The Crucible Reputation Essay

Reputation; what significance does this one word have that a Spanish proverb states, “He who has lost his reputation is a dead man among the living”? According to the townspeople in theocratic Salem, an individual was to become prestigious and sacrifice everything for a good name. There was no such thing as private moralities, instead, a person’s reputation was a public matter showcased for the town to judge and discern. Nothing is more unimaginable than having to lose an influential position. Throughout the play “The Crucible”, individuals base their actions on safeguarding or earning a standing. Miller uses the characterization of Reverend Parris and John Proctor to demonstrate that when one exclusively focuses on the preservation of their reputation, one is more likely t o use outrageous actions and deception to hide one’s faults.

In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible preserving one’s reputation is a major theme. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, revolving around witch trials in 1693. In the play there are two men, John Proctor and Giles Corey, whom of which both try to protect their good name and reputation. Throughout the play they portray the idea of protecting their reputations.

In the book, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is an orphan and under the care of her uncle, Reverend Parris. Abigail is portrayed as a liar when she accuses her friends of witchcraft and blames them for crimes they have not committed. One example of Abigail’s foolish actions is when she and John Proctor have an affair behind Elizabeth’s back, John’s wife. Elizabeth finds out and does not want John seeing Abigail. Abigail takes matters into her own hands when she tells the court judge that Elizabeth Proctor is a witch. Abigail does this so Elizabeth will be arrested and eventually killed and Abigail can have John all to herself. Abigail’s actions affect people around her when she accuses them of witchcraft. Abigail is motivated by lust, and she

The reasons for keeping a good reputation should not result to sinning. Abigail had an affair with Proctor, but did not want the consequences of guilt and shame. She wanted Proctor for herself. She shifts the focus off of her and starts accusing others of witchcraft. Her actions killed many innocent people. She threatened the girls to be silent while she went along with her plan with violence. She even slapped Betty for stating her actions of trying to kill Proctor's wife.

One major them in The Crucible is reputation. In Salem, there is not a lot of differentiation between public and private matters which makes the witchcraft trials and the Proctor’s marriage more public than anyone would like. While the trials are technically public information it gets more public as the community finds out. People are almost obsessed with keeping a picture-perfect reputation and fear of being guilty by association. For example, when Abigail first started speaking about the adultery committed between her and John he refused to testify as a precaution to keep his name from being tarnished.

Arthur Miller used the Salem witch trials to shed light on what was happening in his times. Living in political distress, Arthur Miller wrote the play that resonated with not only America but the world itself. On the surface “The Crucible” is simply a play about the Salem witch trails. However, Arthur was trying to communicate something bigger to us as the audience. The Crucible” warns us that just because those authoritative figures have power, it does not necessarily mean they are always right.

Have you ever done something that might hurt your good reputation that you wouldn’t want anyone who you cared about to know what you did; and will lie and do just about anything just to make sure they think of you as this perfect person. Well, in the play THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller; a group of little girls were caught in the woods committing witchcraft and so they lied and blamed other people just so that their names would go back to being pure. Their lies cost the lives of a lot of people. Arthur Miller is trying to communicate that these characters will do anything to keep their name good in the village.

“The arrogant are wise in their own eyes, but the wise will recognize their lies” (Anonymous). This quote accurately describes how the events in the Salem Witch Trials unfolded. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, places the reader into the city of Salem, Massachusetts. Arthur Miller tells a fictional story based on real events of how people who were wise in their own eyes used others to better themselves in a community based on honesty. Three characters from the story stand apart in their arrogance. Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Parris were conceited and cared only about their personal gains. These characters used their power to blame, but not to be blamed or accused of alleged witchcraft which resulted in the deaths of several townspeople. Arthur Miller used these characters to illustrate how simple lies and rumors can spread and become an unstoppable force. With these simple but powerful accusations, well respected citizens soon became the targets of these characters manipulation.

When talking of the crucible, Abigail tries to let people know that her and John Proctor had an affair, and Proctor immediately denies it. He can’t risk hurting his reputation with a mistake that he made himself. He should have just confessed, people would have forgave him if he would have confessed, but he chose not

Arthur Miller wrote the play The Crucible in 1953. The Crucible takes place in the late 1600`s around a town called Salem in Massachusetts. Miller went to Salem and acquired historical documents about the Salem witch trials and used the real people's diaries and other writings to gather information on what happened and how it happened. He also used the information to create interesting and real characters that would grab and hold audiences attention. His most memorable characters, Abigail Williams and John Proctor, are really the center pieces of the play. Although Abby and Proctor in The Crucible seem like polar opposites, they are however one in the same as they use different methods to reach an unlikely bet yet common goal proving how in common they really are.

In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem, Massachusetts prove time and time again that they care more about their reputations than the events that are taking place and how these events are affecting the people around them. Having a good reputation can be a good thing but when being concerned about your reputation clouds your judgement, that is when it becomes a dilemma. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses having a good reputation, the character of Parris, and how reputation and The Crucible tie into modern life to enlighten the reader that even though having a good reputation is great, it should not cloud one’s ability to see the harm they are doing to others.

One of his plays “The Crucible” was based on the true event that happened in Salem, Massachusetts during the spring of 1692. During this time religion was really strict on what you can and cannot do in the eyes of the lord. This group of girls claimed that the devil possessed them; due to this accusation a wave of hysteria was placed. Due to the hysteria being placed hundreds of people got slaughtered in fear that devil would slaughter the rest of them. According to (Miller, 1996) Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” was an act of desperation due to his fears of being name a covert communist during the red hunt during 1950s. While researching the events of the Salem witch trial he found himself relating to John Proctor because “in spite of an imperfect character,

In the story The Crucible, many characters carry very much about their reputation. Especially John Procter. I think being a truthful person is much more important than your reputation, but to the characters in The Crucible, their reputation matters to them more than the truth does.

“Reputation is important in the theocratic Salem, where public and private moralities are one and the same. Focused on maintaining public reputation, the townsfolk of Salem must fear that the sins of their friends and associates will taint their names.” “Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something”

Reputation is extremely important in a town where social standing is tied to one’s ability to follow religious rules. Your good name is the only way you can get other people to do business with you or even get a fair hearing. Of course, reputation meant nothing when a witchcraft accusation was staring you in the face. But reputation is what made the Reverend hale begin to doubt whether the accused individuals were actually guilty. And it was for the sake of his reputation and his friends’ reputations that John Proctor refused to sign a false confession. He would, quite literally, rather die. Although John Proctor goes to his death falsely condemned as a witch, he gains his reputation and respect among those who matter, like his wife, because he refuses to falsely identify his friends and neighbours as witches. The loss of Abigail’s reputation toward the end of the play shows that characters in The Crucible eventually earn the reputations they deserve, despite the personal tragedies that might take place along the way. Having a good reputation is very important in The Crucible. It means you can be accepted by society. If you do not have a good name, you will be completely rejected. John Proctor would no longer be thought of a morally straight and righteous person. Reverend Parris would lose all his respect and not be accepted by society. Judge Danforth would be constantly questioned and lose his job. Keeping and maintaining your good name is an overwhelming theme in The