Empowerment Of People In "The Crucible" Essay

The Empowerment of children in The Crucible

During the late-seventeenth century, the witchcraft trials arose. Women, who have always been oppressed by social norms, and in this topic are, truthfully, merely children, took advantage of the situation. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, Abigail Williams and Mary Warren, who were once powerless, became empowered by deciding the fate of the people or, in the case of Abigail, by controlling and threatening people.

In Salem, Massachusetts, children were strictly disciplined. Miller comments in his prose before the events begin to unfold how the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, until bidden to speak (4). Before the witchcraft trials and accusations had begun, children were what you call well-disciplined; they were powerless under the authority of the patriarchal society. Children had no power to roam freely, doing as they pleased.

Abigail Williams, a perfect example of a child who becomes empowered, controls and threatens the girls to be silent about them practicing witchcraft in the forest. When Betty and Mary Warren start to get scared and want to tell the adults about their doing, Abigail threatens them: Now look you I will come to you in the black of some terrible night bring a reckoning that will shudder you I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down (Miller 20). This quote tells us that Abigail is showing who is in charge. She has no power at first, but then becomes empowered over the group of girls and maintains that power over them through fear and threats. Abigail, who was once powerless, now has the power to take control of her peers by threatening them to do her will.

Mary Warren, John Proctors servant, accuses him of making her sign a contract with the devil. During court, it seems that Mary Warren is associated with being a witch, but she accuses Proctor of making her compact with the devil: He come to me by night and every day to sign [the devils book.] My name, he want my name, Ill murder you, he says, if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court, he says (Miller 124). Mary Warren, who has been accused of compacting with the devil, implicates John Proctor of making her do it when she tries to tell the truth but becomes overpowered by Abigail. In fear and intimidated by Abigail, Mary Warren turns on Proctor.