, Research Paper
Research Paper on Superstitions
Superstitions have a way of making their way throughout the years. Superstition is a belief or practice generally regarded as irrational and resulting from ignorance or from fear of the unknown (The Encyclopedia of Superstitions 8). In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the concept of superstitions arose that there was witches among the community. Superstition and fear were in every house, in every mind, when accusation was a conviction, when assertion of innocence was regarded as a confession of guilt. Now the intelligent people know better that witches never existed, that human beings never bargained with any devil, and that our pious savage ancestors were mistaken. Although superstition is something that can be scientifically proven wrong, they simple explanation for a coincidence (superstitions 1-4). Here are three most common superstitions and how they came about that have been passed on through history to this very day.
The most popular superstition is that if a black cat is crossing a person s path it will cause that person bad lucks before his or her journey is over. If this occurs the individual can take twelve steps backwards to ward off the bad luck (cat-report 6). This belief originated in ancient Egypt where the cat was considered sacred and to kill one was sacrilege. It is believed that the folklore surrounding the black cat began in the Middle Ages when it was associated with witches. It is likely that a black cat was the pet of some women accused of being a witch. Rumors began that the cat was able to change shape and help the witch cast spells. Since then, black cats have been associated with luck, both good and bad (Customs and Superstitions and their Romantic Origins 7).
Another popular superstition is that a person who walks under a ladder will have bad luck to come. Some believe it originates with the early Christian belief that a leaning ladder formed a triangle with the wall and ground. People must never violate the Holy Trinity by walking through a triangle (Silly Superstitions 9). Others believe that it dates back to Medieval Europe and the attacks upon castles. When invading a castle with its draw bridge up one of the means invading armies used was to place ladder on the walls and send troop up the ladders to fight their way into the castle. One of the defenses for this invasion was to pour boiling oil or tar down the sides of the castle wall to repel the invaders. Those unfortunate souls that had to hold the ladders in place often received a deadly bath. It quickly became apparent that one had to hold the ladder from the front and that it was extremely bad luck to hold it from under the ladder (Omens and Superstitions 1-3). Today it is often still bad luck to walk under a ladder because of paint and other objects that might fall from above.
The most common of all superstitions is Friday the thirteenth considered as a bad luck day. First of all the number thirteen is considered to be unlucky. It is originated from the bible, which is often considered a book of numbers. In the Bible the numbers 7, 12 and 40 appear throughout the Old and New Testaments. The number 12 is considered a lucky number. As a result, the number that follows 12 was thought to be evil (The Encyclopedia of Talismans, Charms and Superstitions 8). Friday is also considered to be unlucky by some. Some people believe that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on a Friday, Noah s flood started on Friday, and Christ was crucifies on a Friday. Friday also is traditionally considered to be judgment day for the dead. It was, for many years, designated as a day for capital punishment and informally referred to as “hangman’s day (Omen and Superstitions 1). Most believers associated the number 13 with Friday, which originated in contemporary minds, from the fate of Jesus as the 13th guest among his 12 apostles in the Biblical account of the Last Supper. Then the next day, the crucifixion of Jesus, was a Friday. Also noted that twelve witches plus one devil are present at Satanic ceremonies so Friday and 13 make a deadly combination (Customs and Superstitions and their Romantic Origins 7). To this day people still believe in Friday the thirteenth.
From one generation after another superstitions have made their way through the course of History. Superstitions arise when people assume connections among things that happen in the past, present and future. People believe that if something resembles or has been in contact with another thing, that the two have a causal relationship. To back up these beliefs there is no evidence, and there never has been. These beliefs did not rest on any facts. Mistakes, exaggerations and lies supported superstitions. Like these most popular superstitions they are based on some truths but is exaggerated to explain the coincident. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail and all those girls stretch the truth to be able to accuse all those innocence people of witchcraft. Abigail used the connections from the past to her advantage in the present and caused misery in the future. The town members believed these girls in spite of the evidence or without evidence that all these people were guilty of witchcraft. All of this misery could have been avoided if the town members question the evidences or question that there was no evidence to condemn these people of witchcraft and not to follow the popular beliefs that there were witches among us. Even though superstition still exists, today an intelligent person knows better than to not believe in superstitions.
Другие работы по теме:
The Crucible Essay Research Paper The production
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper The production of THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller had many high points of suspense and action. Mainly involving the trials and tribulations of John Proctor. Mr. Philip G. Hill’s view of Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE is strong; emotion filled and does an excellent job of summarizing this classic production.
The Crucible My Point Of View Essay
, Research Paper The Crucible by Arthur Miller was written during the early 1950s at the time of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on the infiltration of Communism in the United States and the loyalty to democracy of many prominent U.S. citizens. The McCarthy hearings pitted artists and performers against each other as they were called to testify about their own loyalty and what they knew about the loyalty of others.
The Crucible Salem Witch Trials Vs. The Mccarthy
Hearings Essay, Research Paper In the play, The Crucible, many parallels can be found in reference to the 1950 Communist trials led by Joe McCarthy. In this work by Arthur Miller, the events of the 1692 Salem witch trials parallel those of the McCarthy trials, in that, both events were not only based on insubstantial evidence but caused mass hysteria that destroyed the lives and reputations of those involved.
The Crucible Essay Research Paper Tone Shift
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper Tone Shift between Act I and Act II of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible The tone changes from maddened anticipation at the end of act one to somber falseness at the beginning of act two. The author’s diction highlights the tones of hysteria and excitement at the conclusion of act one. “Rising to a great glee,” Abigail exclaims, “I saw Goody Sibber with the Devil!” Accusations from Abigail and Betty are flying everywhere.
An Analytical Essay Explaining Why Arthur Miller
Wrote The Crucible Essay, Research Paper Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response
The Crucible Essay Research Paper Abigail Williams
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper Abigail Williams portrays Miller’s affair with the inner voice and guilt. Arthur Miller saw guilt as a habit of mind capable of being over come. It is seen in Abigail who exhausts her conscience to get herself out of trouble by accusing Tituba, and then to seek revenge on the adults who make her life miserable.
Crucible By Miller Essay Research Paper John
Crucible By Miller Essay, Research Paper John Proctor was the main character in the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. Will the truth set you free? In Proctor?s case of choosing truth over
Crucible 2 Essay Research Paper It is
Crucible 2 Essay, Research Paper It is more noble to die with integrity than it is to compromise one s principle in order to live. —– Danforth: I say, will you confess yourself, Goody Nurse? Rebecca: Why it is a lie, it is a lie;; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot. —–Arthur Miller s, The Crucible, was a play with many themes.
Crucible Salem Episode Essay Research Paper The
Crucible Salem Episode Essay, Research Paper The Crucible The Salem witch-trials, are an historic event that occurred during the Puritan era. It was the witch-trials that decided the fate of so many of the
The Crucible Essay Research Paper ARTHUR MILLER 2
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper ARTHUR MILLER, SALEM AND COMMUNISM In this paper I am going to talk about the relations between the Salem witch trials and the Cold War. Covering this with evidence and facts about the theme. I think that this is a fair comparison and is very interesting what they have in common.
Boredom And Its Victims In Arthur MillerS
The Crucible Essay, Research Paper Boredom and Its Victims in Arthur Miller?s The Crucible When bored, people tend to portray or act differently to either attract attention or change society. The girls in The Crucible are bored of Puritan life and want to do more to get more fun out of Salem life. Boredom led the girls to perform sins that the Puritan society disagrees with entirely.
A Crucible Essay Research Paper Crucible is
A Crucible Essay, Research Paper Crucible is a word that mixes many feelings and emotions where most words tend to be more ambiguous. Because the word crucible has multiple meanings, Arthur Miller chose The Crucible as a title to try to express the subtleties of the play?s message.
The Role Revenge Played In The Crucible
Essay, Research Paper The Role Revenge Played in The Crucible Revenge plays a major role in the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Due to the social structure of the 17th century society it was very easy for the town s people to believe that witchcraft was the cause of all the town s problems. The arising suspicion of witchcraft allowed the town s people to express their hatred toward others and led many to seek revenge against society, enemies and also neighbors.
The Crucible Essay Essay Research Paper The
The Crucible Essay Essay, Research Paper The Crucible Essay Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor all have something in common which endanger them when the witch-hunt begins. The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is a portrayal of the Salem witch trials. In the play there are three characters, Giles, Rebecca, and John all die at the end.
Interesting Facts Of The Crucible Essay Research
Paper Pennee Eagatatt November 22, 2000 English III The Interesting Facts of The Crucible Was The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, just an “irrational fear?” (Arthur Miller’s The Crucible: Fact & Fiction Par.1). The panic of Communism during the Cold War and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist hearings on February 3, 1953 led to this “irrational fear.” There are several major differences from the true version of the story and Miller’s version.
Crucible Essay Research Paper In literature as
Crucible Essay, Research Paper In literature as in life people often suffer severe tests of character. Sometimes they must defend their beliefs in the face of great opposition. In the drama The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, two characters showed this quality. John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse both suffered severe tests of character.
What Is The Significance Of The Title
“The Crucible”? Essay, Research Paper I think that the play “The Crucible” is called its name for many reasons, all of which reflect a certain element in the play. It is a clever thing for Arthur Miller to have chosen the word crucible as the title for this particular play because it can be interpreted in many different ways.
Why Is The Play Called The Cruicible
Essay, Research Paper Why is the play called the Crucible? Webster and his book the dictionary defines a crucible as, A container in which metals are heated, involving a change. A severe test or trial.
The Crucible Essay Essay Research Paper It
The Crucible Essay Essay, Research Paper It is a play with tremendous feelings with many inside twists hidden in the archives of the true story. It is a play with emotional feelings, feelings of anger, hate, evil, manipulation, good, and pureness. It is the The Crucible. In the play, Arthur Miller develops the idea that powerfully held beliefs direct people?s behaviour, Abigail Williams who accuses others to escape from punishment, Mary Warren who chooses to lie to keep herself out of trouble, and John Proctor who chooses to sacrifice his life to save the lives of other innocent people.
The True Authority
– The Crucible Essay, Research Paper Picture what it would be like to go back in the days of the Puritans. The people you’d expect to see would be kind, honest, religious and in every way ethical because that’s how a Puritan should be. Although there were many good Puritans, you’d turn around to see that some were deceiving, vindictive, dishonest, and disloyal.
A Look Inside The Crucible Essay Research
Paper “A look inside The Crucible” The Crucible By Arthur Miller is an interesting story based on the Salem witch trials. The characters in the Crucible have allot of inner and outer conflicts with themselves and each other. Many of the characters in the story show that dying with honor is better than living with guilt.
Crucible 11 Essay Research Paper The Crucible
Crucible 11 Essay, Research Paper The Crucible is a great play about the Salem Witch trials which history has never forgotten. What is a crucible? The dictionary has defined it as a severely difficult test or experience, and indeed the play does have a difficult test in the plot of its story. The author, Arthur Miller chose a great name for his play.
Salem Witch Trials Essay Research Paper Salem
Salem Witch Trials- Essay, Research Paper Salem Witch Trials- Superstition and witchcraft resulted in many being hanged or in prison. In the seventeenth century, a belief in witches and
Comparison Of Crucible And The Scarlet Letter
Essay, Research Paper Sofia Kaufman E-Block 12/15/99 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible are both distinctly different narratives of the Salem Witch trials. The Scarlet Letter is a novel and The Crucible is a play. While The Scarlet Letter deals mainly with the sin of adultery, The Crucible mainly deals with witchcraft.
The Crucible Book Review Essay Research Paper
Arthur Miller, the son of a wealthy father who lost all of his money in the crash of 1929, quit school as a young child to support his family by holding several different odd jobs. From these jobs, Miller learned about the life of a simple man of America who became the highlight of many of his works (View from the Bridge, The Misfits).
Crucible Evaluation Essay Research Paper The Crucible
Crucible Evaluation Essay, Research Paper The Crucible Evaluation When Arthur Miller sat down to write the Crucible, it is obvious he took many things into account. The presentation of the book is very well thought out. As for the history aspect of the book, it is obvious that he did a lot of research even though there are still some discrepancies.
The Crucible 4 Essay Research Paper The
The Crucible 4 Essay, Research Paper The Crucible Arthur Miller The selection, “The Crucible”, is in the form of a play. The setting takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692. The people of Salem led a strict life, whose concerns were mostly concentrated upon the worklife while following the principles and rituals of the Christian religion.
Crucible Essay Research Paper
Cunningham-1 David Cunningham English III-AP November 10, 1999 The Crucible Comparison Essay The Crucible is a drama, based on the Salem Witch Trials and reconstructed by Arthur
Comparison In Characters From
“The Crucible” And “The Scarlett Letter” Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many characters that are similar to the characters of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. They might not be similar physically or mentally, but they share the same attributes and feeling towards things that effect their reputations.