The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Parris initially insists that there are no unnatural causes for Bettys illness because he fears that he will lose favor with the townspeople if witchcraft is discovered under his roof. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his . In the next few sections,I'll take a look at a group of broad themes inThe Crucible, including irony, hysteria, reputation, and power. It is used to draw away from a person's counterargument through addressing something unrelated. John Proctor surrenders his agency at the end of Act 3 in despair at the determination of the court to pursue the accusations of witchcraft and ignore all evidence of their falsehood. The meaning of HYPOCRISY is a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. What are their strengths and personal flaws? The madness begins in earnest with Abigails claim that Tituba and Ruth were conjuring spirits in the woods. We hear a lot about hypocrisy, or when someone's actions don't match up with the professed values. I highly recommend you use this site! In telling people they must confess to their crimes or be hanged, the officials show that they have already decided the person is guilty no matter what evidence is provided in their defense. Rebecca Nurse's accusation further demonstrates the hypocrisy in the play. MPP friends writing about life, love, and everything else in between together. Abigails power skyrockets as the hysteria grows more severe. The thematic significance of hysteria builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out." The second major theme in The Crucible (and one that teachers often ask about) is fear and hysteria. In the case of a play like The Crucible, themes are revealed mainly through the dialogue of the characters. By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. Each new false confession is thrown onto the pile of evidence of a grand Satanic plot, and as the pile grows larger, the hysteria surrounding it is fed generously. Miller's portrayal of women in The Crucible is a much-discussed topic. John Proctor sabotages his own reputation in Act 3 after realizing it's the only way he can discredit Abigail. Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Arthur Miller used this notion of hypocrisy when he wrote The Crucible to show us the theme, or underlying message, that a hypocritical society can be dangerous.