Common sense in Salem Essay Example

Common sense in Salem Essay Example Common sense in Salem Essay Common sense in Salem Essay Witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime is it not? Therefore who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. In Arthur Millars The Crucible logic and superstition are manipulated and entwined in a re-enactment of the Salem witch trials in America in the 1690s. The governing system of Salem is a theocracy; the religious heads of the society make decisions and have power. Because the bible states that witches exist, when accusations of witchcraft start theyre taken as being reasonable before considering the circumstances surrounding them, thus superstition overcomes reason. Millar makes vivid the triumph of superstition by the symbolism of light in settings; light being symbolic of reason or goodliness and darkness being of evil or superstitions, His use of characterization of two key characters Proctor and Rebecca Nurse who are convicted and by the use of plot development, and also of reverend Hales conflicting views throughout the play. Millar makes vivid the triumph of superstition over common sense by the use of imagery and the symbolism of light in the settings in The Crucible. In the first description of the reverends house, where Betty fakes her illness, there is a symbolic image of light; there is a narrow window at the left. Through its leaded panes the morning sunlight streams. This depicts a small window letting cracks of light into the room. The significance of the light entering being sunlight is important as the sun is often associated with gods, especially in the culture of American Indians who believe that the sun is their god. The sun comes from high above, like heaven, which is significant as the small cracks represent the small amount of heaven and therefore reasoning that is filtering through the room. Danforth later declares we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world Danforth is directly referring to darkness as being a symbol that is disguising goodness (In the form of light). The triumph of superstition is shown by the irony of what he says because it is clear to the reader that Salems way of life is cloudier of common sense than it ever has been. The words of the supposedly highest intellectual ; who has been entrusted by the community of Salem with the right to end the lives of John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and many others shows no reason or analysis and his decisions are based solely on superstitious accusations. It is clear here that his sense of logic and reason couldnt be more wrong, Millars presentation of this makes vivid the triumph of superstition over evil. In the last few lines of The Crucible Elizabeth has accepted Proctors death as a condemnation of the church and has lost her husband for her cause, the common sense each of these Characters possesses is one that overcomes superstition. The goodness reflected in Elizabeth is shown in the last scene as the stage directions state that the new sun is pouring upon her face it underlines the goodness within her as heaven shines onto her. Elizabeths actions are deemed good so the actions of society are deemed bad. Thus the triumph of superstition over reason in the town is made vivid. Millar Makes vivid the triumph of superstition over reason by the characterization of Rebecca Nurse, a key characters in the Crucible. At The exposition of the play, when Reverend Hale meets Rebecca Nurse he states that we have heard of your great charities as far as Beverly this shows that Rebecca has a great deal of respect as a devout Christian woman not only in Salem but also abroad. There is a class system in Salem based on the Christian standing of the individual, Rebecca nurse therefore was in the highest class and had the highest level of respect in the town. It took little persuasion for the townspeople to believe that someone who was in a low class, and whose morals were questionable, was in fact a witch. To convict a low class citizen is a triumph of superstition over reason but not a great one. However when the highest members of standing in the town are convicted of witchcraft it is really made vivid to the reader that the members of the community which accept and condone the sentencing have let superstition overcome their reason and common sense Rebecca Nurse is no Bridget that lived three year with Bishop before she married him. Thus Millar depicts the triumph of superstition over common sense by the progression of how higher class members will be accepted as being guilty in the court. The triumph is made vivid by the conviction of Rebecca Nurse; the epitome of good in Salem, because her life has been completely pure no logic could declare her a witch therefore superstition has completely triumphed. Millar also characterizes John Proctor who is also very upper-class, he is spoken of by Cheever: I know this man all my life, it is a good man, sir this stands as a character reference and shows his good standing. John is later convicted of witchcraft for defending his wife; an action the reader would deem as being honorable. He is sentenced to hang when he will not confess to witchcraft, yet it is common knowledge that John Proctor is no Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin John Proctor is a respectable man who is an unlikely candidate for witchcraft. After the sentencing of his wife, John states that God is dead the Judges take this as being heretical, yet if they examined it with reason they would see that he means that God is not being fairly represented in the court, their blindness to see fairly shows their lack of common sense, this combined with their tendency to believing superstitious accusations which are not factual, show the triumph of superstition over common sense in Salem, it is made vivid by the progression in which they will un-hesitantly condemn a person of such high standing in the community to death .