The Crucible - fear and suspicion Essays -- Essay on The Crucible

In the Crucible, Arthur miller shows us how fear and scruple raftdestroy a community.As the play develops, Miller shows us how fear and qualm increaseand destroy the community. Throughout the play it becomes plainthat the community gets more and more divided as time goes on. In the havening there were arguments about ownership of land between few ofthe villagers. As the story progresses hoi polloi fear for their ownsafety and begin accusing their neighbours of witchcraft in order toescape macrocosm hanged.capital of Oregon became overrun by the hysteria of witchcraft. Mere suspicionitself was accepted as evidence. As a Satan-fearing community, theycould not think of denying the evidence, because to deny the existenceof crime was to deny the existence of goodness which was God.In the 17th century a group of Puritans migrated from England toAmerica - the land of dreams - to escape persecution for theirreligious beliefs.As Arthur Miller tells us in the introduction to Act 1 no one canreally know what their lives were like. We would never be able toimagine a life with no novelists and their creed forbade anythingresembling a theatre or vain entertainment. They didnt commemorateChristmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they mustconcentrate steady more upon prayer. They led a very austere and bleaklife.The people of Salem - from which the audience derive their good andevil characters - were superstitious and passing religious, and theirTheocratic form of government offered them security and unity.However, this strong religious land in like manner offered the option touse it misguidedly to promote the evil of false accusations. The prodigal and blind religious fanaticism... ...n 1947 but a year later in 1958his conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court.The play is relevant to any edict destroyed by fear, suspicion,paranoia and accusation - other societies where something similar hashappened include eastern United States Germany under commun ism after World War 2,Afghanistan under the Taliban and china under the Cultural Revolutionwhen the Red Guards would decry people for being bourgeoisreactionaries.In conclusion I think that the ideas of fear and suspicion appearthroughout the play. Initially the suspicion starts on a miniature scalebut gradually develops and destroys the community. The fear of thedevil at the start out extends and includes fear of others andneighbours but when the court comes into action the community are alsoafraid of the court. All the fears and suspicion mounts up and thecommunity is thrown into turmoil.