Crucible Essay, Research Paper
Vengeance is a corrupter of both persons and societies. When a
society is based on religion, it will find vengeance on its wrongdoers
or outcasts in a way that is justified by its creed. Societies such as
this will also destroy or deeply hurt the people that their vengeance is
directed toward. Furthermore, when a person lives in a society that is
based on religion and wishes to find an outlet for feelings of hatred
or jealousy, he will find an outlet that can justify his actions. A
person such as this can also corrupt his society and others around him. The
Crucible and The Scarlet Letter are helpful novels in demonstrating
this because they are both set in communities of devout faith, and each
displays corruption through vengeance.
A more in-depth example of vengeance affecting a society is provided in
The Scarlet Letter. This revenge consists in publishing the sinner’s
ignominy by public confession and physical branding. Hester is first
forced to stand in front of the town to bear her shame. She is then made to
wear the scarlet ?A? for the rest of her life. The people of this
puritan settlement take obvious pleasure in watching her humiliation, and
the gossiping women that speak as Hester first leaves the jail show this.
?It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of
mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of
such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne?? (Hawthorne 48). They find
obvious justification of this righteous and vengeful sentiment in their
religion. The gossips not only prove this, but also reflect how eager
this society is to punish people. Such vengeance that is found in
societies has a devastating effect on the individuals to whom it is directed;
Hester soon loses all of her womanly charm and enthusiasm for life.
In an observation of persons in the same religious societies, one may
find that the same conjecture can apply. The cry of witchcraft started
in The Crucible by a group of young girls that merely wished not to be
punished. When hysteria spread like wildfire, it soon became clear that
people could cry witchery on others they were jealous of or who had
wronged them in the past. They could get away with this form of revenge,
too, because they could justify it both in their own eyes and in
society?s; it would appear that they were doing the world a favor by ridding
it
themselves that it was true. The bitter Ann Putnam, wife of Thomas in The
Crucible, is a striking example. She gave birth to eight children and only
one survived, but Rebecca Nurse had numerous and healthy children as well
as many grandchildren. Ann Putnam was jealous because of this and took
much pleasure when Goody Nurse was condemned as a witch under the
charge of murdering Ann?s seven babies with her spirit. Abigail of this
novel also used religion as a vice for her vengeance. She hoped to have
John Proctor?s wife, who had cast Abigail out of her house, condemned of
witchcraft so that she could continue her affair with him. Abigail
justifies accusing Elizabeth by feeding off of what Salem had depicted the
child as being; a holy spirit sent to deliver them from evil. John
Proctor sees through this guise, and notes: ?I?ll tell you what?s walking
Salem- vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem,
but now? common vengeance writes the law!? (Miller 77). Because of these
vengeful individuals, the entire community of Salem was disturbed.
To take characters of The Scarlet Letter into consideration, Roger
Chillingworth, former husband of Hester, serves as an excellent example of how
vengeance corrupts people. His way of achieving the perfect revenge is
not immediate or physical harm to Reverend Dimmesdale but rather a slow
and deceitful process. Chillingworth feels that the real agony of sin
is not in its commission or in relieving it publicly, but rather living
in dread that it should be discovered. He spends seven years secretly
needling the priest and breaking him down. In the end, Chillingworth is
perceived as a ruined and evil man. He spent so much time concentrating
on the impairing of another that he was corrupted both morally and
emotionally.
Vengeance is proven to be an appalling and ruinous thing throughout
these two novels, The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible. Its effects can be
shown both on a whole society and on a single person. The vengeance
sought by devoutly religious persons or societies tends to be disguised as
righteous or even necessary, and damages other citizens as well as the
whole of the society. It would be sound advice to observe and study
these effects and avoid becoming victims of vengeance for envy and
personal gain in one?s society today.
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