The individuals of Salem all have the need to belong and this leads to the problem of manipulation which is used to earn the characters status and increase their reputation. In Salem reputation is important and many of the characters will go to extremes to protect their reputation epically those members of the theocracy. The theocracy is an unjust system which punishes all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.
These problems are what leads to the ultimate tragedy and kills many people in Salem.Manipulation is a constant theme of the play, it is the protagonist of the hysteria in Salem and is used as weapon by Abigail to gain herself power and authority. At the beginning of the play manipulation is used by Abigail and the girls to get themselves out of trouble but as the play progresses so dose manipulation and hysteria. Manipulation is no longer used to get the girls out of trouble, it is being used to accuse people of witchcraft and sentence people to their deaths.
'And folks are brought before them, and if they scream and howl and fall to the floor-the persons clapped in jail for bewitchin' them.This is a problem that the individuals face because the characters have to live with the constant fear of being accused of witchcraft and if they are accused there is nothing that they can do to defend themselves. If they are accused death is on the table unless they confess, but confessing means lying which is a sin so the good people of Salem who are devoted to god have to either chose to die or lye and sin against god. Reputation is a common problem that individuals face thought acts one and two, it influences the decisions made by the Characters and their actions.Abigail is an unmarried orphan girl but after the events of act one she is now considered godly and is respected and has a huge increases in status and reputation.
'She speak of Abigail, and I thought she were a saint, to hear her. Abigail brings the other girls into court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel. ' This quote illustrates Abigail’s rise in status and the power that she nows possesses over the people of Salam. Abigail’s new authority is dangerous for Elizabeth Procter as Abigail wants to take Elizabeths place in John Proctors heart.This desire will cause Abigail to go to extremes to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.
Procter and Abigail had an intimate relationship earlier in the book and this puts Procter in a compromising position, he has to chose to tell the truth which could ruin Abigail’s status or keep quite and save his status and reputation. 'She will ruin you with it, I know she will' Mary Warren responds to Procter when he plans on confessing 'Good. Then her saintliness is done with' John replies while trying to convince Marry Warren to help him.The theocracy and need to be true to god also has a major impact on the reputations of the characters and it impacts the actions they take. Reputation is a problem that individuals face with belonging because reputation can be the difference between being high up on the social ladder of Salem or being classed as an outsider with no status. Status is a desire that all the characters give into during the play, it impacts their decisions and actions and can sometimes be the difference between life and death.
The theocracy in Salem is unjust, the people of the theocracy and their followers cover their guilt and sins under accusations against victims and as the play progresses it becomes patriotic and holy to do so. This is a problem for the individuals of Salem because the theocracy and god is what the people of Salem base their whole lives upon.This is particularly a problem for individuals such as John Procter who live by their own morals, John doesn't attended church because he doesn't agree with Paris, this is seen as incorrect and because he choses to make his own decisions and not go along with society this gets him into trouble. I note that you are rarely in the church on Sabbath day' Hale criticises, Miller has written this as a statement not a question therefore not giving proctor time to respond and also heightening Hales authority. Most people of Salem either follow or belong to the theocracy because not belonging to it is seen as defying god and therefore partnering with the devil and witchcraft which leads to death. Not all the characters are as strong as Procter and give into the theocracy and its teachings.
The crucible really highlights the needs and desires that individuals have to belong. The play magnifies the extent that individuals will go to, to increase their status and reputation in society it also exhibits the injustice that they are capable of to gain power and protect themselves. All the characters struggle with belonging in some way and their problems and the problems of the Salem community and the people around them are what drives the decisions and actions that the characters make throughout the play.
