American politician Essay

Assignment details: One of the themes in ‘Crucible’ is the conflict between good and evil. Who would you say were the good people and how is their goodness shown? Who would you say were the evil people and how is their evil shown? Arthur Millers play ‘The Crucible’ was first produced in the year 1953 in the time of the McCarthy political ‘Witch-Hunt’ in the US. The 1950’s in America was an extremely controversial era due to the ‘House Of Un-American Activities Committee’ under the chairmanship Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy who was an American politician. This organization had the power to investigate any movement or person who threatened the safety of the state. McCarthy first attracted national attention in February 1950 with the charge that Communists had infiltrated the Department of State. Although his accusations were never substantiated, during the three years that followed he repeatedly pointed the finger at various high-ranking officials of subversive activities. During the first five to ten years after World War II the two economical blocks the USA and the USSR, faced each other in a ‘cold’ war which created fear and worry in America that the philosophy of Communism was spreading and would eventually undermine and destroy Capitalism, the American’s ideal way of life. People were blamed in all types of situations such as accidents, misfortunes, or catastrophes of any kind. Whole societies were whipped up into panic by the fear that evil forces were out to destroy them. The play ‘The Crucible’, although concerned with the Salem witchcraft trials, was actually aimed at the widespread congressional investigation of subversive activities in the United States. The event at that time seemed particularly similar to the 1692 ‘Witch-Hunts’ in Salem, Massachusetts, United States where the lies of a group of adolescent girls, caused many people to be imprisoned or put to death. The play deals with many aspects of life, like individual conscience, the abuse of power, the conflict between good and evil and the most obvious of all Witchcraft, as many characters in the play were accused of being associated with the devil. At the time the play was set, if anyone was said to be involved with the devil, their future and their families future would be in serious jeopardy. It wouldn’t even matter if the person(s) were innocent if someone said it was true then it was said to be true as this was the most serious allegation at the time. The only option you had if you wanted to live was deny the charges against you and name other people supposedly involved in witchcraft and devil worshipping. Another of the many serious themes in Arthur Millers, ‘The Crucible’ was individual conscience where many people just followed and agreed with what others had said. For example, if someone accused another as being involved in witchcraft, the entire community would agree. This was because people were scared because if anyone disagreed with the allegations they would also be accused of being involved in witchcraft. In the play, John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse stood up for their beliefs even though they knew that they would be executed. This shows courage, self-pride and integrity, as they would rather risk their lives than cause shame upon themselves and their family’s, unlike other characters who tried to pass the blame like Abigail and Tituba. The abuse of power is a significant subject in the play, as people with too much of it end up doing morally wrong things unto others. This is shown in the opening acts of the play when Reverend Parris suspects witchcraft. When Reverend Hale, an authority on witchcraft, arrives at the house, he tries to rouse Betty about the incident in the woods, without success. He then begins to question Abigail Williams who is afraid and accuses Tituba of conjuring the devil. Tituba is brought in and coerced into submitting to the allegations made against her.