Scapegoating in the crucible. Scapegoating In The Crucible 2022-10-05

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Scapegoating is the act of blaming a person or group for problems that are not their fault. It is a tactic that has been used throughout history to deflect attention away from the real causes of problems and to shift blame onto an innocent party. In Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," scapegoating is a major theme that is used to illustrate the dangers of allowing fear and suspicion to control society.

The play is set in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s. At the time, Salem was a deeply religious and superstitious community, and the fear of witchcraft was prevalent. When a group of young girls are caught dancing in the woods, they accuse several members of the town of being witches in order to deflect attention away from their own wrongdoing. This sets off a chain reaction, as more and more people are accused and forced to stand trial for witchcraft.

Throughout the play, we see how the characters use scapegoating as a way to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions. Abigail Williams, one of the main accusers, uses the fear of witches to deflect attention away from her own affair with John Proctor, a married man. Similarly, the town officials use the accusations of witchcraft to distract from their own corruption and greed.

The consequences of scapegoating are severe and far-reaching. Many of the characters in the play are falsely accused and face dire consequences, including imprisonment and execution. The Salem Witch Trials became a symbol of the dangers of allowing fear and suspicion to control society, and the play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of scapegoating.

In today's society, we can see examples of scapegoating in many different contexts. For example, politicians may blame a particular group for social or economic problems in order to deflect attention away from their own failures. Similarly, individuals may blame others for their own mistakes or shortcomings.

The act of scapegoating may offer a temporary solution to a problem, but it ultimately does more harm than good. It allows the real causes of problems to go unaddressed and can lead to the persecution of innocent people. In order to create a just and fair society, it is important that we recognize the dangers of scapegoating and work to address the root causes of problems rather than blaming innocent parties.

Scapegoats in the crucible Free Essays

scapegoating in the crucible

Many of the scapegoats in the play can attribute the blame they receive to the antagonist, Abigail Williams. The Ku Klux Klan was a secret organization that used terrorist tactics in an attempt to restore white supremacy in Southern states after the Civil war. Accusations of the innocent, many times it was people powerful people not just normal towns people but people with wealth that made them be more powerful were not fond of. Miller show this by incorporating McCarthyism that was going on during his time period in the 1950s when he wrote the play. To scapegoat is to blame an innocent person for wrongdoings especially out of spite or expediency. There are many characters in the Crucible who are guilty of taking innocent lives, but there are three major characters who, without a doubt, are the most at blame. All three of these eras have intolerance, hysteria, reputation, and empowerment woven throughout them.

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Theme Of Scapegoating In The Crucible

scapegoating in the crucible

Arthur Miller centralizes the idea of McCarthyism and the events play out as a result. . Elizabeth Proctor, his wife that during the time had been sick at bed rest discovered the affair and fired Abigail. This left Elizabeth feeling doubtful of John. The accused were either jailed or hanged. A woman with land in that time would be a threat to any man because women were not supposed to own land. Rhetorical Devices In The Crucible 478 Words 2 Pages The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a surprising story of a town plagued by the belief that witches have invaded the streets of Salem, Massachusetts.

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Examples Of Scapegoats In The Crucible And Mccarthyism

scapegoating in the crucible

Tituba was questioned and she mentioned witch conspiracies in Salem. Its not surprising however, since he strongly believes in witchcraft as well, since the death of his seven children as well. The Theme Of Revenge In The Crucible 388 Words 2 Pages In the play The Crucible, character such as Abigail and Thomas Putnam seek revenge from others, so much so that it becomes and recurring theme throughout the play. Abigail feared being accused of witchcraft, so she accused others of witchcraft. Many situations have a scapegoat that people need to blame to help them deal with their problems.

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Examples Of Scapegoats In The Crucible

scapegoating in the crucible

Although some believe that vengeance is the main purpose, it is actually scapegoating. People who don't conform aren't trusted. Throughout history people have always searched for someone to blame in order to feel less of a threat even if the scapegoat was falsely accused. Miller 22 as he has moved on and is trying to live a more righteous life. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! Throughout the play he also hit on a major idea during the time which was known as McCarthyism, where Arthur miller himself was accused Essay about The Fear of the Noose in The Crucible by Arthur Miller issue in the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller. These three examples all relate to scapegoating because they all discriminate and place blame of something the community cannot control on a specific group of people. Elizabeth is John Proctors wife, who Abigail sees as the wall in between John and her.

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The Crucible: Is Scapegoating The Solution?

scapegoating in the crucible

Miller saw the similarities of Salem and Red Scare fear of Communism in the United States. People often deal with Betrayal through out everyday life. The Jews were victims of the horrendous practice of scapegoating. During this time, people were being accused of practicing witchcraft and conjuring with the devil. There are two examples of Ad hominem from The Crucible in Act 2 and Act 3. However, this theocracy enabled religious individuals to further their motive of power by dictating the lives of others. Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr.

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The Crucible Scapegoats Analysis

scapegoating in the crucible

When John Proctor went to court, the girls pretended that he was the devil. In the Crucible, Salem had become paranoid so Abigail Williams was easily capable of causing arrests and deaths without proof. One scared African American told me in an interview that members of the Klan had even been harassing their three year old daughters. She participates in infidelity and constructs a web of lies. The main points of the play was Weakness, Courage, and Truth.


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What Is The Scapegoat In The Crucible

scapegoating in the crucible

She was brainwashed to think he would leave his wife for her. Members of the KKK were paid to recruit new members into their group of secret rituals and racial violence. Abigail Williams is the main character of the play and acts with an utter selfishness and obsession. This was new and terrifying, and of course the only explanation the Puritans could offer was witchcraft. This is a great example of Macbeth killing when feeling threatened. People start looking around for essentially human sacrifices.

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Scapegoating In The Crucible Essay

scapegoating in the crucible

The Klu Klux Klan were an extremist group that were against the African American. Uncle Reverend Parris caught Abigail doing witchcraft in the woods, but instead she lies about it. Well, in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the Puritans were a society who loved and feared God equally. Not only did she relieve herself of becoming a suspect, she was able to blame someone that was an easy target and did not have much of a say in her defence. Examples Of Abigail Williams In The Crucible 756 Words 4 Pages Abigail believed that Proctor actually loved her and she waited every night for him. A variety of human nature aspects can be used to describe different contemporary issues in today's society. The courts could have known that the girls were lying but continued the murders to obtain the money of the people.

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Scapegoats In The Crucible

scapegoating in the crucible

Hitler further emphasized his anti-Semitic feelings by passing the Nuremberg Laws. Abigail perfectly embodies the theme of scapegoating by betraying friends and family to slip under the scrutinizing eyes of her town. How may I live without my name? With the use of heavy dramatic irony, those that encounter the story experience frustration as the result of many innocent townsfolk being condemned to death. The theme of the importance of name will become apparent by studying John Proctor and Abigail Pursuit Of Power In The Crucible 293 Words 2 Pages The pursuit of power outweighs moral motives causing the manipulation of fear and its detrimental consequences. Also the end of the Civil war is a very significant part of history.


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