Importance Of Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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Dominique Esponda Mrs. Esposito English Block 3 November 28, 2011 Importance of Reputation In 15th Century England, an Anonymous person once said. “Reputation can break even the strongest of men, but he is a base man who sacrifices to protect his reputation.” In this quote, the author is expressing that anyone can ruin their reputation, and some people will surrender anything to try to save it. There are many historical events and even works of literature that can prove this statement true. One work consists of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. In Miller’s play, Abigail and Reverend Parris are both “base” people who find it necessary to defend their image and act immorally to protect their reputation because if not, they will be seen as a follower of the devil and may be hanged. In the Puritan colonies in 1692, the muffled cry of…show more content…
When Parris finds that Betty will not wake, he is quick to interrogate Abigail about the girls performing “witchcraft” in the woods last night. He studies her, then nods, half convinced: “ 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… your name in the town- it is entirely white, Is it not?” (1039-1040) What Reverend Parris is trying to say is that he has been waiting to gain respect from the villagers for a long time and will go as far as sacrificing his own blood to defend his image even if it means ruining theirs. Throughout the play, the Crucible, Abigail and Reverend Parris remain “base” characters who make sacrifices to protect their reputations for themselves and their image. Both characters go to extreme lengths and through many obstacles, they also went as far as ignoring and sacrificing those they loved to make sure they do not hurt the image they have worked years to
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