Themes, Motifs and Symbols

Themes

The central idea or underlying meaning of a literary work

Typically deals with an abstract concept that is made concrete through representation in character, action, and image.

Themes in the Crucible Justice vs. Retribution and

Revenge Intolerance Hysteria Reputation Betrayal Persecution Order vs. Individual

Freedom Good vs Evil

Human cruelty in the name of righteousness

The Individual and the Community/society

Godliness vs. Worldliness

Ignorance vs. Wisdom Power and Authority

More themes …

Lust and Envy Courage Conflict Faith Morality Corruption and Lies

Conscience/Integrity Forgiveness Evil Loyalty and Love Trust Courage

Human Weaknesses

Lust - John Proctor Pride - Reverend Hale, John Proctor Greed - Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam Revenge - Mrs. Putnam, Abigail Ignorance - Giles Corey Self-indulgence - the girls Dishonesty - Abigail, the girls, John Proctor

Human Strengths

Honesty – Elizabeth Proctor Loyalty – Elizabeth Proctor Courage – John Proctor Forgiveness – Elizabeth Proctor Faith – Rebecca Nurse Reason – Rebecca Nurse

Revenge

Abigail gets revenge on John and Elizabeth Proctor

The girls and the accusers were naming people whom they did not like and whom they wanted to harm

Thomas Putnam gains revenge on Francis Nurse by getting Rebecca, his wife, convicted of murdering his (and Ann Putnam’s) babies

Intolerance a theocratic society

Church (moral) and state are the same

Sin and status of an individual’s soul are of public concern

Everyone belongs to either God or the devil

“a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it.” (Danforth, Act III)

Hysteria

the role that hysteria can play in tearing apart a community.

replaces logic and reason enables people to believe their neighbours are

guilty of committing absurd and unbelievable crimes

people become active in the hysterical climate for 2 reasons: out of genuine religious faithfulness chance to act on long-held grudges

How do these characters thrive on hysteria?

Abigail: uses situation to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and has her jailed

Reverend Parris: strengthens his position within the village (temporarily) by making scapegoats of those who question authority e.g. John Proctor

Reputation

Extremely important in theocratic Salem Guilt by association: their sins will taint

your name Parris fears Abigail’s questionable

behaviour and hints of witchcraft surrounding Betty will threaten and force him from the pulpit.

John Proctor - early in the play – has a chance to stop the girl’s accusations but his desire to preserve his reputation keeps him from testifying against Abigail

at the play’s end – desire to keep his good name prevents him from a false confession

“I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Proctor to Danforth in Act IV)

Betrayal

The betrayal between a husband and a wife within the sanctity of a conventional marriage.

Abigail betrays her whole community in order to seduce John.

Those who falsely confess to witchcraft betray their relationship with God and their church.

Persecution

Miller, who was Jewish, would surely have had an inescapable imprint of atrocities of the holocaust embedded firmly in his psyche.

Individual’s responsibility to accept liability for the wrongs of the past. Miller’s plays explore the American way of life but the themes, issues and concerns presented in The Crucible are a universal phenomenon

Power and Authority

Bible is the ultimate authority Authority of the Court is absolute Conflict of authority - Danforth felt the law should

be followed exactly, and that anyone who opposed the trials was trying to undermine him and his authority and the church.

The girls and some women are empowered by the trials

Individual Vs Society

The accusers were looking out for their own lives and took whatever actions necessary to save themselves

Conformity – Human freedom vs social order There is either obedience or the church will burn

like Hell is burning! Parris to Proctor I speak my own sins; I cannot judge

another.  I have no tongue for it

Truth and Lies

Puritan Ethics meant most people abhorred lying

Abigail lies all the way through the play Elizabeth cannot tell a lie … but does to try

to save John

Conflict

Personal – John wrestling with his own guilt at the beginning and Hale wrestling with his guilt at the end.

Inter-personal (Proctor vs Parris – John is honest (`I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it') and (`I like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby'

Impersonal – “Landgrabbing” was practised by many

Motifs

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Darkness and Dirt Images

Imagery of darkness and dirt represent sin and evil.  Reverend Parris questions Abigail's purity by saying; Your name in the town-it is entirely white, is it not? She argues that her name is not soiled. 

The people of Salem are obsessed with preserving the perceived cleanliness of their souls.

Accusations, Confessions, and Legal Proceedings

Parris accuses Abigail of dishonoring him Parris accuses some of his parishioners Giles Corey and Proctor accuse him of

things in return Legal proceedings in the past are alluded

to Putnam accuses others Accusations are the only way that witches

can be identified

Confessions

Confessions provide the proof of the justice Proctor confesses to adultery but this confession

is trumped by the accusation of witchcraft against him, which in turn demands a confession

Proctor’s courageous decision to die rather than confess to a sin that he did not commit, finally breaks the cycle

The court collapses shortly afterward, undone by the refusal of its victims to propagate lies

Symbols objects, characters, figures, or colours used to

represent abstract ideas or concepts As a whole the play symbolises the paranoia of

the 1950’s communist “red scare” in America. Shows:

narrow-mindedness excessive enthusiasm for a cause disregard for the individual need for naming names (co-conspirators)

The Title: The Crucible

a trial that ultimately reveals a person's true character‘

a melting pot “We burn a hot fire here. It melts down all concealment”

Danforth Crucible - it is meant to purify, usually by fire. A great irony

since the 'fire' that burns in Salem does not purify. Instead it muddles (confuses) and corrupts. Thus a fire burning for the wrong reason is not able to purify.

A place, time, or situation characterised by the confluence of powerful intellectual, social, economic, or political forces

Fortress - the church is seen in this manner. But while the metaphor used suggests one crack may break it, we also see that rigidity or the lack of an open mind can bring down an edifice just as quickly.

Dawn 'the new sun' - the end of the play suggests the start of a new day where right is restored and the evil has been expelled.

White - Used for the term for good. Usually used to describe reputation

Black - Term used for evil “There be no blush about my name”

Horse/Animal Reference – suggesting lack of human values and understanding

The Witch Trials and McCarthyism - aymbolic of the paranoia about communism that pervaded America in the 1950s

Poppet – Links with Voodoo. In voodoo rituals the dolls represented the person needing healing from some illness, or as a means of bringing about illness or a curse on the person that the doll represented

Hanging - a way of keeping evil hanging between heaven and earth

Rope - like a chain it represents both bonding and connecting Night - is related to the passive principle, the feminine and the

unconscious. It has the same significance as death and the colour black

Whip - is a sign of domination and power or authority Wood - a mother symbol