just how serious it could be if you are acused of witchcraft, and in Parris' case, it would mean being chased out of town and losing his job. Aurthur Miller shows a Puritan like quality in his writing by how much reference is made to God and by how much of an influence God has on the lives of all of the characters in this play. Puritans thought that religion was a personal, inner experience and I think that Aurthur Miller expresses the importance of religion by including it in his play. Puritans believed that writings directly expressed the workings of God, and I think that in his writing Arthur Miller is showing us as readers how the Puritans believe God and the Devil interact with people and how that can affect a persons life. For example, Mrs. Putnam believes that the devil has murdered seven of her babies because they died shortly after birth (Miller). This passage shows Mrs. Putnam speaking in regards of her dead children

Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies un-baptized in the earth. Believe me, sir, you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very night of their birth (Miller 15).

Now in modern times, we would know the reasons for why those babies died, but back in this time period if there was not an obvious problem, people assumed it was the work of the Devil or witchcraft. I think that by including all of these assumptions and what not the author is revealing not only Puritan qualities but also showing us how people acted back in this time period. Arthur Miller shows us how much a rumor about witchcraft could affect a person's life, and also provides us with information about how people viewed the devil back in this time period. I personally thought that the first act of this play was very strange, but at the same time I found it very interesting and entertaining.

Bibliography

Miller, Aurthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Group, 1976. Print