Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" Church and State Do Not Mix
Theocracy is defined as a government whose leaders are thought to be guided by a divine influence. The Crucible is not only an illustration of Arthur Miller's opposition to theocracy, but a reminder that we cannot successfully mix religion and state. No religion is objective enough to be applied to the governing of a country. If the town's law is God's law, then every infraction of the law has to be considered a sin. Arthur Miller, who was subjected to a modern-day witch hunt, knew firsthand that when fear of the unknown and ignorance dominates a governing body, the result can be destructive and chaotic. The setting for The Crucible is Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. At that time, the colonies in America had become fairly strong and self-sufficient. However, the colonists were still living under a strict set of rules that had been in place since their initial arrival. The individuals who held political power in each township and community were also the spiritual leaders. Because it probably took a high level of cooperation to survive through the original settling of the colonies, everyone adhered to this system, and agreed to keep watch on their neighbors for any inappropriate behavior. By this time in Salem, some people
Judge Danforth, deputy governor of Massachusetts, had the power to stop the accusations before hysteria set in, but did not because he was determined to do his job. He confirmed that violating any rules or laws was the same as defying God, saying, "You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road in between"(Act III). In other words, you either believe in and abide by the law or you are on the side of evil. The web of deceit that is woven in this play starts with John Proctor, one of Miller's main characters, who has had an affair with Abigail, one of the young women accused of witchcraft. Abigail accuses Proctor's wife of being a witch, because Abigail has been rejected by Proctor. Proctor knows that Abigail is lying out of spite, but cannot reveal the affair. John Putnam holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for not allowing Putnam's brother to become minister of the town. Putnam and his wife Ann, who have lost seven infants, accuse Francis Nurse's wife of witchcraft. Ann Putnam decides that witchcraft must have been involved in the death of her children. The consequences of this spiraling chaos is that the truth is totally compromised, innocent people are punished and reputations are destroyed. Opportunistic people, like John Putnam, cash in on others' misfortunes, and people become paranoid and hysterical. Arthur Miller's message
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Approximate Word count = 958
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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