How are women portrayed in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”? Essay

In Arthur Millers The melting pot, we be faced with an interesting psychological question What would happen if the net hearty rank reach world-beater? After any, in the term of the Salem witch trials, women suffered because of their low rank and were expected to submit themselves to men. However, preferably of portraying strong female figures, which combat popdated beliefs of a cleaning womans duty, this play casts women as weak creatures whose only access to condition is through and through dishonesty and manipulation.Although Millers portrayal of women seems to fit with the prejudices against them of the time, the family-oriented women who preserve honest throughout the play possess less power than the undivided female teenagers who wantonly sentence people to death. Elizabeth Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are two of the least powerful women in The Crucible, while Abigail Williams relishes her newfound power, come acrossed by acc exploitation unobjectionable citizens of practicing witchery. Both Elizabeth and Rebecca dutifully serve their families, and the fraternity that ultimately betrays them.Although Elizabeth never confesses to witchcraft, only the circumstance that she is pregnant saves her. As the prude leaders would never sentence an innocent unborn baby to death, Elizabeths life is spared until its birth. Rebecca Nurse, on the different hand, is eventually executed despite the occurrence that she always presented herself as an upright, God-fearing woman. However, the honest accused were more a great deal than not the ones who lost their lives during both this period and the McCarthy era that the book serves as a commentary on, as they were not willing to confess to a crime they did not commit. For these reasons, one could argue that Miller agreed with the misogynistic prejudices prevalent in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Women with power only use it for vile those suppressed by men remain good and honest.Abigail doesnt gravel to Pur itan ideals, instead following her narcissistic desires she pursues and seduces Proctor, even though this is a sin for which she should be repentant, according to the Puritanical mindset of the times. The teenage girls who incorporate the low social rank who come to power are amazingly one-dimensional, seemingly driven only by their feelings. Since the play plenty be read as an allegory to the anti-Communist investigations during theMcCarthy era, perhaps their characters arent fully fleshed out because they only serve the play as villains, a parallel to those in the McCarthy era who accused others of being Communists. Miller simply wants to portray them as people who are motivated solely by their own selfish gain. The entire ordeal delivers a misogynistic undertone of a womans only interest being a man, as Abigail is willing to consecrate the lives of innocent people to be with John Proctor.However, at the same time, it underlines the fact that people during the McCarthy era wer e only interested in benefitting themselves, and had no construe for the consequences of their actions. The prime example of this is Abigail Williams, a main character in the play. She resents Elizabeth Proctor, win over she is the only thing keeping her apart from John Proctor, with whom she had a privy(p) affair1. In fact, the events in the play are all set in motion by this hatred, as she persuades Tituba to engage in the practice of witchcraft with her and her friends and, after being discovered and accused, realizes that blaming different people of practicing witchcraft can effectively remove them from society, as this is basically a death sentence. She wields this power to deflect all tap onto Tituba and several of Salems other second-class citizens.2 Once reproached by the community for rumors of her adultery, she now accuses them of a far worse sin devil-worship. One would remember this character would admit a rich backstory and complex personality Abigails motivation never seems to grow beyond simple jealousy of Proctors wife and a desire for revenge against her, with no remorse for the 19 innocent people whom she sentenced to death. Mary Warren serves as a counterpoint to Abigail. Although she causes a lot of harm and sends people to their deaths as well, she does not do so out of malice, but rather because of her weak and subservient nature.She is convinced by Abigail to participate in accusing people of practicing witchcraft, but feels guilty for causation their deaths. When Proctor is furious over the arrest of his wife, she agrees to confess to lying virtually her accusations, however revokes her confession when Abigail accuses Proctor of witchcraft. Mary always sides with the stronger power, too faltering to oppose it, thereby both representing the weak-willed people of Salem and symbolizing the McCarthy era.Ann Putnam isnt weak, but she is described as weak-minded, introduced as atwisted sense of forty-five, a death-ridden woman, hau nted by dreams.3 Multiple stillbirths have most potential caused this mental instability.4 While other people are trying to come up the identities of those involved in witchcraft, she frequently suggests names so that others can blame them, and constantly analyzes other peoples actions.5 She also causes panic through a show of fear and anxiety, as well as using false information to influence others.Lastly, Tituba is part of an even lower social rank than Abigail and her friends, as she is a house slave. Although she admits to practicing witchcraft, her fate is never revealed. This ambiguity over what happens to her emphasizes that whether these girls are witches or not is not actually important.When analyzing all major female characters, it becomes clear that Miller portrays women as behaving rashly and irrationally when they are in a powerful position. Abigail Williams uses it to eliminate enemies, only to attain the love of a man, while Ann Putnam paranoidly accuses people of wi tchcraft to explain the deaths of her unborn children. Worst of all is Mary Warren, who is so gutless and unable to think for herself, that she just bends to the strongest will.