The Charlie Hebdo shooting by Muslim Extremists Essay

The Charlie Hebdo shooting by Muslim Extremists - Essay Example It is common for people to get shaken after such an attack (Là ©vy A11). However, France has shown a lot of unity in dealing with this attack as everyone is concerned and more than ever, they want unity resolved. Some extremists have twisted the entire issue to show that there is war between Europe and the Muslims but this is not the case. Getting the killers may be a difficult task since they can easily cross the borders but reinforcing the wrong ideas will only do more harm than good to the people in France (Dockterman N). I feel that France is vulnerable to more attacks similar to the Charlie Hebdo attack and the root to the problem should be addressed. Before the shooting took place, France was already a fragile state with high unemployment rates, and so many French born individuals who are youths and feel that they do not have any opportunities. Therefore, it is important that the root problems are addressed as a step to finding the solution to the attacks. Making Muslims feel they are wanted will only create fear and enmity between individuals as explained in (â€Å"Why We Are All Charlie Hebdo†

System Thinking Approach to Problem Solution

System Thinking Approach to Problem Solution Introduction System thinking is an important component in the climate system, and plays a key role in diagnosing the organisation by using different methodologies .System thinking is an approach for looking at problems from many angles, looking at the whole problem rather than parts (Jackson 2008). In this assignment the writer will explore A problem issue and use the appropriate methodology to solve the problem. Problem Situation Arab National Bank (ANB), a Saudi Joint Stock Company, is one of the top ten banks in the Middle East. Since its inception in mid- 1979, ANB has operated through its 143 local branches, 21 Womens sections and one branch in London, UK since 1991. Arab Bank offers a full range of domestic and international commercial and Islamic products and services to the retail and corporate sectors. The bank also offers consultancy and investment, mutual funds and assets management, local and international equity trading, foreign exchange and treasury services. They are several principal activities, for example, firstly, retail banking such as deposit, credit and investment products for individuals. Secondly , corporate banking such as loans , deposits and other credit products for corporate, institutional customers, small to medium sized businesses and the Banks London branch. Finally, treasury banking: manages the banks trading and investment portfolios and the banks funding and liquidity, currency, and commission risk. The banks staff currently has 3, 532 employees, of which 90 % are Saudi Citizens (ANB). The bank previously achieved significant profits in the absence of real competition and lack of banks and the Public Pension Agency transfers salaries of retirees through ANB, but recently the bank has faced several major problems such as increased staff turnover. Many qualified employees who have several responsibilities in their departments have resigned and gone to other banks. ANB is facing real challenges, particularly the emergence of new competitors with the emergence of new banks after Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization. The new banks such as Al Belad and Al Jazerah are attractive to experienced and skilled employees, because they offer high salaries and a good environment. Also, skilled employees in ANB are working under stressful circumstances; they are working for long hours without motivation. When skilled and knowledgeable employees leave Arab Bank, it is not easy to find alternative employees. This has had a bad effect on ANBs success and growth. Metaphor The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another (Lackoff and Johnson, 1980, p 5). For this study metaphors are used to explore and investigate the subsurface of our problem situation. Metaphors are considered as lenses to expose our worldview and creative thinking. They can be used to understand how different organisations work and how managers can transform their way working and recognise the hidden problems in organisations. Morgan (1997) pointed out that the metaphors in his writing are a good example of how to use metaphor in organisations. According to Mutch (2006, p19) The material on the use of metaphor in organizational analysis suggests a number of approaches. There has been considerable interest in exploring the literary devices that might be used, going beyond the use of metaphor to explore, Morgan (1986) mentions eight metaphors while Jackson (2003) added from Alvesson and Deetz (1996) a ninth one, as follows: Brain: information processing system and efficiency in solving problem. Flux and transformation: wisdom, attractors, chaos and complexity Culture: Society, values, beliefs, laws, ideology, diversity and history Political system: rights, power, hidden agendas, leaders and conflict management Psychic prison: unconscious processes and workaholics Instrument of domination: discrimination , compliance and charisma Carnivals: minimise order and support creativity. Organism: organizations dealing with their environments, structures and improvement. Machine: efficiency, timeliness, and quality Is recognised as a technical appearance that has several (often standardised) parts each with a definite function. Much emphasis is placed on the efficiency of the parts. The machine operates in a routine and repetitive fashion and performs predetermined sets of activites, seeking the rational and efficient means of reaching preset goals and objectives (Flood and Jackson, 1991, p 8). To explore the above stated problem situation, the writer decided to use the organism metaphor as a dominant metaphor and machine metaphor as a dependent metaphor. Organism is relevant because Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined the World Trade Organisation. The writer chose these for two reasons; first, the long history for ANB as a profit company (organization structure); second efficiency of production activities in a machine constituted of interlocking parts (organization efficiency). Thus ANB needs adaptations to a new environment .The organization exist in a competitive global environment where there is strong competition for investment, markets and skilled employees. ANB is a profit company and needs to be flexible and to keep eyes on the market because it needs to maintain market share to achieve its targets. On the other hand, is the system of work in ANB is routine, and like a machine, for example tellers and customer services. System of System Methodologies (SOSM) A Complex system is a complicated system that has a large number of subsystems to be operated, and many interactions between the elements. A simple system is a system with clear system with a small number of subsystems to be operated. The operation in the Bank is based on a complicated system with a large numbers of subsystems such as many complex computing and information systems, frequently updated data and financial operations. Employees from the practical and support sides both have diverse views and interests but have the same career expectations (unitary) at ANB. In the writers opinion, this means the problem situation in the ANB is complex unitary situation that involves real world performance as illustrated below, a modified version. Jackson and Keys (1984) suggest that choice of an appropriate system methodology depends on the nature of the problem context. They introduced a matrix, later modified by Jackson to help in classifying contexts. According to system complexity an d participants (see figure A1) . Participants: Participants are individuals who participate to achieve common goals, share the same interests or takes part in something. According to Flood and Jackson ( 1991) participants are divided into three groups : First ; unitary ,they share the common interests , have highly compatible values and beliefs , and large agreement upon ends and means. They all participate in decision making. Secondly, Pluralist; they have basic compatibility of interests and their values and beliefs disagree to some extent .They do not necessarily agree upon ends and means but they participate in decision making .They proceed in accordance with decided objectives. Finally, Coercive; they do not share common interests .Their values and beliefs are likely to conflict .They do not agree upon ends and means. Paradigms: The word paradigm is now commonly used to refer to something like world view or way of seeing things (Jackson, 2008, p 37). According to Jackson and Gregory (2008), therefore are four types of paradigm: The functionalist paradigm: promotes efficiency, effectiveness, survival and adaptation. Related with this paradigm are the machine , organism , brain , and flux and transformational metaphors . The interpretive paradigm: helps managers to search for the degree of shared corporate culture in the organization, increasing commitment and superiority in work life. The culture and political metaphors are related to this paradigm. The emancipator paradigm: pays attention to discrimination based on class, sex, race, and disability. Related to this paradigm are the psychic prison and instruments of domination metaphors. The postmodern paradigm: takes a less serious view of organization, believes it is too difficult to understand using any other paradigm, emphasises having fun in the organizations, and that one can learn much by bringing conflict to the organization surface. The metaphor of the carnival is associated with this paradigm. So I can be seen from these paradigms that the ANB paradigm is functionalist. Having looked at metaphors, system, participants and paradigms, it can be suggested that organism is a dominate and machine the dependant metaphor, organization paradigm is functionalist and the content is complex and unitary. Because the issue as a complex one and as the participants are unitary, it could be said that VSM is the most effective methodology to deal with this issue because this methodology is characterised as complex-unitary. It is also approach for a situation where the participants are functionalist, whishing to promote efficiency, effectiveness and adaptation. Therefore, it is applicable to proceed to the Viable System Methodology (VSM). Application of Viable System Methodology (VSM) The VSM is used in the process of viable systems diagnosis. The VSM offers solutions to problems of complexity; it remains weak in dealing with pluralism, conflict and coercion. This weakness stems from the organism and brain metaphors it employs and the functionalist paradigm it is usually associated with (Jackson and Gregory, 2008, p 49). According to Flood and Jackson (1991), The VSM is an arrangement of five functional elements (systems 1-5) that are interconnected through a complex of information and control loops. VSM help self organisation and localised management of problems. Also emphasis is placed on the relationship between the viable unit and the environment. As mentioned above, the model is made up of five systems 1 5 which may be categorized as implementation, co-ordination, control, development and policy. To diagnose problems in VSM it is important that the functions handled by these five systems be effectively performed in all organisations (Jackson and Gregory, 2008). The VSM is shown in the diagram figure B1, with the relevant elements of ANB indicated. According to Jackson and Gregory (2008):- System 1 has parts directly connected with implementation, and absorbs much of the environmental variety. In the diagram we can see that the departments are connected with the managers and environment. However, it is clear that there is no co-ordination function with system 2. Also there is no clear feedback to top management, so this is considered to be problem. Under normal circumstances compatible instruction from higher management should ensure that various parts of system 1 act in harmony (Jackson and Gregory, 2008). Actually the function in system 1 tries to act in its own best interests but has only local information to go on . System 2 is an essential system because, given their self-rule, the parts of system 1 is liable to take uncoordinated decisions. There is no co-ordination in the organisation and system 2 is vacant. System 3, called the audit channel, gives direct access to the circumstances of relationships in the operations. This control position is should be the CEO. It is clear that there is lack of communication between system 1 and 2 with system 3. The responsibility for this matter lies with system 4 for passing a co-ordinated plan down the line to system 1 and giving the negative feedback to CEO. System 4 is a development function of the organisation and has two tasks. The first task is it switches the orders down to the lower level, then switch responses upwards. The second task is to capture for the organisation all related information about the environment. This is totally neglected in the ANB and there is no connection between the executive committee (Intelligence) and long term environment and there is a weak contact and competition between the short term environment and other departments. There is a lack of information about the external environment or statistics of client satisfaction of ANB does not examine the strong competition between the organisation and others and is not aware of the threats and attractiveness of competitors in the absence of motivation in the organisation. Thus there is no benefit from system 4. System 5 is responsible for policy and making decisions. In the organisation the internal demands are represented by the commitment of autonomic management but external demands are not represented by system 4 and not taken into account because there is no link between system 4 and the environment. After diagnosing the problem in VSM, now this problem will be solved by redesigning the problem using the same basic diagram in figure B2. Board of management policy As shown in the diagram (figure B2), in system 1 the departments perform better because the co-ordination function in system 2 is set, Therefore it is performed effectively and the manager of every department keeps in touch with the co-ordination in system 2 . System 2 as a co-ordination function gives the feedback to system 3, then system 3 accesses the information and feeds back to system 4. System 4 now has a link with the environment to capture for the organisation all relevant information about other organisations and transmit the information to other departments. This will supplying the department of human resources in system 1 with the information and resources to motivate staff and retain them in their work to achieve the goals of the organisation. Recommendations There are a number of important changes which need to be made and so are some recommendation are listed below:- Redesign the reward system to be equivalent to the competitors. Use motivation and recognition system to keep employees loyalty to the organisation Set up a process of evaluation to improve the organisation staff. Criticism When VSM is used to diagnose a problem and concentrate on some levels, sometimes, It leads to lack of information on particular individual assistance to achieve the goals for each level. VSM cares about some features of the organization. However Flood and Jackson (1991) point out that VSM neglects the purposeful role of individuals, such as organizational culture, shared responsibility. VSM does not deal with organizational culture because the statistics will not be an accurate reflection of the true status of the organization, so feedback on performance will be disingenuine (Tepe and Haslett, 2002, p 520). This methodology is difficult to apply to diagnose in depth the responsibilities of each level. There may be goals, but they are not fixed and they can take account of the environment (Flood and Jackson, 1991, p 110). Conclusion This essay has argued that VSM is a suitable approach to solve ANBs problem. An implication of this is the possibility that VSM is able to deal with complex situations, even though it neglects some aspects. The VSM revealed that the problem was a weak contact between executive committee and the external environment, and there was no co-ordination , then, necessary changes were identified .These include motivation and keeping in touch with the external environment. Considerably more work will need to be done to determine other aspects of the problem. For example SSM could be better to solve turnover problems. This methodology can be used to develop targeted interventions aimed at diagnosing problem in the organisation.

Malmar McKnight’s The Storm Essay -- Malmar McKnight The Storm

Malmar McKnight’s The Storm Malmar McKnight’s frightening story, â€Å"The Storm†, weaves a violent storm and murder together to heighten the horrific fears that engulf Janet Willsom. â€Å"The Storm† is a combination of Mother Nature, Janet’s emotions, and her heartbreaking dilemmas. The eerie mood is revealed throughout the story. Figurative language helps the reader bring the story to life in his/ her mind. The author’s use of irony is devolved through Janet’s changed perception of the storm. Throughout the story, the mood becomes more suspenseful. As Janet walks out of the strong spring storm and enters her cold damp house, she is overcome by feelings of isolation and loneliness. Her husband is not there; there are dead plants around her house as if nobody has been there for a lo...

Minamata Disease

Minamata disease  sometimes referred to as Chisso-Minamata disease   is a  neurological  syndrome caused by severe  mercury poisoning. Symptoms include  ataxia,  numbness  in the hands and feet, general  muscle weakness, narrowing of the  field of vision  and damage to  hearing  and  speech. In extreme cases,  insanity,  paralysis,  coma, and  deathfollow within weeks of the onset of symptoms. A  congenital  form of the disease can also affect  foetuses  in the womb. Minamata disease was first discovered in  Minamata  city in  Kumamoto prefecture,  Japan, in 1956.It was caused by the release of  methylmercury  in the industrial  wastewater  from the  Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. This highly  toxic  chemicalbioaccumulated  in shellfish and fish in  Minamata Bay  and the  Shiranui Sea, which when eaten by the local populace resulted in mercury poisoning. While cat, dog , pig, and human deaths continued over more than 30 years, the government and company did little to prevent the pollution.As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognised (1,784 of whom had died) and over 10,000 had received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation, and in the same year was ordered to clean up its contamination. On March 29, 2010, a settlement was reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims. A second outbreak of Minamata disease occurred in  Niigata Prefecture  in 1965. The original Minamata disease and  Niigata Minamata disease  are considered two of the  Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan

The Crucible

Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do and have been put on trial for it? Well, in the play â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, many people were put on trial, and 20 were killed. The Crucible was based on a true story about the belief of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. And it all started with a lie from a group of girls. There were 3 big themes in the play: Religion, False accusations, and Witchcraft. The first theme is Religion. In the story, the accusers based their accusations solely on religion.For instance, if you did not know the 10 Commandments then you would be accused of witchcraft. They often asked innocent people to recite the Commandments, just to make sure. When asked to recite the commandments you must recite them without hesitation and mistakes or you would be looked at as a suspect of witchcraft. â€Å"Theology sir, is a fortress, no crack in the fortress may be accounted small† (Hale-947). Here John Proctor missed one of the commandments and now he is looked at more carefully. They also asked those who were already accused of witchcraft to recite them. Do you know your commandments Elizabeth? † (Hale-946) He asked Elizabeth because she was already accused of witchcraft. They thought that what they were doing was ok because they said the bible said so. â€Å"I have no knowledge of it; the bible speaks of witches and I will not deny them† (Proctor-949). Proctor was getting questioned by Rev. Hale and he asked Proctor if he believed in witches, if he had said no, he would be suspicious of witchcraft, just as Elizabeth was. The second theme was false accusations.The story was all about false accusations and lies. In Act I, Parris asked Abigail if she was conjuring spirits and she said â€Å"Not I sir, Tituba and Ruth† (Abigail-918). She falsely accused them when her intentions were to kill Goody Proctor by drinking the blood. Abigail was always finding new things to blame on Elizabeth. à ¢â‚¬Å"Goody Proctor always kept poppet’s† (Abigail-968). Abby said this because she claimed she was stabbed in the stomach with a needle, and accusing Elizabeth of doing this with her poppet’s that she does not have.In court they would often do outlandish things to make the person look as if they were performing witchcraft. â€Å"Oh, Mary, this is black magic art to change your shape. No I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth, it is God’s work I do† (Abigail-975). Abby was making it seem as if Mary Warren was doing magic and sending out her spirit in the court to get her. The final and biggest theme in the story was witchcraft. In their time practicing witchcraft was a death sentence, and taken very seriously. After Mary was accused, she had to do something to take the heat off of her. To Proctor] â€Å"You are the Devils man† (Mary W-976). Mary indicated that that Proctor had a compact with the Devil, he is a witch and he made her sign Luciferâ₠¬â„¢s black book. The officials also watched what you said to let them know you are a witch. â€Å"You heard that sir! Ripped out of the world! Hennrick, you heard it! †(Cheever-952) He was referring to what Elizabeth said, so now she is officially accused of witchcraft. They often tried to get those who confessed to tell on others. â€Å"Did you ever see anyone with the Devil? †(Danforth-991).Danforth was trying to get Proctor to confess on him and others who they thought practiced witchcraft. So in conclusion, the play â€Å"The Crucible† which was based on a true story, where many people was accused of doing things they didn’t do, and they were killed for it. So imagine if someone you love were killed because of something they didn’t do, and you couldn’t do anything to save their lives but plead with the people who were killing them. Well for more than 20 people and their families in Salem, Massachusetts, this was their reality. The Crucible Belonging- Crucible essay It is instinctively assumed that belonging to the group can better protect the individual against external threats; however Arthur Miller’s The Crucible shows that such instinctive assumptions are flawed. The group can destroy itself without the voice of the individual, capable of thinking rationally, because the herd simply acts instinctively and its members conform out of fear of alienation or the very natural human desire to belong. The importance of the individual who stands against society is celebrated as they possess true moral decency and offer salvation to the group.These belonging insights are further explored in Shakespeare’s eponymous play Othello and Arthur Boyd’s power painting Persecuted Lovers 1957-1958. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores belonging as a protective force against externalised fears. The setting and imagery emphasise Salem’s many anxieties. The â€Å"virgin forest† is ironically, for the Salemites, â€Å"the Devil’s last preserve† where â€Å"abominations are done† and girls whose sexuality should be invisible are found â€Å"dancing† like â€Å"heathen[s]†.Into this â€Å"wilderness† come â€Å"maraud[ing] Indian tribes†, whose apparent barbarism and pagan beliefs threaten the villagers’ insular Protestant social order. Miller imitates this cultural hostility in the very weather: â€Å"a few small-windowed, dark houses snuggling against the raw Massachusetts winter†. Paradoxically, it is the Salem tragedy that theocracy was developed â€Å"for good purposes† to protect the villagers, but ironically it is the authorised institutions which inflict the most destruction. Salem is a frontier society on the â€Å"edge of wilderness† and it’s civilisation is threatened by a vast and dark â€Å"endless continent†.They believe, in contrast, that their unbending consistency,  "all their sufferings† and their denial of â€Å"vain enjoyment† is â€Å"that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world†. They believe that their unity in spite of the sacrifices it requires of them individually rather protects them. The main protagonist of the play is a flawed man even to himself. Proctor has come â€Å"to regard himself as a kind of fraud† as he demonstrates his outward disgust at the hypocrisy around him yet his inward fear that his own sin of lechery makes him one also.However, Proctor stands against the hypocrisy as he rejects the rules for social conformity creating dramatic tension as he challenges the authority of Danforth and Hale in the final two acts. Giles Corey also defies the pressure to conform, symbolically represented by the physical weights laid on him until he expires still defiantly calling for â€Å"more weight†. Abigail, however, understands the power of belonging and the fear of is olation using it as a potent destructive weapon. Directly confronting Danforth as she threatens â€Å"Let you beware†.Her victory over Mary Warren demonstrates her acting talents but also her manipulation of the mass hysteria and paranoia that spreads rapidly among the Salemites. Ironically, the more fear that is induced in the community the less truth is extracted from its members and the greater destruction of its social fabric. Savagery and superstition in the forest invert law and social order supposedly found in the village. The extent of the mass killing, â€Å"seventy-two†¦ to hang† is further compelling evidence of the dangers of mass hysteria.Proctor exclaims â€Å"the crazy little children jangle the keys of the kingdom†, pointing out the madness that has gripped society. This commentary relates to Miller’s observation of the careers ruined and suicides of people accused during the McCarthy persecutions in the United States during the 1950s . The belligerence of Danforth as he addresses young girls, â€Å"confess yourself or you will hang† a travesty of any legal procedure is reminiscent also of the House of Un-American Activities Committee.Paradoxically, it is the morality of an individual who stands against society; who doesn’t belong, that offers salvation. Proctor is â€Å"respected and even feared in Salem†; Danforth hopes that the confession of â€Å"a weighty name† publically displayed on the church will bend more to the autocracy he is enforcing. In the final moments of the play and on stage Proctor, finding the courage to be true reflected in a dramatic act on stage, tears his confession and the falsehood it represents. Danforth has no choice but to retreat crying out in desperation, â€Å"Hang them high over the town! The tragic hero of Shakespeare’s eponymous play Othello resists the insecurities that the outsider normally suffers. Othello has overcome the significant barr ier that his colour poses to walk as an equal among white Venetian society through his strong moral stature, shown as he is referred to as the â€Å"noble Moor† and â€Å"valiant Othello†. â€Å"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them†, he conceitedly cautions the party that challenges him.Othello is described as a man â€Å"whom passion could not shake† in the military phere but in the domestic sphere and in civil society Othello is less practiced. His marriage to Desdemona exposes him to all the unfamiliarity of that terrain. Iago, his nemesis exploits this unfamiliarity, until he can no longer quell the doubts that plague every waking moment. Othello begins to refer to Desdemona as the â€Å"fair devil†- the powerful black/white imagery in this oxymoron captures the good/bad qualities which they are associated. As his jealousy grows Othello begins to see his colour as representative of shame and disgrace, â€Å"her name†¦ s now begrim’d and black as mine own face†. In his final speech, Othello attempts to redeem himself and restore his previous moral stature by taking the savage â€Å"turbaned Turk† (the outsider) he feels he has become â€Å"by the throat† and killing him, restoring his place in Venetian society. So here the individual is sacrificed to the social mores of the group. Arthur Boyd’s Persecuted Lovers 1957-58 represents the societal racism within Australia over the 20th century. Boyd depicts the strained relationships between Indigenous Australians and white Australians.The two lovers (a black man and white woman) attempt to belong to each other through their love, ignoring the social stature of racism and ignorance which forbids inter-marriages. Similar to Proctor in The Crucible, the white woman acts against society to gain her own moral sense of belonging with her lover. Defying the group results to her death as the rifleman takes aim on the two lovers with silent murderous anticipation. Death is foreshadowed with the flower protruding from the man’s ear symbolic of a funeral posy.The warm colours and the predatory bird further enhance the overall mood of death and destruction. Boyd uses symbolism to explore the human emotions of love and hatred. The man’s blue skin and his lover’s blue hand symbolise their love and sense of belonging with each other. The rifle-man wears the conventional ‘uniform’ of a modern day (European) businessman holding an early 19th century rifle; referencing modern-day racism having its roots in the colonial era. The prosecutors dominating stance reflects the man’s control over the situation which parallels the state’s control over the Indigenous population.Her innocence instantly identifiable by her white bridal gown and further enhanced by her white skin and red hair reflects society’s destruction and flaws as it murders one of its own. It can be c oncluded that it is society’s desperate desire to protect itself inferred by the strict social rules of conformity it enforces on its members and the vast hysteria and paranoia it spreads; is in fact the cause of the destruction. The importance of the individual is celebrated as they uphold the moral decencies of a true character. The Crucible, Othello and Persecuted Lovers are texts which represent these belonging insights. The Crucible The Crucible The playwright, Arthur Miller, uses the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is the concern and dangers of religious fanaticism. The play, The Crucible, is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It is based upon the actual events which led to the ‘Salem witch trials’, a series of hearings to determine which individuals were in fact practicing witchcraft. The play also conveys parallels to the McCarthyist era, during which the playwright was questioned as he had attended Communist meetings, and modern day anti-terror laws, which prevent people of certain backgrounds and cultures to enter countries, as they are immediately sent to prisons, based on appearance and other individuals opinions, that are certainly not based upon facts. The audience is positioned to relate to the concepts in the play, as well as sympathising with characters. Miller does this as it is a way of getting his message to the audience. The dominant reading of the play is religious fanaticism; this is displayed as the town of Salem is ruled by a theocracy. However, the perfect town is hardly that, filled with corruption, betrayal and a never-ending blame game, which evidently causes masses of people to be tried in court resulting in many of them being hung. This concept of doing anything to achieve what you want draws parallels to a number of occurrences. They are, the real Salem witch trials upon which the story is based upon, the McCarthyist era and the modern day anti-terror laws although not directly addressed, the likeness is overwhelming. The anti-terror laws allow, mostly, innocent individuals to be held in prisons around the world simply because they look a certain way or are of a certain race. The comparison drawn is that one does not need evidence, merely a person’s word, true or false. Miller displays certain parallels and concepts to show that religious fanaticism is not always guaranteed a peaceful society, in fact it ensues the opposite. The hero in the play is John Proctor; he is a good man who has unfortunately made one regretful decision, consorting with his previous housemaid, Abigail Williams. Proctors’ wife, Elizabeth, questions his motives and whereabouts, sometimes leaving Proctor feeling undeserving as he has told Williams to leave him alone since the event. He is the hero of the play as he, unlike many other characters, does not feel pressure to succumb to the unreasonable accusations of witchcraft. When Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s wife, is about to be taken away for witchcraft Proctor is portrayed as caring and selfless, as shown in this quote by John Proctor, â€Å"We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant’s vengeance! I’ll not give my wife to vengeance! † (p72). Elizabeth replies, â€Å"I’ll go John. † (p72) John responds with a quite precise answer, â€Å"You will not go! † (p72) This quote shows that Proctor, no matter what unjust decisions he has made in the past are nothing compared to the passion he feels for his wife, and that he would do anything for her. Furthermore, it allows the audience to see that one person does know what is happening, that most citizens of Salem have succumbed to the childish antics of teenage girls. At the end of Act IV, Proctor is asked to sign a piece of paper confessing that he had consulted with the devil, and that he was practising witchcraft, this quote displays his courage, â€Å"I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! † (p123 – p124) This shows that Proctor is willing to save his family by confessing his sins, furthermore he does not want his family to be shunned by Salem. This positions the audience to sympathise with Proctor allowing the audience to like him, and view him as Miller had intended, a hero. Proctor also helps Miller to display the dangers of religious fanaticism, and what can become of a society if theology is so profusely followed; that is, a corrupt and spiteful community, where each individual has their own wellbeing, before they begin to think of any one else. Abigail Williams is a licentious individual who will stop at nothing to secure her previous paramour, John Proctor. She believes that the previous sexual encounter between her and Proctor means he still and always will, love her. Williams is portrayed as the enemy in the play, no doubt that she is more conniving than any other character, as shown in Act I, when she threatens the other girls involved in the so called ‘witchcraft’, she states, â€Å"And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p26) This quote clearly shows what Williams is capable of, and that she wants the other girls to know that she will do what is necessary for her to achieve her goal of retaining Proctor. Williams also conveys how deceptive she truly is when talking to her uncle, Parris, about why she was fired by Elizabeth Proctor, from the Proctors’ service in this quote, â€Å"She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (p20) This clearly shows that she does not care who she hurts or whose reputation she blackens, as long as her name is good it does not matter. Miller uses Williams to show that religious fanaticism does not always ensure a civilised humanity. Thomas Putnam is a greedy man who, like Williams, does what is in his power to retrieve, what he believes, is rightfully his. In this case it is supposed, by Giles Corey, that Putna m compelled his daughter, Ruth, to accuse many people in Salem, including George Jacobs, Giles Corey and Goody Osbourn. Goody Osbourn was the Putnam’s midwife many times, and they believe she killed their children, also George Jacob’s was an innocent man accused by Ruth Putnam of sending his spirit to her at night. Giles Corey correctly identified Thomas Putnam for wrongfully accusing persons of witchcraft in order to gain their many acres surrounding his already significant property. The following quote in Act I is stated by Putnam to Parris, â€Å"When Reverend Hale comes, you will proceed to look for signs of witchcraft here. † (p23). This quote shows that Putnam wants the witch-hunt to progress; progression of this will grant Putnam time to declare more of his rivals, in return he will receive their land. The character analysis of Putnam shows that he is also spiteful and like Williams, his own well-being and desires are all that concern him, displaying the disconcerting corruption in the ‘perfect’ society that is Salem. In conclusion, Arthur Miller does in fact use the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is, the dangers of religious fanaticism. Miller does this by depicting the characters in a certain way, such as John Proctor who is portrayed as a hero for he would rather die to keep his name, than live a lie and be shunned by society. It also conveys that the dominant reading, of dangers of religious fanaticism, does not always entail a perfect life. Thus, Arthur Miller succeeded in what he set out to do which was, create a play that is not only successful but conveyed an idea of great importance, that is to display the parallels between the 1692 Salem witch trials and the McCarthyist era, and how easily it is for corruption to surface and become everyday life. The Crucible â€Å"What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall the worms declare his truth? (145)† Reverend Hale begs Elizabeth to convince John Proctor to convince in order for him not to be hanged. Hale does this because he sees the errors in his ways and knows that Proctor is innocent. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale’s despair, Judge Danforth’s integrity, Reverend Parris’ greed exhibit their use of authority. At the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem eager to try and rid the Devil from the town. But in Act 2, his confidence starts to diminish when he goes to the Proctor’s house to investigate without the court knowing. â€Å"I am a stranger here, as you know. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a clear opinion of them that come accused before the court. (63)† This quote shows that Reverend Hale can only make an accurate judgment by getting to know the people accused of the crime and not just by an accusation made in court. It also shows that although he was once positive, Hale begins to show signs of doubting the presence of witchcraft in Salem. Reverend Hale’s despair finally emerges in Act 3 when John Proctor gets convicted because of Abigail William’s absurd accusations. Hale becomes enraged with anger and frustration, and quits the court. Later in Act 4, Hale returns in order to convince the convicted to confess to witchcraft so they will not be hanged. This exemplifies his total loss in faith of the law. When John Proctor is finally hanged, it completes Reverend Hale’s transformation from the beginning where he is optimistic and hopeful of finding witchcraft, to cynical and disgusted. Not only does Reverend Hale show the authority of power, but so does Judge Danforth. In order to try and keep peace in the town of Salem, Judge Danforth looks at the accusations of witchcraft in a very logical and holy way. He thinks he is being guided by God, so nobody can be truly convicted of witchcraft unless they are being controlled by the Devil. Although this seems like a fair way to act in the courtroom, it fails to recognize the lies told by Abigail Williams. â€Å"But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time- we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. (94)† This quote clearly shows that Judge Danforth looks at everybody as being with or against God. Since the court takes the side of God, anyone such as John Proctor, must be conspiring with the Devil. Even though Danforth acts as the defining source of reason, he refuses to see he was wrong at the end of the play. Unlike Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris abuses his authority. Unlike Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris exhibits greed and an overall disregard for humanity. In Act 1, his actions are very misleading because he appears to be scared of revealing that there has been witchcraft in Salem. But he is not concerned due to the presence of witchcraft, but because he does not want to shame his name and lose his job. â€Å"Where is my wood? My contract provides I be supplied with all my firewood. I am waiting since November for a stick, and even in November I had to show my frostbitten hands like some London beggar! (29)† Parris complains of how he has no firewood even though he is supposed to get some. He later goes on to demand the deed for his house and insist on golden candlesticks for the church. These are all example of his greed and how he does not care what other people must do in order for him to get his way. Parris fails to redeem himself which is evident in Act 3 when he commits perjury by telling the court that he never saw the girls in the forest dancing naked, even though he told Abigail that he saw them. But in Act 4, Reverend Parris appears to have a change of heart because he convinces Danforth to postpone the hangings. But this is just another red herring to try and save himself. Parris found a dagger stabbed into his door, and if clearly innocent people are killed, the people of Salem might form an uprising against him. All of Parris’ wrongdoings make him suffer when Abigail steals all of his money and runs away with it to Boston. In The Crucible, Reverend Hale becomes an example of despair, Judge Danforth stands by his integrity, and Reverend Parris is thwarted by his own greed. By the end of the play, all of these characters exhibit their use of authority in positive and negative ways. But one fact that connects all of them is they were swindled by a group of selfish teenage girls. The Crucible The Crucible The playwright, Arthur Miller, uses the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is the concern and dangers of religious fanaticism. The play, The Crucible, is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It is based upon the actual events which led to the ‘Salem witch trials’, a series of hearings to determine which individuals were in fact practicing witchcraft. The play also conveys parallels to the McCarthyist era, during which the playwright was questioned as he had attended Communist meetings, and modern day anti-terror laws, which prevent people of certain backgrounds and cultures to enter countries, as they are immediately sent to prisons, based on appearance and other individuals opinions, that are certainly not based upon facts. The audience is positioned to relate to the concepts in the play, as well as sympathising with characters. Miller does this as it is a way of getting his message to the audience. The dominant reading of the play is religious fanaticism; this is displayed as the town of Salem is ruled by a theocracy. However, the perfect town is hardly that, filled with corruption, betrayal and a never-ending blame game, which evidently causes masses of people to be tried in court resulting in many of them being hung. This concept of doing anything to achieve what you want draws parallels to a number of occurrences. They are, the real Salem witch trials upon which the story is based upon, the McCarthyist era and the modern day anti-terror laws although not directly addressed, the likeness is overwhelming. The anti-terror laws allow, mostly, innocent individuals to be held in prisons around the world simply because they look a certain way or are of a certain race. The comparison drawn is that one does not need evidence, merely a person’s word, true or false. Miller displays certain parallels and concepts to show that religious fanaticism is not always guaranteed a peaceful society, in fact it ensues the opposite. The hero in the play is John Proctor; he is a good man who has unfortunately made one regretful decision, consorting with his previous housemaid, Abigail Williams. Proctors’ wife, Elizabeth, questions his motives and whereabouts, sometimes leaving Proctor feeling undeserving as he has told Williams to leave him alone since the event. He is the hero of the play as he, unlike many other characters, does not feel pressure to succumb to the unreasonable accusations of witchcraft. When Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s wife, is about to be taken away for witchcraft Proctor is portrayed as caring and selfless, as shown in this quote by John Proctor, â€Å"We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant’s vengeance! I’ll not give my wife to vengeance! † (p72). Elizabeth replies, â€Å"I’ll go John. † (p72) John responds with a quite precise answer, â€Å"You will not go! † (p72) This quote shows that Proctor, no matter what unjust decisions he has made in the past are nothing compared to the passion he feels for his wife, and that he would do anything for her. Furthermore, it allows the audience to see that one person does know what is happening, that most citizens of Salem have succumbed to the childish antics of teenage girls. At the end of Act IV, Proctor is asked to sign a piece of paper confessing that he had consulted with the devil, and that he was practising witchcraft, this quote displays his courage, â€Å"I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! † (p123 – p124) This shows that Proctor is willing to save his family by confessing his sins, furthermore he does not want his family to be shunned by Salem. This positions the audience to sympathise with Proctor allowing the audience to like him, and view him as Miller had intended, a hero. Proctor also helps Miller to display the dangers of religious fanaticism, and what can become of a society if theology is so profusely followed; that is, a corrupt and spiteful community, where each individual has their own wellbeing, before they begin to think of any one else. Abigail Williams is a licentious individual who will stop at nothing to secure her previous paramour, John Proctor. She believes that the previous sexual encounter between her and Proctor means he still and always will, love her. Williams is portrayed as the enemy in the play, no doubt that she is more conniving than any other character, as shown in Act I, when she threatens the other girls involved in the so called ‘witchcraft’, she states, â€Å"And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p26) This quote clearly shows what Williams is capable of, and that she wants the other girls to know that she will do what is necessary for her to achieve her goal of retaining Proctor. Williams also conveys how deceptive she truly is when talking to her uncle, Parris, about why she was fired by Elizabeth Proctor, from the Proctors’ service in this quote, â€Å"She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (p20) This clearly shows that she does not care who she hurts or whose reputation she blackens, as long as her name is good it does not matter. Miller uses Williams to show that religious fanaticism does not always ensure a civilised humanity. Thomas Putnam is a greedy man who, like Williams, does what is in his power to retrieve, what he believes, is rightfully his. In this case it is supposed, by Giles Corey, that Putna m compelled his daughter, Ruth, to accuse many people in Salem, including George Jacobs, Giles Corey and Goody Osbourn. Goody Osbourn was the Putnam’s midwife many times, and they believe she killed their children, also George Jacob’s was an innocent man accused by Ruth Putnam of sending his spirit to her at night. Giles Corey correctly identified Thomas Putnam for wrongfully accusing persons of witchcraft in order to gain their many acres surrounding his already significant property. The following quote in Act I is stated by Putnam to Parris, â€Å"When Reverend Hale comes, you will proceed to look for signs of witchcraft here. † (p23). This quote shows that Putnam wants the witch-hunt to progress; progression of this will grant Putnam time to declare more of his rivals, in return he will receive their land. The character analysis of Putnam shows that he is also spiteful and like Williams, his own well-being and desires are all that concern him, displaying the disconcerting corruption in the ‘perfect’ society that is Salem. In conclusion, Arthur Miller does in fact use the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is, the dangers of religious fanaticism. Miller does this by depicting the characters in a certain way, such as John Proctor who is portrayed as a hero for he would rather die to keep his name, than live a lie and be shunned by society. It also conveys that the dominant reading, of dangers of religious fanaticism, does not always entail a perfect life. Thus, Arthur Miller succeeded in what he set out to do which was, create a play that is not only successful but conveyed an idea of great importance, that is to display the parallels between the 1692 Salem witch trials and the McCarthyist era, and how easily it is for corruption to surface and become everyday life. The Crucible The Crucible The playwright, Arthur Miller, uses the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is the concern and dangers of religious fanaticism. The play, The Crucible, is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It is based upon the actual events which led to the ‘Salem witch trials’, a series of hearings to determine which individuals were in fact practicing witchcraft. The play also conveys parallels to the McCarthyist era, during which the playwright was questioned as he had attended Communist meetings, and modern day anti-terror laws, which prevent people of certain backgrounds and cultures to enter countries, as they are immediately sent to prisons, based on appearance and other individuals opinions, that are certainly not based upon facts. The audience is positioned to relate to the concepts in the play, as well as sympathising with characters. Miller does this as it is a way of getting his message to the audience. The dominant reading of the play is religious fanaticism; this is displayed as the town of Salem is ruled by a theocracy. However, the perfect town is hardly that, filled with corruption, betrayal and a never-ending blame game, which evidently causes masses of people to be tried in court resulting in many of them being hung. This concept of doing anything to achieve what you want draws parallels to a number of occurrences. They are, the real Salem witch trials upon which the story is based upon, the McCarthyist era and the modern day anti-terror laws although not directly addressed, the likeness is overwhelming. The anti-terror laws allow, mostly, innocent individuals to be held in prisons around the world simply because they look a certain way or are of a certain race. The comparison drawn is that one does not need evidence, merely a person’s word, true or false. Miller displays certain parallels and concepts to show that religious fanaticism is not always guaranteed a peaceful society, in fact it ensues the opposite. The hero in the play is John Proctor; he is a good man who has unfortunately made one regretful decision, consorting with his previous housemaid, Abigail Williams. Proctors’ wife, Elizabeth, questions his motives and whereabouts, sometimes leaving Proctor feeling undeserving as he has told Williams to leave him alone since the event. He is the hero of the play as he, unlike many other characters, does not feel pressure to succumb to the unreasonable accusations of witchcraft. When Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s wife, is about to be taken away for witchcraft Proctor is portrayed as caring and selfless, as shown in this quote by John Proctor, â€Å"We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant’s vengeance! I’ll not give my wife to vengeance! † (p72). Elizabeth replies, â€Å"I’ll go John. † (p72) John responds with a quite precise answer, â€Å"You will not go! † (p72) This quote shows that Proctor, no matter what unjust decisions he has made in the past are nothing compared to the passion he feels for his wife, and that he would do anything for her. Furthermore, it allows the audience to see that one person does know what is happening, that most citizens of Salem have succumbed to the childish antics of teenage girls. At the end of Act IV, Proctor is asked to sign a piece of paper confessing that he had consulted with the devil, and that he was practising witchcraft, this quote displays his courage, â€Å"I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! † (p123 – p124) This shows that Proctor is willing to save his family by confessing his sins, furthermore he does not want his family to be shunned by Salem. This positions the audience to sympathise with Proctor allowing the audience to like him, and view him as Miller had intended, a hero. Proctor also helps Miller to display the dangers of religious fanaticism, and what can become of a society if theology is so profusely followed; that is, a corrupt and spiteful community, where each individual has their own wellbeing, before they begin to think of any one else. Abigail Williams is a licentious individual who will stop at nothing to secure her previous paramour, John Proctor. She believes that the previous sexual encounter between her and Proctor means he still and always will, love her. Williams is portrayed as the enemy in the play, no doubt that she is more conniving than any other character, as shown in Act I, when she threatens the other girls involved in the so called ‘witchcraft’, she states, â€Å"And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p26) This quote clearly shows what Williams is capable of, and that she wants the other girls to know that she will do what is necessary for her to achieve her goal of retaining Proctor. Williams also conveys how deceptive she truly is when talking to her uncle, Parris, about why she was fired by Elizabeth Proctor, from the Proctors’ service in this quote, â€Å"She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (p20) This clearly shows that she does not care who she hurts or whose reputation she blackens, as long as her name is good it does not matter. Miller uses Williams to show that religious fanaticism does not always ensure a civilised humanity. Thomas Putnam is a greedy man who, like Williams, does what is in his power to retrieve, what he believes, is rightfully his. In this case it is supposed, by Giles Corey, that Putna m compelled his daughter, Ruth, to accuse many people in Salem, including George Jacobs, Giles Corey and Goody Osbourn. Goody Osbourn was the Putnam’s midwife many times, and they believe she killed their children, also George Jacob’s was an innocent man accused by Ruth Putnam of sending his spirit to her at night. Giles Corey correctly identified Thomas Putnam for wrongfully accusing persons of witchcraft in order to gain their many acres surrounding his already significant property. The following quote in Act I is stated by Putnam to Parris, â€Å"When Reverend Hale comes, you will proceed to look for signs of witchcraft here. † (p23). This quote shows that Putnam wants the witch-hunt to progress; progression of this will grant Putnam time to declare more of his rivals, in return he will receive their land. The character analysis of Putnam shows that he is also spiteful and like Williams, his own well-being and desires are all that concern him, displaying the disconcerting corruption in the ‘perfect’ society that is Salem. In conclusion, Arthur Miller does in fact use the character construction in the play to position the audience to accept the dominant reading of the play, which is, the dangers of religious fanaticism. Miller does this by depicting the characters in a certain way, such as John Proctor who is portrayed as a hero for he would rather die to keep his name, than live a lie and be shunned by society. It also conveys that the dominant reading, of dangers of religious fanaticism, does not always entail a perfect life. Thus, Arthur Miller succeeded in what he set out to do which was, create a play that is not only successful but conveyed an idea of great importance, that is to display the parallels between the 1692 Salem witch trials and the McCarthyist era, and how easily it is for corruption to surface and become everyday life. The Crucible â€Å"What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall the worms declare his truth? (145)† Reverend Hale begs Elizabeth to convince John Proctor to convince in order for him not to be hanged. Hale does this because he sees the errors in his ways and knows that Proctor is innocent. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale’s despair, Judge Danforth’s integrity, Reverend Parris’ greed exhibit their use of authority. At the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem eager to try and rid the Devil from the town. But in Act 2, his confidence starts to diminish when he goes to the Proctor’s house to investigate without the court knowing. â€Å"I am a stranger here, as you know. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a clear opinion of them that come accused before the court. (63)† This quote shows that Reverend Hale can only make an accurate judgment by getting to know the people accused of the crime and not just by an accusation made in court. It also shows that although he was once positive, Hale begins to show signs of doubting the presence of witchcraft in Salem. Reverend Hale’s despair finally emerges in Act 3 when John Proctor gets convicted because of Abigail William’s absurd accusations. Hale becomes enraged with anger and frustration, and quits the court. Later in Act 4, Hale returns in order to convince the convicted to confess to witchcraft so they will not be hanged. This exemplifies his total loss in faith of the law. When John Proctor is finally hanged, it completes Reverend Hale’s transformation from the beginning where he is optimistic and hopeful of finding witchcraft, to cynical and disgusted. Not only does Reverend Hale show the authority of power, but so does Judge Danforth. In order to try and keep peace in the town of Salem, Judge Danforth looks at the accusations of witchcraft in a very logical and holy way. He thinks he is being guided by God, so nobody can be truly convicted of witchcraft unless they are being controlled by the Devil. Although this seems like a fair way to act in the courtroom, it fails to recognize the lies told by Abigail Williams. â€Å"But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time- we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. (94)† This quote clearly shows that Judge Danforth looks at everybody as being with or against God. Since the court takes the side of God, anyone such as John Proctor, must be conspiring with the Devil. Even though Danforth acts as the defining source of reason, he refuses to see he was wrong at the end of the play. Unlike Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris abuses his authority. Unlike Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris exhibits greed and an overall disregard for humanity. In Act 1, his actions are very misleading because he appears to be scared of revealing that there has been witchcraft in Salem. But he is not concerned due to the presence of witchcraft, but because he does not want to shame his name and lose his job. â€Å"Where is my wood? My contract provides I be supplied with all my firewood. I am waiting since November for a stick, and even in November I had to show my frostbitten hands like some London beggar! (29)† Parris complains of how he has no firewood even though he is supposed to get some. He later goes on to demand the deed for his house and insist on golden candlesticks for the church. These are all example of his greed and how he does not care what other people must do in order for him to get his way. Parris fails to redeem himself which is evident in Act 3 when he commits perjury by telling the court that he never saw the girls in the forest dancing naked, even though he told Abigail that he saw them. But in Act 4, Reverend Parris appears to have a change of heart because he convinces Danforth to postpone the hangings. But this is just another red herring to try and save himself. Parris found a dagger stabbed into his door, and if clearly innocent people are killed, the people of Salem might form an uprising against him. All of Parris’ wrongdoings make him suffer when Abigail steals all of his money and runs away with it to Boston. In The Crucible, Reverend Hale becomes an example of despair, Judge Danforth stands by his integrity, and Reverend Parris is thwarted by his own greed. By the end of the play, all of these characters exhibit their use of authority in positive and negative ways. But one fact that connects all of them is they were swindled by a group of selfish teenage girls.