What are your reactions to the first act? Pick a character or incident that stood out to you as especially significant in light of our discussions of power, scapegoating, and Puritan theocracy. Write a post giving your impressions and thoughts, integrating at least one quotation from the text. Consider trying to predict where the character will end up as a result of his/her motivations and actions. Respond to at least one classmate by adding an insight to theirs.
59 Comments
Luke Heck
9/26/2013 06:21:58 am
"The Crucible" certainly does not hesitate to introduce the theme of scapegoating in the first Act. I have no doubt that in their time this behavior was commonplace, but the characters acted in likeness to children in adult positions, scrambling for idiotic ways (Le marvelous religion) to maintain their standing in society (or avoid public execution). However, the character that interested me the most was Hale. He enters the Act with an air of experience, wisdom, and reason, but he soon after shows himself to be almost as superstitious as the lot of them were, only with a more collected and professional attitude. I suppose that in that time it would be difficult for the even most insightful of intellectuals to consider the possible absence of supernatural intervention in the world as they knew it. "We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise...", to quote Hale, shows a degree of admirable objectivity compared to those around him (though he still was almost as brash as the others). It makes one wonder if some axioms of modern day society are equally illogical, though with the ever-expanding levels of access we have to information (something the Puritans lacked) regarding the world in its nigh entirety, I personally doubt it.
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Mr. Biggs
9/27/2013 12:32:07 am
Extremely well-written and insightful! Hale is my favorite character - just wait ...
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Aliyyah Godsey
9/26/2013 07:34:16 am
While reading The Crucible it was very clear to see how fear in the Puritans made them act very cowardly. Because God was everything to them they believed that any and everything and body could be the spawn of Satan and be a witch and practice the craft. We know now that none were actually witches but you see it The Crucible how Tattuba, Abby and Betty all said they were witches to escape persecution from the people and the church. They all took the cowardly way out by naming other people as witches. That scapegoating mentality was what the Salem Witch Trials really was. People pointing the finger to evade being called out as a witch. Fear can cause people to do horrible things. The Cold War mirrored what happened in Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials. People pointing the 'I'm not a communist but he is' finger is exactly what the scared Puritans did. Those people were all quick to point the finger and even quicker if there name was connected to "witch" or "communist".!!
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Mya Alexice
9/26/2013 08:30:01 am
While reading (and acting out) the Crucible, I felt drawn towards the character I played, Abigail. She's something we don't quite see often in literature. An actual evil female character, who only looks out for herself and loves to lie, manipulate, blackmail, and have affairs with people twice her age. She's an awful person, and I love it. She gains power quickly and intelligently and doing so is an even greater feat, considering her gender and status in the Puritan society.
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Jose Montealegre
9/26/2013 11:32:28 am
Mya, I love how you see Abigail as an evil character. She is a very prominent character who is very powerful, even though women were so powerless back then. She might as well accuse as many people as she wants because she is already suspicious, and that's what everyone else was pretty much doing. They accuse just to become stronger and lower them so they seem like they aren't as bad.
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Mr. Biggs
9/27/2013 12:31:37 am
Hmmm ... Can we blame Abigail for seeking power in a situation that keeps women down?
Mike Hanlon
9/26/2013 08:50:41 am
I felt while reading this an eerie resemblance to how us as people act. The first sign of trouble because you did or didn't do something and we blame it on someone else. "Why didn't you do your home work?" ''My dog ate it..." All the time we do it, if our economic state is down, we say it's another country's fault. Just like how the two girls in the play instantly started blaming other girls for what happened the night before, and same with Tituba. Lying and blaming it's just how we handle things until it gets blown way out of proportion and gets worse and worse.
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Ava Merz
9/26/2013 09:48:12 am
Mike, I absolutely think you're right. Our fears of possible consequences, makes us lie, blame others and accuse others. Blaming the "dog" or another country won't accomplish anything. It's about fixing of fears/worries and think before we make our decisons; this way we don't have to lie or blame others for the wrongful act in the first place!
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Brian Chamberlain
9/26/2013 11:21:55 am
Mike, Your comment on how when we lie it continues to get worse and worse immediately made me think of incident that happend at my beach club this year. A young boy clamied someone tried to kidnap him and continued to say this. The police eventually got involved. It later turned out that the boy made up the whole story and was lying the whole time. The kid would have been a lot better not making up the story as he got in a lot of trouble because of his lie.
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Pat Monaghan
9/26/2013 12:56:01 pm
I totally agree with everything you guys have said. Its almost like we are just waiting for an incident to come a long like the one in the crucible so we can blame our neighbor because they didn't return our lawn mower that one time. Thats why i think the accusations flew so fast. Everyone just accused the last person they saw picking their nose in church. Not because its fact that Goody Ann speaks to the devil, but because accusing someone else is the easy way out of being accused yourself.
Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 01:57:32 am
Holy crap. Great example! Very much like what Betty and Abby do in Act One. I guess we don't often think of long-term consequences in our desire to feel immediately safe and protected. Will the girls end up the same way, in more trouble than when they started?
Ava Merz
9/26/2013 09:43:34 am
In the first act of "The Crucible", Abby stood out to me as one who fears over the supernatural and political manipulation the most. Her fear guides her to tell lies and accuse others as "witches." These fear that Abby possesses is a natural trait of human life. The quote "McCarthyism is Americanism with its sleeves rolled" explains how Americans (humans in general) have the pure instinct to make accusations of disloyalty and treason without evidence. Abby blamed her wrongful actions on Tituba, as she said "I never called him! Tituba, Titbua.."; or when she said "She made me do it!" Abby not only blamed Tituba for the actions she made, but also for being a witch! I think that if Abby holds onto her fear then she will most certainly have to face that fear of the supernatural and manipulation by simply being exectued.
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Shannon Burke
9/26/2013 10:38:55 am
Ava, I completely agree with your post, especially your quote. It perfectly ties the book and McCarthyism together. In my opinion, the American population, as times has past, has had less and less of a problem blaming people for their own mistakes. To some, it comes second nature. Eventually, we are at the point of passing the blame to others without an ounce of guilt added to our conscious. Most of the time there is no circumstantial evidence that proves these accusations correct, which is the worst part.
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Matt Reardon
9/26/2013 10:15:08 am
I found power to be an evident theme from Act I of "The Crucible". The Puritan hierarchy is a pure example of how power is used to manipulate the ones below. The religious leaders, who are in charge of puritan towns, are placed on a pedestal because they are the closest to God. However, I believe that they only use God as a scapegoat to put themselves ahead of the rest. They are able to justify all of their actions by saying they were chosen by God and are a Puritan symbol for power, but the others just have to fall as victims to whatever fate the priests say God has for them. The whole Puritan lifestyle seems corrupt as far as distributing power and the imbalance of social status. Reverend Parris is who displays this the most as he uses his power to threaten the supposed "witches" of Salem. "And I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry's at stake, my ministry and perhaps your cousin's life." In our world today, a priest threatening a child would be considered an abomination. I believe that the Salem Witch Trials are an antecedent to the downfall of Puritan lifestyle. When power is misused, it always finds a way to bring the rest down . Reverend Parris struck fear into all of the citizens, forcing them to continuously point fingers to prove their innocence. Witches never existed then, but fear and an unjust way of life were clearly apparent.
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Lauren O'Brien
9/26/2013 12:20:01 pm
Matt, I really like your idea of how the citizens of Salem use God as a scapegoat! I find it a bit ironic, as God is the very essence of the Puritan being, yet they still are able to assign him blame in order to make themselves feel superior. I also agree with your opinion of the corrupt Puritan society, and also find it ironic, for the Puritan society was founded to be a "City Upon A Hill", while really all the citizens of Salem are blaming others and shying away from their sins, as God would tell them not to do. Fear definitely controls their mindsets and actions, as the Puritans feel compelled to prove to society they are "The Chosen One"; if they commit a sin, they are petrified they will lose their place in both the eyes of God and society, which is where the art of scapegoating comes in.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:13:17 am
This is a really interesting thought. God is certainly at the heart of the Puritan system of scapegoating, serving as both a standard by which to judge others and the ultimate scapegoat since He is considered responsible for everything that happens. Whenever they say "I love God," they are implying that someone else loves God less than them, and also trying to ally themselves with a higher power. But when things God wrong, it is essentially always God's fault because no one is believed to have free will! This schizophrenic approach to religion is unsustainable (thank God).
Shannon Burke
9/26/2013 10:26:59 am
While reading the Crucible, I find the fear is instilled in the people by fear itself. People are extremely concerned with trying to find someone to accuse of witchcraft and prove "that’s a sure sign of witchcraft afloat”. There is mass hysteria within the society of Salem at this point. Another theme that is present is reputation. There is no such thing of a private life; everyone knows everybody's business in Salem which is another contribution factor to the mass hysteria of finding a witch.
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Georgia Stierman
9/26/2013 11:18:47 am
I completely agree with your statement about there being no such thing as a private life. The people in Salem couldn't make anything they do somewhat private without being accused of sin and witchcraft. In a situation such as that one, it makes people feel fearful of doing anything out of the ordinary. This fear will take over people's lives, bringing paranoia and hysteria upon people, just to avoid being accused of witchcraft.
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Brian Chamberlain
9/26/2013 10:28:21 am
. While reading the first act of The Crucible, a thing that really struck me was how everyone throughout the act did everything to protect themselves. The characters so far in the story had no problem turning on one another if it helped save themselves, an example is when, Abigail quickly blames Tituba saying "She made me do it! She made Betty do it! She makes me drink the blood". It is very similar to today's world where you constantly see people turning on their friends and sometimes even family just to protect themselves or make money.
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Sophia Mazzini
9/26/2013 10:33:02 am
As I read through Act I of the crucible, especially the last couple pages, the main thing that stuck out to me was how easily people put the blame on others. After the girls we're caught dancing in the woods, the whole town starts freaking out that they are witches. Once the girls realize what they are being blamed of, they immediately point their finger towards other people in the town. The girls did not want to get in trouble, so they claimed that other women in the town were forcing them to act the way they did. The girls knew of the danger they were putting the other people in, but they did not even stop to consider how it could effect that other person. Even Tituba, who you would think would be the most considerate of other peoples feelings considering she is a slave, immediately acted like other people were making her act the way she did. Tituba tells the reverend that she believes other people were "witchin'" the children. When Hale asks who, she says "I don't know, sir, but the Devil got him numerous witches." Soon after she says this and realizes that the towns people are still suspicious of her, she begins to blame random people in the village.
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Gabby Amorelli
9/26/2013 10:56:20 am
With all the blaming and pointing fingers at each other it reminded me of the way children act or even us teenagers are like.Most people don't want to admit that they're wrong so, the easy way out is to put the blame on others.The Cruicible is the exact same thing. Like you said, Abby tried to blame the easiest person (Tituba).By blaming her, she figured people wouldn't suspect anything being that she's just a slave. Abby's plan worked. As soon as she accused Tituba, they called her into the room immediately. They started questioning her convincing Tituba that she actually commited witchcraft.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 03:25:21 am
And adults, too. Look at our politicians. They always blame the other party, or someone else in their own party, for whatever is going on. The blame game seems to be universal in our society.
Gabby Amorelli
9/26/2013 10:40:54 am
Tituba definitely stood out for me. I feel bad for her in a way considering she was almost persuaded and manipulated by all the other characters.She also had a lot of courage "admitting" that the devil told her to do all these things to Mr. Parris. Tituba says,(referring to what the devil has told her) " Mr. Parris must be kill! Mr. Parris no goodly man, Mr. Parris mean man and no gentle man..." To me, Tituba must have some motive in saying this. I believe she knows more about Mr. Parris than we know yet. In the beginning of the play, Abby seemed to be the most sketchy character but, as I read on Tituba seemed to really take hold on the fact that she could now be a "witch" and speaks to the devil. She abused that in a way. She now has the power to persuade all the other characters about the devils theories( her own) and take control over this important situation like she never has previously.
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Cat Ishimasa
9/26/2013 11:36:47 am
I love your theory that Tituba knows more than she lets on. I agree that Abby definitely will do anything to make herself look better no matter what that entails. I also think that Tituba only announced that she was indeed a "witch" because they threatened her life. She is of course the beginning of the scapegoating within the story towards the end.
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Hannah Wallis
9/26/2013 01:14:42 pm
Gabby, I totally agree with the idea that Tituba knows more about Mr. Paris then we actually know yet. Tituba wouldn't have called him an evil man and said that someone wanted him dead if she too didn't feel that way. This leads me to think that maybe Mr. Paris isn't as holy as he says he is, and could actually be violent towards Tituba. Maybe in the other acts we'll start to see if Mr. Paris starts to act out more which could tie back into this scenario
Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:15:49 am
This is a really thought-provoking cluster of comments. Tituba sees what a jerk Rev. Parris is in private, even though he acts so holy in public, and I think she's expressing her contempt for this powerful man through this unique situation where suddenly people are listening to her. She definitely seizes the power that the witch-role provides, but gets upstaged by Abigail at the last minute. It's ironic that Tituba will spend the rest of the play in jail while Abby becomes the "holy prophet" that everyone listens to when she accuses people.
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Sean Provost
9/26/2013 10:41:38 am
The ending of act 1 was the most interesting part to me. Betty eventually wakes up from her "sleep" and when she does, she starts pointing out who she saw with the devil and who she didn't see with the devil, as she does this Abigail steps in and does the same thing. By doing this they both gain more power because everyone thinks that they are the only ones who know the answer to everything, that they are connected to god. Betty wakes up and says " I saw George Jacobs with the devil! I saw Goody Howe with the devil!" As she claims all these ideas or visions, everyone starts to listen and think that she is really important to them because she might be connected to god, that's one of the reasons why Abigail jumps in to, to get power.
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Jose Ramirez
9/26/2013 01:15:54 pm
This also ties into the concept of scapegoating because they could easily put others to bear the blame to their own advantage by saying who were the ones involved with the devil and having the power to do so because no one can really ever know if it's true or not because its only in their minds.
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Georgia Stierman
9/26/2013 11:00:51 am
In the first act of The Crucible, there was a prominent sense of manipulation and scapegoating among the citizens of Salem. Everyone feels the need to do anything and everything to preserve their reputation of being clean and holy Puritans. They achieve this through contradictory acts against their beliefs, by lying and blaming other for their wrongdoings. As a result, many citizens will suffer the consequences. The character that undoubtedly expressed these actions the most, was Abigail. Abigail stood out as an interesting character to me among all the rest. From the introduction of her character, she is deceiving and shrewd in her actions. She masters the art of finagling negative situations, turning them ones that will benefit her, or at least let her off the hook. When she is in the seemingly perilous situation of her uncle, Reverend Parris, accusing her of performing witchcraft, she puts the blame on Parris’s slave, Tituba, stating, “I never called him! Tituba, Tituba…” After she made Tituba the scapegoat of the situation, it leads to a chain reaction of blame throughout the community.
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Samantha Reynolds
9/26/2013 11:47:57 am
I strongly agree with you on how the citizens of Salem want a reputation of being holy and clean. To them their all about reputation. In order for them to seem so holy and good they will blame their wrong doings on others using scapegoating.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:22:08 am
I agree as well, and I kept thinking of Reverend Parris as well as Abigail. When we first see him, he seems more worried that people will see him as "unclean" than that Betty won't wake up. He's afraid his reputation will suffer if his daughter tried witchcraft. It is a highly egotistical society, which is ironic since the entire message of Jesus is about giving up ego and selfishness. The only character who seems to really believe in that is Rebecca Nurse, and she's now been accused of witchcraft too!
Jose Montealegre
9/26/2013 11:11:21 am
As I was reading and following the play that my classmates acted out, it was obvious there was a loud presence of scapegoating. However, what really interested me the most and brought my attention was how social status was very important to all of these people back then. As the play kept heating up, any signs of strangeness were thought of as suspicion. So, they knew they had to keep it calm if they didn't want to become a suspect, and if they already were, they brought people down by accusing them, to become “less suspicious”. I found it funny how Parris was worried about losing his power as minister more than the well-being of her daughter Betty. He didn't want all of this attention at his place because he knew that if people realized that he was doing witchcraft inside, he would be taken down from power. Also, I love the tension between Abigail and Mr. Proctor. Abigail is one of the suspects and Mr. Proctor never said anything about her being part of the witchcraft. This is because of his fear of her telling everyone about his affair with her. This first act has showed me how important everyone's social view on everyone else is so important.
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Cat Ishimasa
9/26/2013 11:31:51 am
The Crucible by Arthur Miller introduces the themes of reputations in the Puritan society. Scapegoating is a tactic the young girls in the story, Betty,Abigail, and their slave Tituba, use free themselves from accusation that could damage their reputations and possibly get them killed. Preacher Hale and Reverend Parris are held high in society because they are seen as God's people. They are respected which is why when they suspect Betty is possessed he doesn't want word to spread because he would lose his credibility in the Puritan society. Referencing the women in the story again, they are already seen as some of the/ THE lowest members in society. They accuse the other women at the end of Act one because it raises their social status and lowers the other women's. Scapegoating can be used for different reasons, as seen here, but it is commonly used to make yourself look better and degrade others.
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Ricky Wild
9/26/2013 12:06:29 pm
Adding and agreeing to what you said, I think that the ones being uses as scapegoats were intentional. They chose women to blame because they were so low in society. Yet even being so low they found people of an even lower status, Tituba. I'm interested to see how low the hierarchy goes.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:39:25 am
Right, because now that there are supposed witches, a lower rung in the hierarchy opens up. Tituba "confessed," so she's a redeemed witch. She'll stay in jail for a long time, but won't be executed. However, accused witches who don't confess aren't allowed to live. There's now a place in the hierarchy so low that, one you enter it, you immediately have to die. And that of course serves to create fear and reinforce the power of those on high...
Samantha Reynolds
9/26/2013 11:33:55 am
In the first act of “The Crucible” I definitely noticed that almost everyone used scapegoating. It really interested me how we scapegoat just like they do in the book. It was so easy for them to “throw the dirt” on the next person. Everyone takes part in this and I feel it’s the need for them to stay high in their social status, remain the same or to get higher. From this, a character that stood out to me was Abby. Right off the bat I could tell Abby was going to bring something to the table. Between the ways she can use her words to make you believe her and her guts; I know for sure something’s going to happen. I realized that Abby is also hiding a secret that we will soon find out. The fact that Abby and John Proctor had a thing was something to shocking. Abby soon realizes that in order for her not to get into trouble with her uncle she must confess some thing’s but then blame the rest on others. “I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (pg.48). This part really got me; as soon as she saw away out she took it. Making it seem that God himself has come down to her and saved her. Saying how she’s going to Jesus and leaving the Devil; she did no wrong but instead of taking the fault she’s going to say she saw others with him. Something is definitely up with all these girls that Abby and Betty hang around with and I have a feeling I know how their story is going to end.
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Ricky Wild
9/26/2013 11:56:14 am
Instantly I found an interest in Abigail. Abigail, a young women, knows how to twist lies, manipulate, and even have a say in the Puritan theocracy. I was interested because she wasn't worried or scared to take a say. Abigail, not afraid to scapegoat others, throws anyone necessary under the bus, in order to keep her name clean. Abigail says "She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at payer!" (Miller 44). Instantly using Tituba for blame, Abigail uses anything she can to look innocent. I think that after they try to kill 'witches' and none die, they will begin to think Abigail is the sinner. Ultimately I think she will get what she deserves and will be publicly killed or humiliated.
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Ricky Wild
9/26/2013 12:02:38 pm
Also, I forgot to add, while Abigail harasses Tituba with lies, Tituba begins to believe or admit that she committed the sins. Slowly yet continually, Tituba increasing admits to more and more. After admitting to confessing witchcraft Tituba feels relieved! Saying, "Oh, God bless you, Mr. Hale!" (Miller 46). She says it as if Mr. Hale found the solution to the problem, yet all Mr. Hale did was use her. I think because she admitted to witchcraft the town will vote to kill her.
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Lauren O'Brien
9/26/2013 12:10:33 pm
Throughout Act One of "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, I noticed many characters begin to battle over power. Class levels in society are very important to the Puritans, as characters such as Parris, Abigail, the Putnams and Proctor demonstrate, as the level of one's class determines their income as well as their distance from God. Through their desire for control, the characters often use the art of scapegoating to give them the feeling of authority they desire. Scapegoating also comes in handy for these characters when they need to evade punishment for wrongdoings, for "[Tituba] made [Abigail] do it! She made Betty do it! She makes [Abigail] drink blood... [Tituba] sends her spirit on me at church; she makes [Abigail] laugh at prayer! She comes to [Abigail] every night to go and drink blood! [Abigail] always hears [Tituba] laughing in her sleep. [Abigail hears Tituba] sing her Barbados songs and tempting me" (Miller 44). As known by the audience, Tituba, Abigail's family slave, is not guilty of anything Abigail accuses her of doing, she is merely a scapegoat to allow Abigail to escape punishment for dancing in the woods, naked, which is entirely against Puritanism. However, Abigail feels no guilt in doing this because Tituba is solely a slave. After all, if someone is of lesser value than another, how could it harm them to be blamed for things? This, in the long run, will lead Abigail down a dirty path of lies throughout the play, as she will now have to continually blame, or scapegoat others, so she can remain seemingly innocent, although she is actually guilty of many sins. It will also lead to her defeat, as she will eventually confuse her stories and the truth will come out. Unfortunately, she is setting up the deaths of many other citizens of Salem because of her ignorant use of scapegoating. Thus, a thirst for power is evident in Act One of "The Crucible".
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Samantha Quinn
9/26/2013 01:25:25 pm
This is a really good point Lauren. Every character is thriving to have more power than the next. It seems that the more power they have the easier it is not to be blamed for this witchcraft. In a way it is like a family. The mother and father always know what is right or wrong, having all the power, and the children are expected to listen. The youngest child, with little say, usually gets blamed by their other siblings for things even when they did not do anything. The older siblings know what they did wrong however do not admit to that, similar to Abigail. The more power the characters have the easier it will be to blame others for their wrong doings.
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Pat Monaghan
9/26/2013 12:12:20 pm
The scene between Abigail and John Proctor was an important one in the first act. It revealed to us that Abigail and John had a relationship in the past that John is ashamed of and wants Abigail to forget about. However, Abigail is still infatuated with John to the point of doing Witchcraft in the forest to kill John Proctors wife so they can be together. This sort of insane action to get what she wants is just a hint of what is to come later in the play. If Abigail did this once she will surely do it again and when she does I predict it will be to get back at John for not wanting to be with her. Abigail is a manipulative character and will be the driving force of the mass hysteria to come.
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Mikey Brewer
9/26/2013 02:29:44 pm
I agree that Abigail is very manipulative and can/will be the source of a problem somewhere in the book. Her self centeredness may get some people killed.
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Gabby Recalde
9/26/2013 09:20:41 pm
Pat, I love your prediction about what Abigail will do to John Proctor. I agree that she will seek revenge if he keeps denying her advances. I also agree that Abigail is going to be the the center of the problems to come. She's almost like a puppeteer, manipulating everyone into doing what she wants.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:19:16 am
Puppeteer is a perfect analogy. Just think about the fact that she seduces Proctor, who is now overwhelmed with guilt. (To be clear, I don't think this excuses what Proctor does - we have to be careful not to fall into the usual sexist trap of the double-standard by which women are called slutty and men let off the hook, like with Miley and that stupid Blurred Lines guy. However, this is a pretty clear case of seduction, since Abigail is obviously and openly obsessed with John).
Katie Carroll
10/2/2013 06:12:31 am
I agree with you. I feel like this scene made Abigail feel a little more powerful. Now she feels that she has something on John that will ruin him if it come out. Abigail knowing this will surely do something even crazier than witch craft in the forrest to be with John.
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Amy Thomas
9/26/2013 12:30:15 pm
One of the main themes in The Crucible is scapegoating. I found it interesting and sort of fun seeing all the people trying to escape their accusation of being a witch. Humans always have a tendency to blame others, or even things as excuses for their mistakes. It's so hard for us to automatically take the blame. Once we've been accused of something, we right away, point the finger saying, "Oh he did it!" or "What? Me? Noo, she did it!" Then, there are those times where we get in some deeep trouble, and decide to lie and blame someone else for self-preservation. That's pretty much what Abigail, one of the main characters from The Crucible, did as she started a mass hysteria in Salem. Once she started throwing out names who she thought were involved in witchcraft, everyone hopped on board and played the blame game. I think that once one lie is found out, everything will unfold and the truth will break through, showing Abigail's true colors as well as everyone else. Although, sadly, as humans, once we realized what we've done and want to fix it, it's already too late.
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Jazmin Graham
9/26/2013 01:34:27 pm
I completely agree with you. Your post reminded me of our discussion in class, where we spoke about how a person who seems very confident in their opinion usually gains the most followers. Never reading this play, I can make the inference that most of the people in Salem will believe whatever Abigail says because of how confident she seemed.
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Jose
9/26/2013 01:06:27 pm
While reading The Crucible, there was a clear understanding of how scapegoating, the levels of power, and puritan theocracy were in place in the act. During this first act what was really intriguing to me was the puritan theocracy; how no one had the guts to challenge it by denying accusal and by trying to scapegoat others. The character Abigail stood out the most because after Abigail tried to scapegoat Titbuba, Tibuba did not deny it but instead lead the accusation towards the devil by saying the devil was the one behind all this when in reality it was not true. Abigail only lead them to believe things that were not true when she was behind all that was happening. All this happened from the fear of Puritan theocracy because she was afraid of the consequences of witchcraft which lead to a lot of scapegoating. "She makes me do it! She made Betty do it! She makes me drink blood!" Abby confesses towards the end of act 1 but i believe more scapegoating is going to happen causing the persecution of a character not responsible for the witchcraft that took place.
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Samantha Quinn
9/26/2013 01:13:49 pm
The character Abigail quickly caught my attention in The Crucible. This teenage girl attempts to appear innocent by changing her stories to make it fall on others. It is interesting that none of the others have caught on that her alibis are constantly changing. One of her friends reminded her that she “drank blood” that night in the forest then once she is questioned by Parris it became “only soup… beans-and lentils”. The clever teen hoped this would cover her tracks of the truth. Unfortunately one of the lower class women appears just in time to be blamed. Half of the truth came out, Abigail drank the blood but she did it by choice, the woman did not force her. The girl might be getting away with this game of lying and blame for now, but this could hurt her once the truth gets out. Only Abigail knows what really happened the night her cousin became ill and it will be difficult to determine the truth if her story changes every time someone gets suspicious.
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Jazmin Graham
9/26/2013 01:23:41 pm
The first act in "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, shows a group of women accused of being witches. These girls play musical chairs, trying to blame each other for being the initiator of their witchcraft practices. The first character I couldn't help feeling pity for, was Tituba. Tituba was the first accused of being a witch, and shortly after she was accused, Putnam yelled, "This woman must be hanged! She must be taken and hanged!" The fact that Putnam was so quick to blame, kill, and forget about Tituba, made me very upset and quite worried that she might not survive the next page of the story.
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Mya Alexice
9/26/2013 10:09:55 pm
Musical chairs is such a good analogy! And I agree with the feeling pity for Tituba. She's been manipulated and lied to by Abigail (who she was just trying to help) and everyone turned against her instantly because of her status. Well written :)
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:25:26 am
This is really well-analyzed, especially her being at the bottom of all the "food chains." This is a white over black, male over female, Christian over "heathen" world, and Tituba is a black woman from a society that practices vodou. She is the "other," the scapegoat, in every sense. Miller wants us to pay attention to these kind of food chain power dynamics in human society, and this kind of analysis would make the basis of a great essay. The ONLY time Tituba is treated with any respect is when she embraces the witch identity and starts making up stories about the people she saw with the devil. It's as if they will never let her step out of the scapegoat role and she can only have any power when she plays it willingly.
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Hannah Wallis
9/26/2013 01:35:23 pm
While reading and acting out the first act of the Crucible by Arthur Miller, one character really stood out in my eyes. This character was Reverend Hale. What intrigues me so much about Hale is that he is so confident in his work and studies, that people don't even question his authority. Hale is probably the most respected man throughout the state of Massachusetts, and he is a complete nutcase! ...Or is he? Perhaps he is just putting on an act to make others respect him when really he doesn't know anything about witch craft. On the other hand however, he could know more about witch craft then anyone because maybe he practices it himself. He is a very off sort of weirdly did positioned character, that's what I find so interesting. He's very "all over the place" which I find rather strange for someone who is a Puritan. Puritans seemed very strict and organized, and this man is crying witch craft and wizardry wherever he goes. The man has so much confidence and so much power behind himself that anything he says anyone believes no questions asked. When Hale says "You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us" (Miller 46), he basically starts gets everyone to lie. Of course he didn't do this on purpose, but he have such strong authority and power to a person with such little status, that he created a monster. A monster which then created a scapegoat, who then created more scapegoats. By the end of act one there was a whole heard of scapegoats! I can't quite tell if Hale if pure genious in manipulation or if he's just an idiot who thinks to highly of himself. I hope to see more of him and his character development throughout the rest if the story.
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Erin Kirkpatrick
10/7/2013 10:48:39 am
I was thinking the same exact thing! Reverend Hale is a man who wears many hats in this story. At first he is a concerned person who is "trying to help" someone who is possessed by the devil, then he is an accuser, and finally someone who appears to have made a mistake. He seems way too confident for someone in his job where he literally can decided that we are all witches without proof, anyone anyone can object even without proof. Or is that why he is so confident? No one would dare go against him because it would make them look bad. I think he is a genius manipulator that let the power go to his head. I can't wait to figure out more about this nutcase of a man.
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Mikey Brewer
9/26/2013 02:22:30 pm
Being a black woman is probably one of the worst situations to be in during the late 1600’s, when the Crucible takes place. Tituba was the lowest class and knew that if she were to make any mistakes, it would be no problem for a government official to make her face the consequences. So, this is why she kind of sells herself to Hale when she becomes Salem’s universal scapegoat. “Abigail: ‘She made me do it. She made Betty do it…’ ‘Hale: Woman, have you enlisted these children for the Devil…Open yourself, Tituba—open yourself and let God’s holy light shine on you.’ Tituba: Oh, bless the Lord.’” (Miller 43,45) When Abigail admits she danced for the devil and Betty gets up to pick up the chant, it made me think that Betty just didn’t want to face the consequences for doing what she did alone, so she waited for someone else to admit to dancing (Abigail) so that her punishment wouldn’t be as severe, and it made what she did look like less of a “crime”.
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Mr. Biggs
9/28/2013 02:36:04 am
It's weird to think that anyone would willingly become a scapegoat, but you analyze well the psychological and social motivations that make Tituba "sell out." It's funny how Abigail and Betty, being white and therefore higher in social status, kind of steal Tituba's idea and end up becoming very powerful. As I pointed out in a couple of other posts, Tituba ends up in jail while Abigail becomes an official of the court. It's like Tituba can't win. She's always going to be the lowest class; after all, she's not even technically a person, but property.
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Gabby Recalde
9/26/2013 09:08:17 pm
The Crucible has already turned into one huge, tangled web of lies. Abigail is a very interesting character. I believe that this is because she is so complex. Between dancing in the forest, drinking blood, and lying about it, all to kill her ex-lover's wife, she has a lot of things going on. Also, Abigail is a very clever girl. She can figure out how to quickly get out of sticky situations. Her go-to method of accomplishing these escapes, is scapegoating(with complete lies). "She makes me do it! She made Betty do it! She makes me drink blood!"(Miller, 43) This is one of the first examples of Abigail's lying. In saying this, she is turning the blame on Tituba by taking advantage of the situation. I can't wait to see how Abigail's character grows throughout the play, if she does.
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Anthony Jimenez
9/26/2013 10:07:26 pm
The Crucible looks like everyone well end up pointing fingers and killing everyone, pointing left and right, just to make sure they are secure. Abigail is a very provocative character compared to everyone else in the book. Everyone blames her for the odd things going on because they think she practices witchcraft and dances in the forest naked, drinking blood. But she's quick on her feet and clever, she'll deny anything and anyone to get her way. Abigail is also invested in John Proctor, husband of Mrs. Proctor. Abigail drank blood, a charm she probably created, to kill Mrs. Proctor, because she wants only her and Mr. Proctor in the picture. In my opinion, I think she practiced witchcraft in the first place to be with John, because love can only make us to do so many things. "I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I new knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes?I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! John, pity me, pity me!" (Miller 24) In this scene, Abigail confesses to John that she made her smarter but yet weak because he's denying his affection for her rather saying he will cut off his hand before he'll ever touch her. So in order to still be alive and Abigail blames Tituba for drinking blood because Tituba is the lower class and has very little authority. I hope Abigail still causes chaos because it makes the story more interesting to see if they find out who the bad guy really is, even if she doesn't last but is still available to make trouble before she is hung.
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Katie Carroll
10/2/2013 06:06:07 am
One thing that really stood out to me was when Abigail says, "I never sold myself! I'm a good girl, I'm a proper girl!"(Miller 41). I thought this was ironic because in Puritan times seducing a married man was considering selling yourself. So when Abigail tries to tell everyone that she is a good proper girl, it is just what everyone thinks, not the truth. Abigail is a very interesting character in those ways. its almost as she really does think that she is being a good girl, following god and trying to be a good Puritan, but it is just because she knows she has sinned and wants to make up for it.
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