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Belonging in
The Crucible
Reputation &
Belonging
Belief &
Control
Alienation
Belonging in the play
Hysteria
Community
Belonging vs
Individual
Beliefs
Persecuting those
who don’t belong
Community Belonging vs Individual
Beliefs.
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Salem society of the time was
theocratic
Strict moral codes governed
society
If an individual went against
these codes then they were
seen as a threat to the society
In order to belong, an
individual had to conform to
the norms of society.
If the individual didn’t conform
then they were seen as ‘Devil’
worshippers
Judge Danforth
Community Belonging vs Individual
Beliefs.
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The community lived in close
proximity, therefore private
business was public domain.
With the witchcraft accusations
in full swing – the authorities
needed to ‘cleanse the town’
by hanging the accused and
restoring order.
The characters in The Crucible
have only two choices – to
belong to the community,
support those in power and
punish the accused or not
belong to this community and
be punished.
Hysteria
Hysteria plays a significant role in dividing the
community of Salem- those who belong and those who
don’t.
 The fervour of accusations destroys rational thought and
allows members of the community to believe that their
neighbours are capable of killing babies and communing
with the Devil.
 The hysteria allows people to satisfy their own personal
grudges (egs?)
 Guilt by association was used to control people and
further divide the community
 To belong to this society, an individual must adhere to
strict moral codes even in the face of baseless
accusations.
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Reputation and Belonging
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A person’s name
(reputation) was very
important in Salem.
Without a good
reputation, a person
would be an outcast in
society – you don’t
belong.
Protecting your
reputation is vitally
important to belonging in
this society.
John Proctor
Reputation and Belonging
John Proctor - He initially avoids becoming involved in
the witchcraft trials because he fears that his affair with
Abigail will become known and that it will ruin his
reputation.
 Proctor’s sense of belonging is compromised because of
his affair with Abigail and her accusations.
 He attempts to destroy Abigail’s reputation by admitting
his adultery, only this fails when Elizabeth tries to protect
his reputation by lying.
 At the end of the play, Proctor refuses to accuse
innocent people of witchcraft and stain their good
names.
 He finally refuses to sign his ‘confession’ and goes the
gallows with his name and honour intact.
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Reputation and Belonging
In Salem, reputation is very fragile. You
could destroy it by associating with the
wrong people.
 One way to protect your reputation was by
denouncing others – naming names.
 What comments about human nature is
Miller making here?
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John Proctor
Elizabeth Proctor
Belief & Control
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When the authorities in Salem choose to believe the accusations of
witchcraft, they are able to use this to control the population under
the guise of eradicating evil.
Abigail, like the other women in Salem, holds a lower position in
society. She is also an orphan, thus limiting her opportunities and
giving her an even lower status in the community. When her
accusations of witchcraft are believed, she holds considerable power
in the court room and the community.
Her affair with Proctor and its sudden end have sparked her
jealousy and anger and fuel the insistence of her accusations and
her determination to hold on to her power, not only over the girls
who perpetuate her story, but over the whole community.
For characters such as Danforth, Hathorne and Parris , believing her
story is simply another means of separating those members of the
community into those who belong and those who do not, in their
efforts to keep the community together, regardless of the tragic
consequences.
Abigail Williams
Persecuting those who don’t belong
The witch trials show how easily the conventions and values of society can
be used to persecute those who question authority and stand outside the
mainstream. The case of John and Elizabeth Proctor is a good example of
this.
 The Proctor’s stand outside some of the accepted values of Salem society as
they are critical of these values. John is vocal about his objections to
Revered Parris and particularly Parris’s monetary greed. He openly admits
his failure to attend church regularly and he works the fields on Sunday.
When questioned, Proctor also explains why is third son has not been
baptised.
 These facts are used as items of evidence for the prosecution in Proctor’s
case. Although each of these details has no relevance to the accusations of
witchcraft they are used to marginalise Proctor and show that he does not
belong. It is the ruling elite that is determining the criteria by which people
are judged.
 Proctor’s final refusal to sign a confession forms the end and the climax of
the play. This act of defiance reflects the plays message about individual
liberty.
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Persecuting those who don’t belong
There are characters in the play that never belong –
Sarah Good, Tituba, Bridget Bishop. They are women,
poor, destitute and on the fringe of Salem society.
 These characters are easy targets and labelled ‘witches’.
There is no general outcry at the start of the accusations
as some people believed it was cleansing the village of
these ‘types of people’ (eg?). It is only when the ‘morally
upright’ citizens (Proctor, Rebecca Nurse) are accused
that people begin to question the validity of the
accusations.
 What is Miller suggesting through this theme?
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Abigail and the girls
Mary Warren
Alienation
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The society of Salem required people to conform, if you did not
conform, you were alienated from society – an outcast.
Characters that do not conform – Proctor, Giles, Hale (later in the
play). What are their reasons? What are the consequences?
Mary Warren – described at the start as a naïve girl, she is then
persuaded by Proctor to tell the truth.
In the courtroom scene, we see how Abigail and the other girls
alienate her.
Her resolve is weakened and she turns on Proctor accusing him of
witchcraft.
Through her character, we see the strong desire for acceptance
(belonging) to the group.
Dramatic Irony
Symbolism
Structure
Dramatic Techniques
used in The Crucible
Characterisation
Setting
Dialogue
Juxtaposition –
characters and
settings
Dramatic Techniques
In groups – select an Act from the play.
 Analyse the act in terms of 2 ideas about
belonging that it represents (think about
which idea is appropriate for your act) and
how this is presented.
 Don’t forget examples!
 Post your analysis on the wiki
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