Body One – Pre-Conventional Characters and Quotes  

“Mary Warren: I never done none of it, Abby. I only looked!” in this quote marry warren is behaving in a manner which presents herself as desiring to avoid the punishment of doing something condemned as evil by the group, in this case it is the puritan Christians, due to fear of punishment. The context of this quote is the discussion of the witchery that is being spread as rumors. The second quote for the second character is as follows: “Abigail: Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the 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.” she says this because Abigail knows the consequences of these actions and therefore would like to keep it private so she can avoid punishment from the puritan group and obtain the reward of keeping it private without any way to find out the truth. The third quote is from john proctor, “Proctor: Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.” the context of this quote is from the relations John Proctor had with abby, and because of this being condemned as evil he does not want people to know about it otherwise he will be punished for it and wants to obtain the reward of having done that action yet still being viewed as a good Christian.  

Body two – Conventional Characters 

“Mrs. Putnam: The psalm! The psalm! She cannot bear to hear the Lord’s name!” This quote is suggestive of Mrs. Putnam behaving in a conventional manner due to her opinion of the lord’s name being powerful which aligns completely with puritan belief and to gain acceptance. The second quote is: by GILEs, “I’ve not said a word. No one here can testify I’ve said a word. Is she going to fly again? I hear she flies.” this quote expresses how Giles is trying to fit into the group of people who have told Giles that she flies. The Third quote is by Rebbecca, “No, you cannot break charity with your minister. You are another kind, John. Clasp his hand, make your peace.” The meaning behind this quote is from john proctor not wanting to fit into the group of people who believe that the person who should interact with Rebecca is one that is a good Christian, and Rebecca advises him to accept it inadvertently desiring to be associated with those group of people. The third quote is from Hale, and he says while holding up his hands: “No, no. Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her.” the meaning that can be interpreted from this quote is that Hale wants to fit into the group of people who believe in the devil by saying he believes the devils mark is precise, so as one can see he is a bit skeptical yet believes it still might be supernatural.  

Body three – Post Conventional Characters 

The first qoute one can review is of Elizabeth Proctor: “I will not have such a thing again. I will not have it. The context of This quote is that Elizabeth Proctor is speaking to her husband, John Proctor, who is grappling with whether or not to confess to witchcraft in order to save his life. Elizabeth, understanding the moral weight of the situation, encourages him to make the right decision, which, in her view, means not lying and not compromising his honor. Her statement reflects her internal sense of right and wrong. The second quote is from Francis Nurse, “My wife is the very brick and mortar of the church, Mr. Hale. And I have no doubt that she is a good woman.” – Francis Nurse, Act 2. In this context, Francis Nurse is defending his wife, Rebecca Nurse, who has been accused of witchcraft. Despite the danger and chaos surrounding the trials, Francis stands up for his wife’s moral character, believing in her goodness without fear of the consequences. His statement reveals his deep conviction in what is right, showing that he values truth and justice over personal safety or reward. The final qoute is from Martha Corey “I am no witch. I know not what a witch is.” Martha Corey says this when she’s accused of witchcraft. Even though she faces the threat of execution, she refuses to confess to something she knows she did not do. Her statement highlights her moral integrity, she does not waver from the truth, despite the personal risk. She demonstrates a strong sense of moral conviction, choosing honesty over survival or personal gain.  

Intro: The Crucible is a powerful work of literature that delves into the harrowing events of the Salem witch phenomena, exploring the complexities of human nature by key points in discussing how one will act when lead to potentially intense consequences. Arthur Miller’s play illustrates not only the frenzy of religious fervor and mass hysteria, but also themes of deception, power, and the clash between personal integrity and societal pressure. The characters are caught in a web of lies, betrayal, and guilt, as their actions are shaped by a mix of love, fear, and heartbreak. Miller also raises profound ethical questions, challenging the contemporary beliefs and superstitions of the time, while examining how fear and the desire for control can lead to the destruction of innocent lives. Love, heartbreak, and the manipulation of truth all combine as the characters struggle to navigate a world governed by the rigid religious and social norms of the era. Ultimately, The Crucible serves as a timeless reflection on the dangers of mass hysteria and the consequences of sacrificing personal morality for the sake of survival.  

Conclusion: The conclusion that can be learned from the crucible is that the story illustrates a sense of wanting the reader to know that the morality of a time can be put to the test, many examples are discovered of this when reading the book and finding quotes by different characters who all play a critical role. An impression one may have after completing the book, is from compromising their thought patterns by learning how questioning morals standards of their time will have consequences as it did in the time of Salem. To conclude it properly one must have taken away that the inference of supernatural harm due to breaking the rules of a religion is not as effective in terms of implementing punishment because of the consequences from it as it is today, this is crucial because the crucible teaches how people used to think in the way they did at the time.  John proctor was hanged, and because of the intensity of the witch perception the punishments are severe, for example Rebbeca nurse unjustly dying. In this book it is constantly noted how unfair accusations are and how easy it is to throw people under the bus to save yourself from punishment.