The Crucible
Essay Preview: The Crucible
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The Crucible analyzes many themes, anything from adultery to lies and deceit. The theme that played a vital role in this play but in a nonchalant way was, reputation. The character that worried about his reputation the most was Reverend Parris. From the very beginning of the story when witchcraft was suspected in the town of Salem, Parris only worried about how this suspicion will affect his appearance, not visual appearance but internal appearance, and reputation. The reputation of many people throughout the story develops their character and who they are. Their reputation affects their actions that they make. The reason for their actions depends on how that action will affect their reputation, and thats a reason why this false witchcraft incident was never put to a halt before many people were hung in Salem.
The reason that reputation is so important in the town of Salem is because of the fact that reputation is tied to the religion they practice or to their social standing. Where they stood socially predicted their religious ties they had to the church and their religious standing. Their name had everything to do with how people respect them. It is seen in The Crucible that people are called by their good name. An example of this is Goody Proctor. If they had a respectable reputation then they will be called by goody. Their good name would set forth how people respected them. If their name is good, they would get a fare court hearing and people would be more willing to trade with them in the town of Salem.
When Reverend Parris finds Abigail and the rest of the girls dancing in the woods he instantly starts to worry about his reputation and how these actions will affect his reputation in the town of Salem. He begins to question Abigail about her name in the village and if her name is “entirely white”, the reason for asking this is because Abigail was let go by Goody Proctor without a substantial reason. At first Parris says to Abigail, “Abigail I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.” (Act I), by Mr. Parris saying this it goes to show that he is only worrying about how he worked so hard to get his good name and doesnt want it to be destroyed by the witchcraft mischief that is going on.
Not only does Reverend Parris attempt to protect his reputation in The Crucible but so does John Proctor. Near Act III John Proctor has an opportunity to put a halt to the girls accusations, but more so Abigails accusations of witchcraft. He has this opportunity because of what Abigail told him early on in the play, but there was no substantial evidence to back him since they were alone. Thats not the reason he doesnt come-forth and testify that Abigail is lying. He doesnt do so, because he wants to protect his name in the