Comparing The Crucible, Half-Hanged Mary, By Margaret Atwood
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“Death sits on my shoulder like a crow... like a judge… like a dark angel…”. This quote from “Half-Hanged Mary” is a symbol of what people felt about themselves and their verdict they had at this point and time in their life. In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, “Half-Hanged Mary” by Margaret Atwood, and in the cartoon “It’s okay… we’re hunting Communist” by Herb Block all show that a society under stress will always have a scapegoat. The people in these pieces of literature are a perfect representation of someone or a group of people that abstain an injustice situation that they should be tried for instead of the people they have accused to save themselves. Throughout each of these sources, they all come back into play with each other, showing just how…show more content… You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor”. In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, there is a group of girls that kickoff all of this problem. Abigail Williams is the one who is at the head of this mishap. The girls were caught dancing in the woods by Rev. Parris, they are accused of witchcraft by the whole town. Once they are accused they start accusing others of it to save themselves and keep their good names. It starts out with only one or two people being accused then it escalates quickly to family turning on family, friends turning on friends, and neighbors turning on neighbors. “She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” says Abigail as she first accuses her slave,Tituba, because she was also seen in the woods with the girls when they were caught. Tituba says that she thinks that there are many other witches in Salem and this makes the citizens very uncomfortable causing them to bring in a Rev. that is educated in witchcraft. In the end, there are over 200 innocent people accused and 20 innocent people executed, but none of the girls who began this mess and were seen dancing in the woods were never tried or