Corrie Pruiett
Mrs. Smiddy
English III 3rd
15 October 2014
Block
Natural Fear
Fear is a natural part of the Human species, everyone finds something that they are
fearful of during their lifetime. Fear is what revolves around Arthur Miller's play The Crucible,
where people are in a constant change because of fear. The Crucible demonstrates the struggles
of old unknown problems causing fear in new places not regularly visited by Puritans. Fear has
been a big part of any society new or old and has crippled many that have encountered it.
People, especially in The Crucible, let fear lead them down dark paths. "My name, he
wants my name. "I'll murder you," he says, "if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the
court," he says!"(p.124) Mary Warren let fear shape her, she feared being accused of witchcraft
and getting brought to trial in an open court. The easiest to pass the blame to was Proctor since
he made her come, now Proctor is fearful of what the trials might lead to in the town. "A fire, a
fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours,
Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail
now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud--God damns our kind especially,
and we will burn, we will burn together!"(p.125) Proctor snapped during an open court session
and let fear and anger get to him. "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I
cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it's God's work I do."(p.120) Fear can make people jump places
and change a lot of things just as Abigail jumps from story to story. Abigail tries to stop people
from suspecting her of participating in witchcraft so she can go back to being a victim and out of
hot water. Anger is just as big of a motivating factor as fear in The Crucible, once the actual
victims understand what's...