Question

Danforth warns John: “We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.” This refers to a crucible, the namesake of the play, where metals are melted down to their essence in hot fires in order to make them more pure (it also refers to a severe and searching test). In an essay of approximately 150 words, how have the events of the play been a crucible for the people of Salem so far? What have the scorching fires of the crucible revealed about the people of Salem? Your essay may focus on a single character or several, but be sure to cite specific evidence from the text to support your analysis.

Answer 1

Answer:

Salem residents are on the lookout for one another, but they are also lying in court. Salem's residents lied to the court, as evidenced by the raging hot fire. The court will not stand by these falsehoods since they taint their good name and the good name of those charged. There were 91 inhabitants who signed the document, stating that they believed their neighbors were not practicing witchcraft and that nothing would happen to them as a result of Francis' word, but Parris wants to question everyone who signed the paper. The court believes Proctor lied because Elizabeth lied to the court, something the court was unaware of because Proctor said Elizabeth never lies. There are so many falsehoods in the court that Abigail begins to lie about Mary Warrens doing witchcraft on the girls and Abigail as well, but the court has no way of knowing if Abigail is lying or not.