Miller’s Principle Concern in The Crucible is the Importance of Justice. Do you
agree?
In The Crucible, Miller explores how equality and fairness become vital for how
Salem functions as a community. Even though many of the accused characters
are innocent, the absence of a just and truthful court system means that
innocence becomes less important than what those in power want for
themselves. With the collapse of Salem, Miller draws importance to the need
for honesty.
Despite the fact that Hale knows that Elizabeth is innocent, he can not do
anything to prove her to be not guilty. Hale’s goal to begin with was to undo
the devil’s work in Salem, but he regrets this, shown when Miller writes, ‘There
is blood on my head!’ Miller’s repetition of the phrase ‘blood on my head’
creates an atmosphere of tension and fear on stage. The word ‘blood’
suggests death, danger and violence causing the audience to fear the
consequences of the accusations. Miller creates pathos as Hale begins to
blame himself for all that has gone wrong in Salem. Therefore, Miller’s
intention to emphasise how important justice is becomes apparent as innocent
characters like Elizabeth are punished.
Miller’s intention was to explore and show that unjust behaviour can impact
on the freedom of others. This is shown when Proctor advises Mary Warren,
‘Do that which is good and no harm will come to thee.’ Proctor’s advice is
ironic though, because in Salem, telling the truth brings more harm to people
than good. His warning foreshadows the later conflict in Salem, creating
tension and suspense on stage as the audience realise that only through
dishonesty are the characters able to escape severe punishment. In
highlighting the irony behind telling the truth, Miller emphasises how vital it is
for fair government.
The Puritan society’s failure to perceive the differing views of others leads to
the truth and fairness of the community to dissemble. Parris confirms this
view by suggesting ‘All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts
in Salem’. As a result, the audience is left agitated by and ridicules the
hypocrisy of Salem’s justice system; it is ironic that the righteousness of the
community becomes distorted and the innocent pressured to confess the
‘truth’ by those who actively promote pure Christian values. Miller highlights
that Puritanism is ‘grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition,’ and as
such, Salem is susceptible to corruption of its own ideologies because those
with power are unwilling to see that it is the corrupt minority who determine
what should be believed.
The focus of Miller’s play is to explore the equality of a community run by a
strict theocratic government. This is shown when Proctor says ‘What others
say and what I sign is not the same.’ When Proctor says ‘not the same’ it
highlights that he is willing to argue with authority and therefore creates
tension on stage because the audience are left wondering if Proctor will be
successful in his determination to prove the truth. Proctor’s claim reinforces
how vital it is for the people of Salem to be treated the same way as each
other and told the truth. Miller’s focus on the importance of treating all
people in the same way draws attention to the need for justice in Salem.
The value of fair judgement is virtually non-existent in The Crucible – it boils
down to ‘confess yourself or you will hang.’ Danforth highlights this message
as the ultimatum he provides gives the accused very little choice. It is ironic
that those accused of witchcraft are forced to make the decision between
losing a good reputation or dying. Miller creates pathos through his focus on
the lack of truth and honesty during the witch trials, suggesting that those who
are treated unfairly should be pitied. As such, Miller’s focus on the value of
and need for fair judgement becomes a primary concern when considering the
importance of justice as a theme of The Crucible.