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The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt once said during the presidential election of 1932, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Roosevelt was trying to describe that fear is the one thing to be afraid of since it can be used to manipulate many with fears and make them act irrationally, which gives them false hope of security. In Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, he uses fear in the story to show us how terror makes people show their true colors. Even though fear may be used as a way to keep people in check, fear makes people act unreasonable because Mary Warren feared being apprehended and sentenced to death, Abigail Williams feared that she was going to be caught committing witchcrafts, and John Proctor feared having his reputation being ruined for doing something he never did and having his name be tarnished up on the church and town.
First, fear makes people act irrationally because Mary Warren feared being apprehended and sentenced to death. Mary Warren is the maiden to John and Elizabeth Proctor, who soon became one of the accusers in Abigail’s case. During the trial of Proctor, Abigail and Elizabeth, all the girls who were accused of witchcraft being led by Abigail pointed fingers at Mary Warren. Abigail snapped out and ran along with it and pointed the gun at John Proctor for working with the Devil. She didn't want to be the one in the spotlight so, she shined it on the next person available. A quote from her on it states, “ABIGAIL: Her eyes fall on Mary Warren. MARY WARREN: terrified, pleading. Abby!”. In this quote, Mary Warren clearly becomes anxious the second Abigail looks over at her, without saying a word Mary instantly gets drowned in anxiety. Not only that but on Mary quotes, “MARY WARREN: pointing at proctor. You’re the Devil’s man!”. She couldn't take the pressure being built on her, so she instead pushed the blame onto someone other than her in hopes to save herself. Though risking someone else's life, fear pushed her to shove the blame onto someone else, only to rescue her life before she was drowned in the lies.
Additionally, Abigail Williams feared that she was going to be caught committing witchcraft and have her name be soiled in the town. Abigail Williams is the niece to Reverend Parris and the former maiden to Elizabeth. Abigail was a part of a ritual in the beginning of the play and was caught, but she feared being caught and having the finger pointed at her so she accuses Tituba, a slave to Parris, for forcing her to commit to the witchcraft. In act 1 on Abigail quotes 'And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it”. Abigail in this quote is talking to every other lady that was there during/part of the witchcraft. She threatens them in retaliation to stay in line with a single story for her life and theirs since there was a lot that’s been said already. Abigail and Proctor quotes in “PROCTOR: angered - at himself as well You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth! - ABIGAIL: She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a- - PROCTOR: shaking her Do you look for a whippin’?”. In this snip of the conversation between the two, Abigail seemed very worried and eager and seems as if she’s blaming Proctor for some damages that Elizabeth has caused and also appears to be poking fun at how Proctor follows Elizabeth’s commands and doesn’t do anything for himself but for his wife. Nonetheless, Abigail was in fear of her name being tarnished alongside with the punishment to her, but not to the mercy of others.
Finally, the most important reason fear makes people act unreasonable is John Proctor feared having his reputation being ruined and have his name be tarnished up on the church and town. John Proctor is the tragic hero of the play, he's a farmer, husband, and father who happened to get wrapped up in the tragedy of the trials. Nearing the end of the climax, Proctor admitted him having an affair with Abigail Williams. On it reads, “ABIGAIL: Mr. Danforth, he is lying! - PROCTOR: Mark her! Now she’ll suck a scream to stab me with but…DANFORTH: You will prove this! This will not pass! - PROCTOR: trembling, his life collapsing about him I have known her, sir. I have known her” . Through this interaction, Proctor admitted to his leechary/affair with Abigail Williams as she tried to deny it. Not only that but, Proctor signs a confession paper to the church for part with the Devil and for being a leecher. Its quotes, “PROCTOR: I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!”. Proctor in this scene signed the confession but refused to hand his signature over to keep his name from it being deteriorated upon the church. Just the same, John Proctor feared having his reputation being ruined and have his name be tarnished up on the church and town.
Indeed, while fear may be used as a way to keep people in check, fear makes people act unreasonable. As seen with, Mary Warren with her fear of being killed, throwing another under the spotlight to save herself. Abigail Williams fear of being caught and having her name be tarnished, so she threatened others to keep a good reputation. And finally John Proctor who feared the thought of having his name be hung on the church for all to see his sins and to soil his name. Fear is the one thing to be afraid of since it can be used to manipulate many with fears and make them act irrationally which gives them false hope of security. In Arthur Miller’s 'The Crucible', he uses the idea of fear in the story to show how fear can manipulate one's mind and warp it to save themselves.
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