HSC english common mod - crucible - quotes

Paragraph 1 thesis

Miller illustrates how institutional theocracy thrives off ideological obedience and a conforming collective worldview, crafting a paradoxical system where survival necessitates complicity and dissent is pathologised as heresy.

"a barbaric frontier" at "the edge of wilderness",

Through the authorial intrusion, Miller situates Salem on "a barbaric frontier" at "the edge of wilderness", establishing in the protasis an insular, hegemonic society plagued by binary thinking. The villager's necessity for survival on this frontier exposes the inconsistencies of a theocracy whose proclaimed moral superiority becomes a mechanism of punishment against dissent.

"two diametrically opposed absolutes...God's beard...[and]...the Devil's horns",

This is buttressed by the villagers' ideological conformity to a collective worldview of "two diametrically opposed absolutes...God's beard...[and]...the Devil's horns", where the motif of God vs Devil polarises an intensifying rivalry between Good and Evil in accordance with standardised puritan values, where religion indoctrinates the townspeople. Thus, Miller highlights the collective fear of ostracism, where the need for belonging and theological authenticity motivates conformist behaviour.

"I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads

· Abigail acts bossy

· She is traumatised from seeing her parents' death = human experience that motivates her Machiavellian tendencies and defensiveness

· "I will not black my face for any of them!" [With ill-concealed resentment at him]" high modality stage direction explanatory tone

· motivates her vindictiveness

"obscene practise(s)" and "abominations"

Furthermore, Church leader Parris is paradoxical in his human connectivity to his daughter Betty as he refuses to sacrifice his religious authority and denounce the theocracy by admitting to the "obscene practise(s)" and "abominations" occurring in his house. His quality of reputation obsessivity restricts his empathy towards the subjects he's supposed to spiritually lead in a didactic way.

Paragraph 2 thesis

Miller interrogates the inconsistencies between qualitative emotional repression and ideological rigidity through their corrosion of justice and intimate human connection, exposing how reputation strains moral retribution and condemns communal bonds under the theocracy's merging of the public and private spheres.

The strained relationship between the Proctors during the rising action (Act2-3)

The strained relationship between the Proctors during the rising action (Act2-3) the emotional toll of societal restrictions, as Elizabeth’s reaction to John’s infidelity manifests in emotional distance and poor communication – merging the public and private spheres. In

"the magistrate lies in your heart judges you"

In Act 2 Elizabeth exasperates, "the magistrate lies in your heart judges you" with the magistrate as a metaphor for John's guilty conscience and less her or any outside judgment, foreshadowing his need for sanctification through the renouncing of his self-preservative behaviour to overcome his hamartia and hubris - following his adultery with Abigail.

"Elizabeth(s') justice would freeze beer" + "lay in fire"

In proximity Proctor remarks "Elizabeth['s'] justice would freeze beer" paralleling Abigails association with heat as they "lay in fire" harnessing the extended motif of temperature to convey the fracture of their relationship and growing hostility.

"recite your (biblical) commandments!"

Furthermore, the repeated order to "recite your (biblical) commandments!" as a tool to accuse witchcraft exposes the punitive Puritan theocracy and idealism of the witch hunts as paradoxical in their direct condemnation to the 9th commandment.

This is weaponised by Mary Warren

This is weaponised by, Mary Warren who serves as a foil to the congenial qualities of the "good" Proctor's, establishing a dichotomy between naivety and reason through Mary Warren's succumbing to the hysteric masses.

Parallels Miller's purpose...

Parallels Miller's purpose during the red scare where those othered were autonomous with the enemy

Paragraph 3 thesis

Ultimately, Miller elevates free thought and integrity as radical acts of resistance, recasting moral clarity as a redemptive force that enables the emergence of anomalous individuals who defy the majority’s self-preservative cowardice.

"because it is my name... I cannot have another in my life"

In the catastrophe proctor remains anomalous by abstaining from falsely confessing arguing "because it is my name... I cannot have another in my life" where the Materialistic value of his name symbolises his psychological relinquishing of his obsession with reputation. This signifies his anagnorisis and furthers his anomalousness from the hysteric masses through his integrous action, serving as a catalyst for his ultimate catharsis. - Proctor achieves moral clarity by remaining true to his integrity, upholding the preservation of truth, which ultimately leads to the sanctification of his past sins.

"blood on my head"

Metaphor "blood on my head" = for guilt and moral responsibility as a pioneer of judicial truth and moral absolutism in the theocracy but Hale overcomes this. Seeing himself as spiritually strained as he played a role in the deaths of innocent people.

Pathos = provoke sympathy and guilt in Danforth

Exclamatory tone = emotional catharsis = shifts from rational religious authority to a tormented conscious-driven man, inconsistent in his beliefs and Through Hale's catharsis, Hale dissents against Danforth's authority, he even uses pathos in order to garner some sense of empathy from Danforth, urging him to realise this sort of Kafkaesque situation

Elz says Hale's claim that life is "God's greatest gift" is "closer to the Devil's argument"

Elizabeth says that Hale's claims for life as "gods great gift" is closer to the Devil's argument" as her need for personal connection climaxes in her staying true to Proctor's choice.

"Blood on my head"

Metaphor "blood on my head" = for guilt and moral responsibility as a pioneer of judicial truth and moral absolutism in the theocracy but Hale overcomes this. Seeing himself as spiritually strained as he played a role in the deaths of innocent people.

- Exclamatory tone = emotional catharsis = shifts from rational religious authority to a tormented conscious-driven man, inconsistent in his beliefs and Through Hale's catharsis, Hale dissents against Danforth's authority, he even uses pathos in order to garner some sense of empathy from Danforth, urging him to realise this sort of Kafkaesque situation.

- it is paradoxical that the judges (pick one and have example quote) are aiming to remove hysteria but instead are further contributing to its infectiousness.

- Pathos = provoke sympathy and guilt in Danforth (I am not empowered to trade your life for a lie) = ironic cos he does = embodies the theocracy and its inconsistencies