I would appreciate Mechanics, Grammar, and flow tips/corrections. Anything is very much appreciated.
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Thank you.
---Jon---
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In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts the witchcraft trials began. The witchcraft trials persecuted
innocent people and condemned them to death. In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote a play, “The
Crucible”. This play told the events that probably unfolded during the actual event. During the
witchcraft trials, fear was one of the major forces driving it forward. In this puritan society,
people looked to God or the Devil for the causes of things. People did not look for medical issues
or any other type of cause because they knew nothing else. As a result the people of Salem went
to superstition. When people with limited knowledge think, things can go horribly wrong. Fear is
the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the
beginning of wisdom.
Fear is the main source of superstition. That statement can be proved through the actions of
Reverend Hale. Reverend Hale is a man that brings books of ‘knowledge’ and ‘truth’ to Salem.
These books cause many problems for Salem and its people. For example, when he uses them to
‘help’ Betty by awakening her, it causes problems for Tituba by making her confess. Her
confession revealed many names that could have been unspoken otherwise. Another example of
this is through the actions of Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams was the girl who started, and
kept this ‘witch hunt’ going by the use of fear. For example, when she tells the girls, “I will come
to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder
you!” This statement made by Abigail halts any truth that the girls may have told, they were
afraid to. Superstition in “The Crucible” is not used bluntly; they don’t seem to have an
understanding of it.
Fear is the main source of cruelty. That statement can be proved through the actions of Mercy
Lewis. Mercy Lewis is the servant of the Procter household and turns against John Proctor. For
example, when John and Mercy go to the courthouse, she gets scared and tells Judge Danforth
that he is the ‘Devil’s Man’. Mercy does this to get out of accusation and Abigail’s attempts at
‘getting rid of her’. Another example that supports this statement we can see through the actions
of Abigail Williams. Abigail, as we know, is the one who started this and was too afraid to tell
the truth. For example, Abigail uses fear to control the girls into acting like they see people’s
‘familiar spirits’. This ultimately gets people in trouble that they could have not been in
otherwise. The people of Salem hanged for her lies and her fear of getting caught, this was very
selfish and cruel of Abigail.
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. This statement can be proved though the actions
of Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca Nurse is the sensible one during the witchcraft trials. For example,
when Betty Parris is in bed and cannot get up and everyone is speaking witchcraft, Rebecca is
the one who says it will pass. She says that she has been a mother eleven times and a
grandmother twenty-six times, that it will pass. Another example that supports the statement, we
can see through the actions of John Proctor. John Proctor believes none of what is going on
around him, he thinks its folly. For example, when he says, “Now the little crazy children are
jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!” John Proctor is a
rational man in this play, he knows what Abigail is doing and he uses reason to try and stop it.
Although he fails, he remains brave and ‘keeps near his wits’.
Fear is a common device used in “The Crucible”. We see that fear can cause people to do
some horrible things to people. We see that the absence of fear can cause people to fight for the
truth. Fear is a very powerful thing that plays with our emotions. When our emotions are
‘played’ with, we as a people cannot think ‘straight’. Salem feared that the Devil was at play
because why would God do such a thing? Superstition and fear along with manipulation and
secret fueled this fire that killed people. I guess the saying, “The truth shall set you free.” is
correct. Being such a ‘God fearing” community of people, they should have known this. They
did not however because fear clouded their judgment. We can now see that fear is a very
powerful emotion that can strip the disguises off people so we can see their true form.
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