Abigail’s greed was the most destructive to the outcome of this story. She destroyed most people’s reputation in the town. Many innocent people are hanged for crimes they did not commit including John Proctor. Abigail wanted to get rid of John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth, and Elizabeth was charged with consorting with the devil. Abigail new the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging and carried out her accusation so that she and Jon could “dance upon her grave together.”(Act 3) John Proctor is also charged with witch craft; he had a choice of lying about consorting with the devil or keeping his integrity.
This guilt weakened Dimmesdale and eventually lead to his death. The society of the town escalated in corruption throughout the book. At first the town actually had morals and would follow them, but near the end of the book, the town people had dropped their morals and standards and had become Satan worshipers who praised pastors committing adultery. In conclusion, Through the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne shows how the puritans ironically viewed sin hypocritically and gave consequences for it unjustfully, how the end result of a victim of sin can end up good, and how dangerous sin can be when it affects people's lives and society's
Because Hester committed adultery, “on the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A” (Hawthorne 35). It was sewn onto her gown for everyone to recognize that she was a sinner. “It was, in short, the platform of the pillory…so fashioned as to confine the human head in its tight grasp, and thus hold it up to the public to gaze” (Hawthorne 37) that she stood and was again publicly ridiculed. This punishment was “the very ideal of ignominy” (Hawthorne 37). During his arrest and trial from possession and abuse of drugs, like Hester, news of Robert Downey Jr.’s actions was quickly spread.
This vindictive hatred from Abigail soon prompts a witch hunt involving many innocent people: “Twelve have already hanged for the same crime.” While many panics, John Procter knows this from the start ; “this is a whore’s vengeance”. He tersely identifies the main cause for the witch trials to be directly linked with a spurned lover, who has become disemployed by Procter after having a brief extra-marital affair with her. Still overwhelmed with lustful feelings for John Procter, Abigail decides to manipulate the situation by accusing innocent people of witchcraft, to achieve her own revengeful goal. Abigail is not the only one who takes advantage of the witch trials, to accomplish their revenge. Thomas and Ann Putnam, as a resentful and greedy couple, will take it out on anyone who has caused them trouble.
Haley Houston October 3, 2013 Honors English 11, Per. 3A Analysis Essay The Evil of Jealousy and Lust Much of the evil in today’s world is driven by jealousy and lust. Affairs occur often, students betray each other in order to get something they desire, and many young girls like Elizabeth Smart have been kidnapped and raped because of that unreasonable lust. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller describes a young group of girls as they wrongly accuse many of witchcraft in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. One of the girls, Abigail Williams, is the cause of all wrong accusations and innocent deaths in Salem, thus making her the antagonist of the play.
(83) John Proctor and a select group of the persecuted people from Salem were against the teachings of the church, thus leading to them being persecuted by Rev. Parris and the church. The Church of Salem and more specifically Rev. Parris were disliked by the community, because of the strict rules and judgment of the church on the individuals of the community. The Crucible, by Author Miller conveys the message of fear and paranoia of witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts.
Everyone knows Hester because of the sin she committed and everyone knows her punishment, the letter A on her chest. She of course, does not like all this negative attention because it is affecting her lifestyle and the lifestyle of her child, Pearl. Early in the third chapter a man asks a townsman who Hester is. The townsman replies, “‘You must needs be a stranger in this region, friend, else you would surely have heard of Mistress Hester Prynne, and her evil doings’” (Hawthorne pg. 57).In the market place, people criticize Hester as she emerges from the prison door and makes her way to the scaffold to be publicly condemned.
Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, deals with a never-ending theme of sin. Hester Prynne is being publicly ridiculed for committing adultery and has to wear a red scarlet letter due to her sin. She also has a daughter with the name of pearl who is believed to be evil and also symbolizes Hester’s sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne, allows the reader to interpret the scarlet letter in his novel in many different ways.
Nathaniel Hawthorne goes into depth about sins that most people don’t want to hear about. During the time period of The Scarlet Letter, adultery was extremely frowned upon, and was punishable by death. Dimmesdale kept the guilt and the pain of what he had done bundled up inside; Hester`s sin was brought to light she stood on a scaffold alone as people watched; Chillingworth was letting his anger and hatred control his very being. Hester along with her baby had nothing else to do, but stand and watch as her lover stood by. As she was tried for the very thing he should be tried for.
Arthur Millar’s The Crucible, like the historical Salem witch trials, is rooted in betrayal. The tragic tale tells of the betrayal of others, the betrayal of expectations, and in the eyes of the puritans, the betrayal of God. Naturally, when we think of The Crucible we think of the betrayal of others. This is the tragedy of the play, when the townsfolk of Salem betray their neighbors and friends. However to best understand the true tragedy of