In The Crucible (1953), a four-act play, Miller's scene is Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692 ad the action is based on the witchcraft trials of that time. In “A Note on the Historical Accuracy of This Play,” Miller says: “This play is not history in the sense […] used by the academic historian,” for “dramatic purposes” prompted certain changes in the record. Nevertheless, Miller believes the “reader will discover here the essential nature” of the Salem trials (Miller, in: Murray: 1967, p. 52).
This quote describes the truth in an appropriate short way. The following analysis of the main characters has not the aim to offer the reader a n adequate historical overview, nor to work as an outline to present the details of the people who lived in Salem in 1692. The aim is in fact to characterize and interpret the protagonists, as Miller did it in his day, and through this, to expose the development of their sense of morality and their pursuit of freedom, especially of John Proctor. To reach that aim the focus will be on John Proctors internal state of mind concerning his contradictory behavior. This means his strengthening of his will and his conviction of what is wrong and right. The reader will find a development of his comprehension of his 'self' among emotional alterations, which matters a lot in Miller's dramas, as much as social behavior and religious crises. Those crises start a chain of events, which do most notably peak in Proctor's quest for identity and the dramatic finding of it.
Through information given in the dialogues in Miller's play The Crucible will the reader be told about the answers to the question, what the influences were that the main characters had on John Proctor. After the analysis of the protagonists a special analysis of John Proctor takes place which has the aim to describe his search for identity and resume and evaluate it in a conclusion in the end. Due to the mentioned focus on the finding of Proctor's 'self' there will be no explicit study of historical backgrounds of the Salem witchcraft trials per se. And due to the lack of space in this study will there be no further analysis of further plays of Miller or his way of narrating plays in general. The the text will shortly be about characterizations of the main roles in Arthur Miller's The Crucible, with focus on John Proctor's view of morality and his 'self'. And a conclusion. As Bigsby (2005: p. 158) said before: “The Crucible is both an intense psychological [...].
Inhaltsverzeichnis
1. Introduction
2. Characterizations
2.1 Reverend Samuel Parris
2.2 Abigail Williams
2.3 Elizabeth Proctor
2.4 Deputy-Governor Danforth
3. John Proctor as the Protagonist
3.1 John Procor's Search for His 'Self'
4. Conclusion
Zielsetzung & Themen
Diese Arbeit untersucht die Charakterisierung von Moral und Werten in Arthur Millers Drama "The Crucible", mit einem spezifischen Fokus auf die Suche des Protagonisten John Proctor nach Identität und Selbstwert im Kontext gesellschaftlicher Krisen.
- Analyse der moralischen Entwicklung und Integrität von John Proctor
- Charakterstudien wichtiger Figuren wie Parris, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Proctor und Danforth
- Untersuchung des Spannungsfeldes zwischen privatem Selbst und öffentlicher Rolle
- Interpretation der gesellschaftlichen und religiösen Einflüsse auf die Identitätsbildung
- Reflektion der psychologischen Tiefe in Millers Darstellung menschlicher Krisen
Auszug aus dem Buch
John Proctor as the Protagonist
It be obvious that as John Proctor is the central character of The Crucible even the shortest outline of his essential characteristics would repeat much of the material of the play. A few particularly interesting features only, therefore, will be explored here. The reader is told to keep in mind that it is all written down to explain and sum up the most important circumstances and developments concerning his journey of finding his 'self'. Even the characters which were described in the upper lines are very important to understand the entire background and relationships between good and evil behavior and decisions made through each type of inhabitant of the community. Excluding anybody who is significant and unique in his or her behavior, would mean a great loss of comprehension.
The following lines are a description and analysis of John Proctor which should lead o the aim of understanding his reasons and the backgrounds of his development of his 'self' and why and how he transformed this way and not another. First of all there will be an introduction of him and his way of life. Than his wife, Abigail and other important characters will be included to describe fully what the aspects of his development are.
Proctor, the farmer in his middle 30s, is the key "peg" on which Miller suspends his tragic view of the human condition. Proctor is the good man, with a fatal flaw, in a fundamentally alien and hostile society: ironically, and bitterly, in a society allegedly based on the highest moral and ethical principles. It is through Proctor that this society is exposed: his isolation within it and his rising above it on matters of principle make the tragedy yield its strongest irony – the sinner is less sinful and less criminal than his religious and judicial superiors because he has integrity, is not bigoted, and has an inner high morality by which he lives and for which he is prepared to die.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
1. Introduction: Dieses Kapitel legt den Fokus der Analyse auf die Charakterisierung und Identitätssuche der Protagonisten in Arthur Millers Werk.
2. Characterizations: Hier werden die zentralen Figuren Reverend Parris, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Proctor und Deputy-Governor Danforth hinsichtlich ihrer moralischen Haltung und Funktion im Drama untersucht.
3. John Proctor as the Protagonist: Dieses Kapitel analysiert John Proctors Charakter als tragische Heldenfigur und die Bedeutung seiner persönlichen Integrität.
3.1 John Procor's Search for His 'Self': Der Unterpunkt beleuchtet den psychologischen Identitätsprozess Proctors angesichts gesellschaftlicher Repression und moralischer Verantwortung.
4. Conclusion: Das Fazit fasst die Ergebnisse der Charakteranalysen zusammen und unterstreicht die Komplexität der Identitätssuche im Spannungsfeld zwischen Privatleben und öffentlichem Druck.
Schlüsselwörter
The Crucible, Arthur Miller, John Proctor, Identität, Moral, Integrität, Salem, Hexenprozesse, Puritanismus, Charakterisierung, Selbstwert, Gesellschaftskritik, Individuum, psychologisches Drama, Machtstruktur
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Worum geht es in dieser wissenschaftlichen Arbeit?
Die Arbeit untersucht die moralischen Werte und die Identitätssuche der Hauptfiguren in Arthur Millers Drama "The Crucible", mit einem besonderen Schwerpunkt auf der Figur des John Proctor.
Was sind die zentralen Themenfelder der Analyse?
Zentrale Themen sind die menschliche Moral, der Konflikt zwischen privatem Selbst und öffentlicher Identität, die zerstörerische Kraft des Puritanismus sowie die Integrität des Einzelnen in einer krisenhaften Gesellschaft.
Was ist das primäre Ziel oder die Forschungsfrage?
Das Hauptziel ist es, die Entwicklung von John Proctors Identität und sein Streben nach einem authentischen "Selbst" vor dem Hintergrund gesellschaftlicher Verfolgung und moralischer Spannungen zu interpretieren.
Welche wissenschaftliche Methode wird verwendet?
Es handelt sich um eine literaturwissenschaftliche Analyse, die den Text des Dramas sowie relevante Sekundärliteratur heranzieht, um Charakterisierungen und thematische Motive auszuarbeiten.
Was wird im Hauptteil der Arbeit behandelt?
Der Hauptteil gliedert sich in eine detaillierte Charakterisierung der Schlüsselfiguren und eine spezifische Untersuchung von John Proctor als Protagonist und dessen Weg zur Identitätsfindung.
Welche Schlüsselwörter charakterisieren die Arbeit am besten?
Die wichtigsten Begriffe sind "The Crucible", Arthur Miller, John Proctor, Identität, Moral, Integrität, Salem-Hexenprozesse und Puritanismus.
Welche Rolle spielt Deputy-Governor Danforth in der Analyse?
Danforth wird als Symbol für eine dogmatische, unerbittliche Autorität analysiert, die moralische Integrität zugunsten legaler Strukturen und öffentlicher Macht unterdrückt.
Warum ist die Identitätssuche für John Proctor laut Autor so zentral?
Sie ist zentral, da Proctor durch den Druck der Hexenprozesse gezwungen wird, zwischen dem Schutz seines Lebens durch eine Lüge und der Bewahrung seines Namens sowie seines moralischen Selbst durch die Wahrheit zu wählen.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Bachelor of Arts Ramon Klein (Autor:in), 2013, Characterization of Morality and Values in Arthur Miller's Play "The Crucible", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/272347
