|
|
|
Need a Term Paper for College?
Our very best writers will produce any essay or term paper you are looking for! We offer reasonable prices and deliver top quality papers on virtually any topic. Our service is available 24/7. Be sure that we are reliable and consistent.
Order your custom term paper for only $12.95 a page!
Salem Witch Trials
In Relation to America
History shows that the story which an author writes must often pertain
to actual events in some way or another. Everything from historical books, to
the most seemingly far-fetched science fiction have their roots in some form
of reality. Arthur Miller, one of the greatest and most well known
playwrights of the twentieth century bases many of his characters off of real,
living people. This can easily be seen in his world renowned play, The
Crucible, which tells the story of the colonial Salem witch trials. The story
has many characters, all of whom vary from one another in one way or
another. These variances are very much like those of real colonial people,
which is what Miller was trying to do in creating a realistic play. Some of the
most well known colonial Americans are of course the early American
writers, such as William Byrd, Jonathan Edwards, and Benjamin Franklin, all
of whom have personalities like those of characters in The Crucible. The
characters of The Crucible have powerful characteristics that vary from the
very pious, to the downright evil and avaricious, which are very much like
those of the people of the day.
To lovers of great literature, the name Thomas Putnam stirs up images
of a grasping land baron who has, no morals, no principles, and no love for
the human race, but rather, only a love for money and power, and to disgrace
the name of others. Some believe that the man known as Thomas Putnam is
merely an exaggerated personification of the sixteenth century writer, William
Byrd. Byrd, who also had many land holdings in his native land of the
American South, is very well known for his classic book of observations, The
History of the Dividing Line, which can be found in almost any book lovers
collection. William Byrd was a money loving man, and wielded a great deal
of power in his day, but all the money he had could not buy him a place in
heaven. Byrd was a bit of an epicure, and thus lived for the present, never
thinking about what there is after death, or as he says, “I neglected my
prayers, but had milk for breakfast” (Byrd 49). This quote clearly shows that
Byrd cared little for prayer, yet when it came to what to eat, he was all ears.
However, William Byrd did admit when he had neglected his prayers, unlike
the volatile Thomas Putnam, who would live the lie of going to church, and
then tear down everything which The Bible stands for by damning his fellow
man to the gallows with accusations of witchery, and also with his powerful
support of the trials. Putnam was also a man who enjoyed little in life, aside
from power, wealth, and the suffrage of his myriad of enemies. This deep set
hatred is displayed when Miller tells of Thomas having a minister, George
Burroughs, jailed for debts which he did not owe, only because Burroughs
became minister, and Putnam’s brother-in-law did not. Thus, one can see that
Arthur Miller truly did base his character, Thomas Putnam, from a popularly
held personality of the day, which many still hold to these modern times.
Aside from the greed which many held in America’s early day, fierce
piety also abounded. Miller utilizes the character of Reverend Hale to display
this fervent belief in God, which some see as almost fanatical. Hale, as with
all of Arthur Miller’s characters, was based on the devout attitude that many
of the old fashioned Puritan ministers held. One of the most famous Puritan
ministers was Jonathan Edwards, whose famous sermon “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God” scared many Americans into submissiveness to the
church. In The Crucible, John Hale is a well respected man who is
summoned to Salem for the witch hunt because he had just dealt with a witch
in his own parish. Like Senator Joseph McCarthy being called to seek out
communists, Reverend Hale views his trip to Salem as a beloved errand in a
field which he believes he holds expert knowledge in. Like the fictional
character Reverend John Hale, the real life minister Jonathan Edwards held
himself on an esteemed pedestal with the likes of Socrates and Plato.
Edwards has been known throughout history for his extreme measures, and
like Hale, he truly believed that he was doing good. Jonathan Edwards kept
his reverent beliefs until the day that he died, even going so far as to allow his
parish to banish him to the rogue colony of Rhode Island for his radical
beliefs. This character is much unlike the character of Hale, whom at the end
of the play tries to convince Elizabeth to tell John to sign a confession by
saying, “Woman, plead with him!... Woman! It is pride, it is vanity... Be his
helper! What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall the worms
declare his truth? Go to him, take his shame away!” (Miller 887). Hale
shows his true colors by stating that famous line. He shows that he realizes
the trials were wrong, but is too cowardly to admit it, and would rather let
Proctor live a life of shame so he would not feel guilty rather than let a man
die at peace with himself.
Nearly every American knows the name of Benjamin Franklin. He is
the man that rallied for America’s independence from Britain, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence, and his likeness resides on the one hundred
dollar bill. Two words which are synonymous with his name are truth and
honor, which also happen to be related to the Arthur Miller character john
Proctor. Much like Franklin, Proctor is a well respected and fairly righteous
individual. However, Proctor made more than his fair share of mistakes,
which he almost eternally holds himself responsible for. However, his dignity
does not truly come on trial until he is forced to make a most trying decision:
whether or not to die for what is right. Proctor is at last able to find peace
with himself when he tears to pieces a confession that would have allowed
him to live, but forever taken his family’s good name, which is a fate no man,
woman, or child would wish on their worst enemy. He finally realizes that
pride and dignity are the only things a man is born with when he says, “How
may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”
(Miller 886). The spirit which Proctor displays is much like the spirit of
Benjamin Franklin, who knew that the loss of the Americans in the American
Revolution would have surely meant his death as a traitor. Despite that,
Franklin stood up for American Independence and took the initiative to sign
the Declaration of Independence, and help organize the revolution. The
world today has a shortage of people like Proctor and Franklin who are
willing to die for what is right, yet it is nice to think about the days in which
they were abundant.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is truly a stunning and powerful play
which was penned by a stunning and powerful man. The drama was filled
with many dynamics, and it relates to modern times, as can be seen by the
recent hunt for the “morally depraved” in Washington, which had its sights
clearly set on the president himself. Yet, Arthur Miller managed to show how
hysteric people can become when they are faced with a thing considered
taboo, not only by using a real, historical event, but by relating his characters
to real colonial people.
Bibliography
none
Word Count: 1281
|
|
|
Copyright 1999-2004 Wow Essays, All Rights
Reserved
Design by Dream Net Studio
|
|
