Who Is To Blame For The Tragic Events In Miller's The Crucible

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In The Crucible, many themes are portrayed throughout the story. Many people in Salem are paranoid, due to the recent accusations of many of the townspeople of witchcraft; so, this caused the people of the town to act very differently and oddly. Many of the townspeople show many different behaviors. Who is to blame for the tragic events in the Crucible? Throughout this story, two of the major themes being portrayed are the themes of guilt and revenge.

During The Crucible, there are many instances in which revenge is being sought out by residents of Salem.

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“Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things [we did], 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 can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!”. This comes from Abigail scolding the girls on what she will do if they ever tell about what they did.

She threatens them with a “pointy reckoning” that will “shudder” them. By threatening them she’ll be able to control the way that these girls think, keeping her plan of revenge on a straightforward path. “How may we blame ourselves? I am one of nine sons; the Putnam seed has peopled this province. And yet I have but one child left of eight—and now she shrivels!”. This goes further in-depth into how Thomas Putnam feels.

He feels that there is no other explanation for the death of his children, other than witchcraft. Putnam feels as if there has been someone killing his children, hence the reason he says, “How may we blame ourselves?”. This comes into play later as well, as Mr. and Mrs. Putnam begin to accuse Francis Nurse of killing their babies. “She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!”. (1.137-139) Abigail here is explaining to her uncle, Rev. Parris, that Elizabeth Proctor hates her because she is a “lying, cold, sniveling woman”. When in fact, the real reason is that she was taken away from John Proctor, who she has now become obsessed with.

Finally, who is to blame for the tragic events in the Crucible? In Salem, a lot of residents of the time are either guilty or not guilty. Some people, are guilty whilst not being convicted, and others are not guilty while yet feeling guilt. “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart. I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!”. (1.465-472) Abigail wants to believe that John is still in love with her. Probably because she can’t quite get over John Proctor; so, she’s still trying to hang on to whatever remnants of their relationship that she can. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again.”. (1.450-452) In this excerpt, John is stating here how he feels guilty for their previous affair. But, he feels enough guilt to where he says he will cut his hand off before he ever reaches for her again. “It is not my soul, John, it is yours. Only be sure of this, for I know it no Whatever you will do, it is a good man does it. I have read my own heart these three months, John. I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery… I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love.”. Elizabeth blames herself for the affair between John and Abigail. She also refers to herself as a “cold wife”, something that John had called her earlier in the story. This time, she says if she wasn’t such a cold wife he wouldn’t have felt the need to commit adultery.