The Crucible: A masterclass in corruption

Jasper Gifford Explores the relationship between power and corruption in “The crucible”

Arthur Miller’s classic “The Crucible” deals with ideas such as power, fear and corruption. These
ideas could not be more relevant in today’s tense political climate. Miller shows us that power, fear
and corruption are intrinsically linked, which has been proven time and time again throughout
today’s society. For example, the recent scandal that the president of the united states, Donald
Trump, allegedly threatened Ukraine into complying with an investigation into “American political
conspiracy’s”. The need to further your own agenda using fear is corrupt, such as what Donald
trump did, is exactly the view that Miller puts forward in The Crucible.
If you are unfamiliar with the crucible, it is a play about the Salem witch trials, set in the 1600’s. It is
a political allegory for the red scare fuelled by U.S Senator Joseph McCarthy in the1950’s, but that’s
a discussion for another day. Salem in the 1600’s was led by a theocracy (a system of government
with religion at the centre) run by a group of puritans. The puritans believed the bible was the direct
word of god and thus, ran the town with the bible as essentially the law. The play starts with the girls
of the town and the main antagonist Abigail being caught in the woods dancing (which was seen as
immoral and against god) by the head of the church, Reverend Parris. Out of fear, Abigail
“confesses” that the devil made her do it. This action saved herself, but also allowed her to
incriminate others, thus giving her and the other girls an immense power over the town. All of a
sudden, a bunch a unmarried girls have a vast amount of power in the patriarchal society of the
time. All they had to do was simply act, and they could accuse someone of witchcraft. During this, it
is revealed that Abigail had a short affair with the protagonist John Proctor. Proctor was highly
respected in the town, he was an “honest” famer, all he wanted to do after the affair was be a good
husband to his wife Elizabeth. Throughout the play he remains with the position that people were
not confessing out of guilt, but out of fear of getting hanged.
Throughout the entire play, Miller shows us time and time again that power gained by fear and using
fear to further your own agenda is highly corrupt. He shows this through 2 main people, Reverend
Parris and Abigail’s use of fear. Miller does this through the text, but also through the directions he
gives to the actors on how to say and act out the lines.
Before we can look more at the characters, we must briefly talk about the hierarchy of power within
Salem. As Salem was a puritanical society the people with the religious power, namely Reverend
Parris were at the top of society. Then next are the rich men, as money was and still is seen as a
major source of power. Then underneath them Were married men. Then next are married women as
women were usually seen as beneath men, but since they were married there wasn’t much men
could do. Then next were unmarried men. After that, finally unmarried women and girls, as they are
no men to “protect” them. This is the hierarchal structure that Salem followed, the religious at the
top, and the girls and the bottom.
Reverend Parris, the de facto leader of Salem led Salem using fear, specifically fear of damnation by
god. There are only two things Reverend Parris cares about, his reputation and his power. “Parris
studies her, then nods, half convinced: 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.” (P20) This line is delivered to Abigail Williams, one of the main
antagonists, while his daughter is laying sick on her bed. While his daughter’s wellbeing is unknown,
what he cares about isn’t his daughter, but his reputation. As he is the head of the church, he also
uses religious teachings to instil fear withing the town members. “PROCTOR: I have trouble enough
without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr.
Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever
mention God anymore.” (p33-34) Th is quote and the use of “Hellfire and damnation” implies that he
only preaches about the wrath of god in church. Only preaching about the wrath of god would instil
a great sense of fear withing the puritanical “Stiff-necked” townsfolk of Salem, allowing them to
become easily malleable under the protection of the church. This fear of loss of face and a fear of
losing the power he as worked towards getting allows him to become corrupt and perpetrate the lies
about witchcraft within Salem.

Abigail Williams leads the charge of the witch hunt in Salem, motivated by power and Greed. Before
the play, Abigail Williams was the maid of the Proctor family, until Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctors
Wife discovered that John and Abigail were having an affair. All of Abigail’s actions are motivated by
her need for John Proctor.” BETTY: You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that! ABIGAIL: Betty,
you never say that again! You will never—BETTY: You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John
Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” Abigail also masterfully uses fear into
getting the other girls into complying and acting along with what she was doing. “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. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to
mine.” What this quote is saying is essentially, if you talk about anything I did, I will kill you. This
scares the girls so much that act along with abby in the courtroom scene, such as whenever they
faint, or when they accuse Mary warren of being a witch.

As we saw through the alleged Donald Trump scandal, those in power today are still corrupt and still
use fear to gain control over people. Arthur Miller struggled through a time of fear and corruption
just like Salem, which is what makes is so relevant today. Personally, I see the Crucible as a warning.
A warning to not be overcome by fear, to not let those in power be corrupt and to always think
logically.