ImaBronsonBear
10-13-2008, 05:10 PM
Ok, this year i have an English teacher who has...issues...with to be verbs; is, are, be. So one rendition of my essay has only 3 to be verbs, the other has about 20. My brain is so fried right now that i can't tell which one sounds better, so which one do you like better?
It Is Fear and Nothing Else
Arthur Miller dramatizes in his play, The Crucible, the fear and catastrophe that accompanies the Salem witch trials in the 1600s. The court of Salem firmly believes that the devil attacks the children who accuse people of witchery. But as Miller makes very clear, human emotions and desires lead much, if not all, of the crying out and accusations. Abigail shows that jealousy is her foremost motivation when indicting Goody Proctor, while fear drives many of the other decisions in this play.
When Abigail accuses Goody Proctor of witchcraft, it is not the devil that afflicts her; it is a passionate jealousy of Elizabeth’s husband. Earlier that summer, Abigail had an affair with John Proctor, but when he refuses her request to continue it, she exclaims that “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! … 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!” (157). Abigail’s jealousy begins here; she wants John Proctor but cannot have him because his wife is in the way. Even though she knows she is sinning, she will not quell her lust, and so must continue to satisfy her envy’s wants. Abigail is the first person to call out Goody Proctor’s name in the court, accusing her of attacking her spirit (193-194). In Abigail’s mind, this is a great way to get rid of Goody Proctor. Get her accused as a witch, get her hung, and Abigail can now be the new Mrs. Proctor! Not. No one takes the accusation seriously, so Abigail must take it a step further and at the supper table “she falls to the floor … and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And [Parris] goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she…testify it were [Elizabeth Proctor’s] familiar spirit pushed it in” (208). Abigail’s envy of John Proctor’s wife is so fierce that she is willing to go to the point of self-mutilation. To Abigail, this is not a passing fancy. It is a serious obsession that blinds her to all else. As Abigail clearly shows, the devil does not have as much part in her accusation as the very real and human sentiment of jealousy.
However, even more universal and all-governing than jealousy is the fear that reigns in the heart and governs the decisions of nearly every person in Salem at this time. When the rumor begins to go around that the girls were not only dancing but performing witchcraft in the forest, Tituba, followed by others, declare, “I want to open myself! … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (181). All of them know that the punishment for witchery is death, so they shift the blame by proclaiming that other people made them do it. It is fear and nothing else that makes them claim to “see” other people with the devil. Fear not only leads the first crying out, but continues to accompany it, as when John Proctor forces Mary Warren to recant, but under Abigail’s threats withdraws her renunciation: “Mary, do you send this shadow on me?...Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” (240, 246). Terror of an accusation drives Mary Warren to recant the truth. The horror is so intense that she is willing to blind herself to reality simply because she is scared. Fear of shame also postpones John Proctor’s decision to go to court and testify against Abigail, but when his wife insists, he exclaims that “it speaks deceit, and I am honest!” (196). John sees that if he testifies, he must also bring his affair to light. He feels that his name is the only thing he has left to stand by, and he is afraid lest that name should be put to shame. The terror of accusation or embarrassment greatly influences many of the characters’ decisions.
As Arthur Miller makes obvious in this play, the devil has no part in any of these so called “bewitchings.” Emotions lead people to either accuse someone or hide something. The cover of the “devil’s work” allow deep-seated jealousies, fears, and vengeances to come into light of day. Abigail uses this pretense to try to get Goody Proctor hanged, while fear induces others to lie, to conceal the truth, or to imagine untruths to protect and save themselves.
Next rendition:
Arthur Miller dramatizes in his play, The Crucible, the fear and catastrophe that accompanies the Salem witch trials in the 1600s. The court of Salem firmly believes that the devil attacks the children who accuse people of witchery. But as Miller makes very clear, human emotions and desires lead much, if not all, of the crying out and accusations. Abigail shows that jealousy is her foremost motivation when indicting Goody Proctor, while fear drives many of the other decisions in this play.
The devil does not influence Abigail when she accuses Goody Proctor of witchcraft; her passionate jealousy of Elizabeth’s husband poisons her mind and leads her to this lie. Earlier that summer, Abigail had an affair with John Proctor, but when he refuses her request to continue it, she exclaims that “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! … 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!” (157). Abigail’s jealousy begins here; she wants John Proctor but cannot have him because of his wife. Even though she knows she is sinning, she will not quell her lust, and so must continue to satisfy her envy’s wants. Abigail accuses Goody Proctor of attacking her spirit, and she becomes the first person to call out her name in the court (193-194). In Abigail’s mind, she can get the court to accuse Goody Proctor as a witch, and then get her to be hanged. Then Abigail can now be the new Mrs. Proctor! Not. No one takes the accusation seriously, so Abigail must take it a step further and at the supper table “she falls to the floor … and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And [Parris] goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she…testify it were [Elizabeth Proctor’s] familiar spirit pushed it in” (208). Abigail’s fierce envy of John Proctor’s wife progresses to the point of self-mutilation. Abigail’s serious obsession with John blinds her to all else. As Abigail clearly shows, the devil does not have as much part in her accusation as the very real and human sentiment of jealousy.
However, the fear that reigns in the heart governs the decisions of nearly every person in Salem at this time. When the rumor begins to go around that the girls were not only dancing but performing witchcraft in the forest, Tituba, followed by others, declare, “I want to open myself! … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (181). All of them know the punishment for witchery, so they shift the blame by proclaiming that other people made them do it. Fear and nothing else makes them claim to “see” other people with the devil. Fear not only leads the first crying out, but continues to accompany it, as when John Proctor forces Mary Warren to recant, but under Abigail’s threats withdraws her renunciation: “Mary, do you send this shadow on me?...Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” (240, 246). Terror of an accusation drives Mary Warren to recant the truth. The intense horror makes her blind herself to reality. Fear of shame also postpones John Proctor’s decision to go to court and testify against Abigail, but when his wife insists, he exclaims that “it speaks deceit, and I am honest!” (196). John sees that if he testifies, he must also bring his affair to light. He feels that his name is the only thing he has left to stand by, and he does not want that name put to shame. The terror of accusation or embarrassment greatly influences many of the characters’ decisions.
As Arthur Miller makes obvious in this play, the devil has no part in any of these so called “bewitchings.” Emotions lead people to either accuse someone or hide something. The cover of the “devil’s work” allows deep-seated jealousies, fears, and vengeances to come into light of day. Abigail uses this pretense to try to get Goody Proctor hanged, while fear induces others to lie, to conceal the truth, or to imagine untruths to protect and save themselves.
Big kudos to you if you actually read all of that.:)
It Is Fear and Nothing Else
Arthur Miller dramatizes in his play, The Crucible, the fear and catastrophe that accompanies the Salem witch trials in the 1600s. The court of Salem firmly believes that the devil attacks the children who accuse people of witchery. But as Miller makes very clear, human emotions and desires lead much, if not all, of the crying out and accusations. Abigail shows that jealousy is her foremost motivation when indicting Goody Proctor, while fear drives many of the other decisions in this play.
When Abigail accuses Goody Proctor of witchcraft, it is not the devil that afflicts her; it is a passionate jealousy of Elizabeth’s husband. Earlier that summer, Abigail had an affair with John Proctor, but when he refuses her request to continue it, she exclaims that “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! … 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!” (157). Abigail’s jealousy begins here; she wants John Proctor but cannot have him because his wife is in the way. Even though she knows she is sinning, she will not quell her lust, and so must continue to satisfy her envy’s wants. Abigail is the first person to call out Goody Proctor’s name in the court, accusing her of attacking her spirit (193-194). In Abigail’s mind, this is a great way to get rid of Goody Proctor. Get her accused as a witch, get her hung, and Abigail can now be the new Mrs. Proctor! Not. No one takes the accusation seriously, so Abigail must take it a step further and at the supper table “she falls to the floor … and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And [Parris] goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she…testify it were [Elizabeth Proctor’s] familiar spirit pushed it in” (208). Abigail’s envy of John Proctor’s wife is so fierce that she is willing to go to the point of self-mutilation. To Abigail, this is not a passing fancy. It is a serious obsession that blinds her to all else. As Abigail clearly shows, the devil does not have as much part in her accusation as the very real and human sentiment of jealousy.
However, even more universal and all-governing than jealousy is the fear that reigns in the heart and governs the decisions of nearly every person in Salem at this time. When the rumor begins to go around that the girls were not only dancing but performing witchcraft in the forest, Tituba, followed by others, declare, “I want to open myself! … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (181). All of them know that the punishment for witchery is death, so they shift the blame by proclaiming that other people made them do it. It is fear and nothing else that makes them claim to “see” other people with the devil. Fear not only leads the first crying out, but continues to accompany it, as when John Proctor forces Mary Warren to recant, but under Abigail’s threats withdraws her renunciation: “Mary, do you send this shadow on me?...Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” (240, 246). Terror of an accusation drives Mary Warren to recant the truth. The horror is so intense that she is willing to blind herself to reality simply because she is scared. Fear of shame also postpones John Proctor’s decision to go to court and testify against Abigail, but when his wife insists, he exclaims that “it speaks deceit, and I am honest!” (196). John sees that if he testifies, he must also bring his affair to light. He feels that his name is the only thing he has left to stand by, and he is afraid lest that name should be put to shame. The terror of accusation or embarrassment greatly influences many of the characters’ decisions.
As Arthur Miller makes obvious in this play, the devil has no part in any of these so called “bewitchings.” Emotions lead people to either accuse someone or hide something. The cover of the “devil’s work” allow deep-seated jealousies, fears, and vengeances to come into light of day. Abigail uses this pretense to try to get Goody Proctor hanged, while fear induces others to lie, to conceal the truth, or to imagine untruths to protect and save themselves.
Next rendition:
Arthur Miller dramatizes in his play, The Crucible, the fear and catastrophe that accompanies the Salem witch trials in the 1600s. The court of Salem firmly believes that the devil attacks the children who accuse people of witchery. But as Miller makes very clear, human emotions and desires lead much, if not all, of the crying out and accusations. Abigail shows that jealousy is her foremost motivation when indicting Goody Proctor, while fear drives many of the other decisions in this play.
The devil does not influence Abigail when she accuses Goody Proctor of witchcraft; her passionate jealousy of Elizabeth’s husband poisons her mind and leads her to this lie. Earlier that summer, Abigail had an affair with John Proctor, but when he refuses her request to continue it, she exclaims that “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! … 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!” (157). Abigail’s jealousy begins here; she wants John Proctor but cannot have him because of his wife. Even though she knows she is sinning, she will not quell her lust, and so must continue to satisfy her envy’s wants. Abigail accuses Goody Proctor of attacking her spirit, and she becomes the first person to call out her name in the court (193-194). In Abigail’s mind, she can get the court to accuse Goody Proctor as a witch, and then get her to be hanged. Then Abigail can now be the new Mrs. Proctor! Not. No one takes the accusation seriously, so Abigail must take it a step further and at the supper table “she falls to the floor … and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And [Parris] goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she…testify it were [Elizabeth Proctor’s] familiar spirit pushed it in” (208). Abigail’s fierce envy of John Proctor’s wife progresses to the point of self-mutilation. Abigail’s serious obsession with John blinds her to all else. As Abigail clearly shows, the devil does not have as much part in her accusation as the very real and human sentiment of jealousy.
However, the fear that reigns in the heart governs the decisions of nearly every person in Salem at this time. When the rumor begins to go around that the girls were not only dancing but performing witchcraft in the forest, Tituba, followed by others, declare, “I want to open myself! … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (181). All of them know the punishment for witchery, so they shift the blame by proclaiming that other people made them do it. Fear and nothing else makes them claim to “see” other people with the devil. Fear not only leads the first crying out, but continues to accompany it, as when John Proctor forces Mary Warren to recant, but under Abigail’s threats withdraws her renunciation: “Mary, do you send this shadow on me?...Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” (240, 246). Terror of an accusation drives Mary Warren to recant the truth. The intense horror makes her blind herself to reality. Fear of shame also postpones John Proctor’s decision to go to court and testify against Abigail, but when his wife insists, he exclaims that “it speaks deceit, and I am honest!” (196). John sees that if he testifies, he must also bring his affair to light. He feels that his name is the only thing he has left to stand by, and he does not want that name put to shame. The terror of accusation or embarrassment greatly influences many of the characters’ decisions.
As Arthur Miller makes obvious in this play, the devil has no part in any of these so called “bewitchings.” Emotions lead people to either accuse someone or hide something. The cover of the “devil’s work” allows deep-seated jealousies, fears, and vengeances to come into light of day. Abigail uses this pretense to try to get Goody Proctor hanged, while fear induces others to lie, to conceal the truth, or to imagine untruths to protect and save themselves.
Big kudos to you if you actually read all of that.:)