Stage Directions Show Parris's Great Fear example essay topic

The Crucible explores the quality of human evil and individual integrity through character, conflict and dialogue. The play consists of a good verse evil theme, in which characters either hold personal integrity, or human evil, each for different motives. The whole play of The Crucible is based on the emphasis of personal integrity, which shows the strength of characters, and their struggle between life and death to hold their integrity. Characters such as the Proctors, Giles Corey and Rebecca Nurse are great representatives of personal integrity. Proctor, is the most significant character in the play, who represents personal integrity, the main scene which shows the importance of personal integrity is the closing scene of the play. John Proctor holds a significant part in this scene, he has a choice between life or death, after signing the confession, he rips it up finding out that his name will be nailed on the church door.

The stage directions at the very end, emphasise to the audience that in order for Proctor to retain his honour he had to die. Dialogue is another technique used to demonstrate personal integrity, Proctor states "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life" This expresses that Proctor would rather keep his name and die then have his name blackened by a lie. Elizabeth Proctor and Rebecca Nurse also hold minor parts in the demonstration of personal integrity. Elizabeth Proctors main significance occurs in the last scene where she says "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him" This expresses the importance of truth and the personal integrity of John Proctor, in that he has done the right thing now.

Rebecca Nurse displays the truth, Christianity and the innocence of the play. Like most other minor characters in the play, they display a truth, in that they would rather die a saint then confess to a lie. The characters of the play will not confess and destroy their name and condemn the community. Giles Corey displays a sense of personal integrity when he will not confess to anything, and will not answer questions for the court, in fact he died as great stones lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay and he gave them two words, "more weight". Giles Corey "stand mute, and died Christian under the law". This way his sons had his farm and he could not be condemned.

Proctor and Hale illustrate personal struggle in the play, as they struggle for the truth and right and wrong. Mary Warren struggles also but was too weak to win the battle for personal integrity, it also shows her weakness and need to protect herself. Characters such as Putnam, Paris, Abigail and the girls demonstrate human evil in the play. The girls are significant in the play, they are the beginning of the crying out towards witchcraft, it all starts harmlessly, but to protect themselves they cry out against the community and cannot allow the truth to be found out. Abigail is the main lead, she is a lustful character, and will do anything to get rid of Elizabeth Proctor, so she can have John Proctor. This harmless mischief that starts at the beginning of the play turns fatal, Abigail would do anything to protect herself and he name, the spiteful character plots for Elizabeth Proctor to be framed so she will be condemned.

Abigail and the girls cry out against anyone who threatens them with the truth, to protect themselves they turn the story around and accuse others. The Putnam's display a rather large amount of human evil. Ann Putnam, a highly superstitious woman believes for unnatural reasons, her 7 babies died. Ann Putnam provokes the superstition of witchcraft, and convinces the court of these superstitions, accusing such innocent people as Rebecca nurse and Sarah Good. Thomas Putnam represents high levels of human greed. He cries out against the community, and encourages Ruth, his daughter to cry out against people whose land he wants.

Putnam's greed and egocentric self is a source of the quality of human evil present in the play. Innocent people are being condemned because of his greed and so called need of land. Reverend Samuel Parris is paranoiac, who was greedy and not respected by most of the town. Parris is determined the town wants to bring him down, and at the beginning of the play states his fear by saying "There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?" His anger and accusations provide evidence to the responder of the play, that Parris holds great fear. Parris uses his authority as a minister to bring down the community of Salem.

Fear and greed dominate Parris's actions of human evil. Later on in the play, when Proctor cries out against the court, Parris is very quick to jump to assumptions and accusations. He tries to ignore the subject and will not hear what Proctor has to say in case what he has may contradict his job and his decisions. Stage directions show Parris's great fear when being confronted by Proctor. "Parris nervously moves over and reads over Danforth's shoulder"sweating", all of these show his fear. Scripts such as "This is a clear attack upon the court" show his effort to turn the court against Proctor and save himself.

Parris's anxiousness to justify his own actions in the court, show his human evil. Throughout the play the quality of human evil and individual integrity is explored. The theme of good verse bad is demonstrated through characters in particular and their characteristics. Dialogue and stage directions contribute to these representations of characters.