This however goes against what the Word actually says and this is what created Arthur Dimmesdale as a character. At the opening of the novel Montag is a passionate fireman, but his occupation comes with. Reputation affects their actions and majorly influences the choices they make. In, Arthur Miller had a personal experience with this HUAC trials when his friend Elia Kazan was called into a HUAC trial, called himself a former communist, and identified others that were communists. What is the importance of name and reputation in The Crucible? This is done not only so readers will have a detailed description of what the American people were facing while being ruled by the King. Although being closed-minded and prideful at times, Reverend John Hale's passion to do right for the people stands out the most in his character., Although there are people like John Proctor, who knows the girls are lying and are trying their best to change everyone's opinion before people die for it, there are other people in the story are only trying to protect their own reputation. For surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it. (8) Parris is very worried about his reputation in Salem because he has worked really hard for it; he would do anything to save his church as well as his name and position in the church. Through events along his journey which confidently affected him, Equality achieved pride in himself and his accomplishments. They are all known to have a good name in their village, and would like to keep it that way. Reputation is one of the major themes in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible". John Proctor refuses to confess his . He did not worry about his reputation anymore; all he wanted was to help people who were accused. In the story The Crucible The characters are more worried about their reputations then the truth. Mrs. Fritz & Mr. Bertelsen The Importance Of Guilt In Arthur Miller's The Crucible Jean-Marie Bonnet states, "For Proctor, his 'name' does not only mean reputation, but truth to oneself and others. Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth, and John Proctor demonstrate the nature of Puritan Idealism and how it affects the decisions they make about their religion, family and self., Coming into the Town of Salem, Massachusetts Reverend Hale illustrates a great deal of confidence with his knowledge and belief of witchcraft in Act I. Hale is known for being an expert on witch craft and as a spiritual doctor. According to Websters dictionary, power is the ability or right to control people or things. Also, according to Websters dictionary authority is the power to give orders or make decisions. And lastly, Websters dictionary tells us that respect is a feeling of admiring someone or something that is good., The Importance Of Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller, In Salem, having a good reputation is extremely important. Miller broke off his friendship with Kazan over this because Miller also was called into a HUAC trial but refused to name others (Epstein). Miller describes the importance of reputation through his characters, Reverend Parris, John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, and Giles Corey. One can have either a respected or shriveled reputation. John Proctor takes his opportunity when it comes upon him instantly and puts on a grade A act. For instance, Holden Caulfield calls many people throughout the novel who he feels has selfish motives phonies. Equivalent to Holden, Wiesel feels the need to prevent people (the phonies) from forgetting the Holocaust. In the play some characters value their reputation and other characters do not seem to care about their reputation as much. A person's reputation is important because it's something that people are going to remember about you when others talk about you. Create an account Decisions made in fear are often more dangerous than the thing being feared. The protectiveness of reputation is uncovered through various characters such as Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, and John . The Crucible was based on the Salem Witch Trials where there was suspicion of witches in Salem which caused many people to be hanged. Amongst this dialog we find that because the hysterical environment of Salem causes persecution of calumny became a common fear of a good, respectable name to be tarnished.. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a partially fictional play about the witch trials that occurred in the 17th Century. Judge Danforth is a judge that is corrupted and will do anything to prove he is in charge, even if it means a bunch of innocent people die by not accepting any evidence that would allow, Reputation Reputation plays a huge role in everyday society. The Puritans truly believed in leading by example and to be a castle on a hill. For the highest individuals in the town to become hysterical over these events, the townspeople became felt they should also be hysterical. In order to preserve his reputation, John Proctor, understandably, keeps silent about the affair. proctor signing the confession but then later choosing to stick to what is right and pay for the Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth, and John Proctor demonstrate the nature of Puritan Idealism and how it affects the decisions they make about their religion, family and self., Readers can interpret The Crucible in many different ways. English 3 "They must be, they are weighted with authority," said Hale very sure of himself (36). In the play Tituba says, I love God with all my bein (Miller 24). Fear very often leads to unexpected and unwanted results. Proctor uttered these lines when his confession was being made public in court. Reputation is dependable upon actions, words, positions, and expected behavior. John Proctors act of tearing up the confession is an act to regain his lost honor and integrity. Hale declared, I am a stranger here, as you know. Reverend Hale's faith and his belief in the individual divide, Why Is Reputation Important In The Crucible. One person can go from firmly rooted in their beliefs to questioning their whole basis of thinking. For example, if a politician makes one bad move, it can end their career for good, which reflects what Parris's fear of losing his place in society because of accusations of witchcraft in his family. The line "because it is my name" is the most memorable line said by John Proctor in the 'The Crucible'. The devil took many things away from Tom, but he didnt let that stop him. He sets his mind to persecuting the citizens, For Reverend Hale the witch hunt in Salem is the scene of a moral journey as he eventually makes a complete turn around in thoughts and beliefs as he is forced to see certain realities. Even though Dimmesdale was already an authority figure in Salem, he was perched on a balcony overlooking his audience. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a clear, Pride, in its definition, is a high or inordinate opinion of ones own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority. The author shows this with all of the feelings, facts and descriptions he uses. Dominique Esponda Mrs. Esposito English Block 3 November 28, 2011 Importance of Reputation In 15th Century England, an Anonymous person once said. Reputation can be viewed as the way you dress,the people you are associated with and sometimes people are given a reputation by the acts of the people in their family. John Proctor is known as a good man with proper principles and integrity., In the play The Crucible there are many themes floating around. His trial is a great example of the unjust trials and convictions of innocent people under the suspicions of being communists during the McCarthy period. For instance, Ann Putnam claims Rebecca Nurse murdered seven babies by sending out her spirit on them (Miller 56). In The Crucible, amongst every other issue, reputation impacts the Puritan and Salem society the most. Rumor Has It In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, reputation plays a very important role. The girls' actions lead the local town's people of Salem in a suspicion of witch-craft when Betty Parris, the daughter of the local minister Reverend Parris, lay in bed one morning not being able to wake. He had to learn how to play the devil and become smarter than him. Dimmesdale was given the job to convince her through the appeal to ethos and pathos, but he had another for wanting her confession. He knows that this is one of the most terrible periods in the history and he tries to help prevent history from repeating itself (Wiesel VII). The quote is made by John Proctor in context to his self-respect, self-worth and reputation. After confessing her sin, she was asked who the father was, but she did not want to give that up. Have you sold yourself to Lucifer?" Importance of Reputation In the Crucible The most prominent philosophical topic in The Crucible is the importance of an individual's name and reputation in a society. One way that you could lessen the punishment is if a person gave HUAC a list of other communists in exchange for his or her freedom. Danforth, Proctor and Giles all have the motive to keep their reputation, even if it kills them. Reputation Is extremely important, where . After a few days of court Hale visits several households without the courts authority, and goes to John Proctors house to have a few words with John and his wife . By the end of Act III and throughout Act IV Rev. The pursuit of a distinguished reputation is not reprehensible in itself, however, excessive ego in oneself makes the pursuit dangerous for oneself and the community. Later, Betty gets sick, and Parris wants the truth, Now tell me true, Abigail. Soon after the trials begin Hale begins to have doubts in the girls. A person's 'name' was equivalent to their reputation and how they were known by everybody. You are accepted by society, and if you dont have a good reputation you will be completely rejected. can affect your life and others around you. I saw Goody Osburn with Devil! When Abigail falsely accused Tituba of witchcraft, Abigail was immediately trusted due to her social rank. Throughout the themes the hunger for power, authority and respect stands out the most in male characters, which are the majority gender in the story. Therefor keeping it clean is extremely important in ones society. John Proctor is a well-known name in the town of Salem, and when he confesses to witch (69)., Once Reverend Parris suspected witchery in the town of Salem he called upon Reverend Hale of Beverly. In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible the actions made to preserve ones reputation are put into moral question. Angered by this critique, he maintains a diplomatic tone throughout the letter. Hale goes through a character change throughout the play. The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. Abigail claims that I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! Tituba, being a, Many people long to be looked up to, admired, and respected. In The crucible, reputation is an important theme because it determines one's ability to follow religious rules.. craft it doesnt sit right with him. It can happen in everyday homes within families for various different reasons. The Importance Of Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller Miller, in his play The Crucible, tells the story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Reverend Hale had executed a witch in his town. He believes himself to be a righteous person who is known for giving fair punishments to those who have done wrong. Much like his so called brothers, he too was once brainwashed by the collectivist community surrounding him. The protectiveness of reputation is necessary in The Crucible to justify yourself when presented with fallacious arguments. The reputation of a man is like his shadow; it sometimes follows and sometimes precedes him, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter than his natural size.(French proverb) Reputation is actions that follow you to whom you're known to be whether it's good or bad. In a Puritan society during the witch hunting era, protecting one's name was more important than telling the truth. On the other hand, Abigail Williams controlled the girls through intimidation, because she was the oldest and she could turn all the other girls against her opponent. The most prominent philosophical topic in, In 1952, the concept of reputation was important because of the HUAC trials. It can affect how people interact with you. Reputation in the Crucible Reputation plays a huge role in everyday society. Reputation can directly correlate with pride, which is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one 's own achievements. Hale began to think for himself by gathering his own research and evidence about who was lying and who was telling the truth, instead of automatically believing what the town, the girls, and the judges said. His first step towards escaping was his discovery of the tunnel where he felt safe from this society; where his mind was not, While he himself is a Puritan, he would want to strive for helping others instead of just helping himself. Using such elements, a tug of war between wanting to survive and wanting to protect their good names is created within each character. Having a reputation, the basic theme of this book, has a great amount of importance in The Crucible. This affects the people of the town on how anyone can be killed no Hale said this after the courts would not listen to him and he was angry at the courts proceedings. People must always act morally, in public and private. Consequently, two hundred people were accused of witchcraft because of this panicked frenzy; of which twenty were executed by hanging and pressing. Holden rebels against respecting widely revered people and Wiesel rebels against the progressing society. The Parriss, a family with high social status during this time, took custody of Abigail after her parents died. Arthur Miller uses Abigail and Dansforth to disclose the egotistical need for the preservation of reputation in these characters. Throughout the play, teenage girls, particularly Abigail Williams, accuse many people, including Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of Abigail's ex-lover, of witchcraft. The townspeople's image within Salem plays a crucial role, as an individual's - John Proctor, Act four, page 133. Among the list were land owners, judges, and two preachers. He relies heavily on the power of the written word and pays no heed to superstition. If you were a preacher, you were the highest official in the town. A persons reputation is important in a town where accusations of witchcraft and other finger pointing determines ones ability to follow religious rules. Wiesel uses a lot of very detailed descriptions and expresses his feelings in a way that we easily start to trust him. The Salem Witch Trials took place 1692 in the colonial town of Salem, Massachusetts. Finally, if you were a judge, you were highly respected. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller makes one of his particular beliefs vehemently clear: the preservation of ones reputation is more important than the preservation of ones life. Blame turned into a use of getting back at one another. I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil (Miller 48)! Significant events throughout the course of the play were used to highlight and illustrate the importance of these themes within the duration of the play. The people in The Crucible know that having a good reputation is extremely important. Reputation is dependable upon actions, words, positions, and expected behavior. Reverend Hale still clearly believed that the Devil was present in Salem, yet logic started to take hold, due to the fact that he was not as adamant about the presence of witches as before. Furthermore, an example of this can be, In the play, The Crucible, and in the Civil Rights movement, Abigail and Dr. King are outliers in their fight for what they want. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller based on actual events that, in 1692, led to the Salem Witch Trials. I am a stranger here, as you know. This theme plays a tremendous role in what the basis of this book is. None of the women who were dancing around the fire would say that they were there dancing. In this play the importance of reputation is revealed though the uses of ethos, logos and pathos. Your reputation can affect what kind of job you are able to get in the world, or even the people that you are involved with. "Reputation can break even the strongest of men, but he is a base man who sacrifices to protect his reputation." They are innocent!"(132). People knew they would die without sacrificing, so they took the easy way out by giving up their self image and confessing to a sin they never committed. There are several ways that Abigail Williams shows her objective of preserving her reputation in the book. His reputation means nothing to him after he sees what terrible events are occurring through Salem because of all the accusations that he was part of. The protagonist, John Proctor, is extremely concerned with how the townspeople view him and does not . In turn, the natural inclination to blame other leads to false accusations and overall mass hysteria., The Crucible is a riveting play written by Arthur Miller detailing the sorrowful event known as the Salem Witch Trials. In The Crucible, some characters will do anything to protect their reputation and others do not seem to worry. Tituba is from Barbados, so she doesnt have the same God as the people of Salem, but if she wanted to live she knew it was better to give up her faith and pretend, rather than hang. While he was walking down he came upon Tituba and the girls dancing around a witchs pot, nude. Your name is something you have with you until you die. said Rev. In a town where reputation plays an important role, many characters in The Crucible fear that the sins of other characters will taunt their name. Naturally, blaming someone else for wrongdoing is an immediate and instinctive reaction. Going back to the quote shared above; if justice anywhere is having some threat to justice everywhere, then a man who believes this ideal should attempt to stop this for the good of. However, because of his position Parris has become very selfish and cares about his reputation in the community more than anything else. Parris is a highly respected man in the society and keeps a pure white name within the government system. During the writing of The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson go to great lengths to describe why the colonies were choosing to separate themselves from Great Britain. You are accepted by society, and if you don't have a good reputation you will be completely rejected. In Act III, Parris lied to Judge Danforth stating that the girls did not dance nude in the forest when in reality, they did. Parris is not the only one who has these traits, Abigail does as well., The citizens of Salem spread many preposterous lies and rumors out of fear and even for their own personal gain. If anything bad were to happen you might not able to bear showing your face around even if others didnt know, because your afraid they would know and judge you based on it, which is why it you do everything in your powers to keep you reputation under control. The importance of a good reputation is a huge theme in The Crucible. Reverend Parris would lose all of his respect and not be accepted by the citizens. In The crucible, reputation is an important theme because it determines one's ability to follow religious rules. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. Your reputation is what precedes you, not just in today's society but, from the beginning of time, your reputation is very important in all aspects, it is a way people can judge you and know a little bit about you before they even introduce themselves to you. Miller wrote, Click here to Watch John Proctor's Confessional Speech. The townspeople are suspecting some of the women in Salem of being witches because the preacher said that he saw dancing around a fire. Arthur Millers conviction was not based on any evidence linking him to communism other than attending a meeting with a group of suspected communist Hollywood writers whom Arthur Miller refused to identify. First, the issue of censorship is brought to light by composing a dystopian where books are illegal and deep thoughts are disregarded. Judge Danforth is the harsh judge of the Salem courtroom. If you owned land, you had power.
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