The Crucible Theme

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In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, pride played an important role. Many events in Salem took place because of pride. Pride caused innocent people to be put to death by the accusations of the convincing children of Salem.
The pride of some characters caused information concealment. Parris feared that Abigail’s increasingly questionable actions and the hints of witchcraft surrounding his daughter’s coma will threaten his reputation and force him from the pulpit. “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.”(12) His pride makes him cover up the truth about what he saw in the woods. Parris could have said something about what the girls where doing so people would not have assumed that the girls’ sickness was due to witchcraft. John Proctor also wanted to keep his good name from being destroyed. Early in the play, he had a chance to put a stop to the girls’ accusations, but his desire to preserve his reputation keeps him from testifying against Abigail.
In addition to concealment of information, the pride of some of the condemned people caused them not to confess their “crime” and in doing so, receive the punishment of death. At the end of the play, Proctor’s desire to keep his good name leads him to make the choice not to make a false confession and to go to his death without signing his name on a statement. “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(150) Proctor cried in act four. By refusing to give up his name, he redeemed himself for his earlier failure and died with Pride. Various characters based their actions on the desire to protect their name. Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey also hanged because they did not confess.
Pride caused important men in the community to hide information, and convince the convicted not
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