what happens at the end of the crucible

The Crucible’s Final Flame: Reality, Lies, and a Town’s Terrible Failure

(what happens at the end of the crucible)

Arthur Miller’s * The Crucible * burns warm up until its final moments. The story ends with disorder, broken lives, and a grim lesson concerning fear. Allow’s break down what goes down as Salem’s witch tests collapse– and why John Proctor’s choice still strikes hard today.

The last act starts in a jail cell. It’s early morning, and the air really feels heavy. John Proctor, a farmer accused of witchcraft, hasn’t rested. His better half, Elizabeth, visits him. They speak quietly. She tells him over 100 individuals have admitted to witchcraft to save themselves. However others, like the sincere Rebecca Nurse, refuse to lie. They’ll hang at daybreak. Proctor’s stuck. If he confesses to witchcraft, he lives. If he remains quiet, he passes away.

Proctor indicators a phony admission. Then he panics. He recognizes his name will certainly be nailed to the church door as a liar. The courts desire his admission to validate their harsh trials. Proctor rips the paper. He shrieks he ‘d rather die than stain his heart. His pride is damaged, but his honesty remains intact. The guards drag him off. Elizabeth sobs but doesn’t stop him. “He has his benefits now,” she states.

Outside, the town’s falling apart. Abigail, the lady that started the lies, took her uncle’s money and disappeared. The court’s integrity crumbles. People murmur the trials were a scams. But it’s too late. Farms are deserted. Family members are smashed. The hangings leave scars Salem won’t forget.

Miller doesn’t sugarcoat the ending. There’s no victory ceremony. Proctor dies, yet so does the community’s madness. The courts understand they have actually been deceived. Reverend Parris, that assisted mix the panic, looks weak and scared. His daughter Betty, one of the women that faked witchcraft, lies motionless in bed. The curtain drops on a broken community.

Why does this ending stick with us? Due to the fact that it’s raw. Proctor isn’t a best hero. He cheated on his better half. He waited also long to speak up. Yet ultimately, he selects fact over comfort. His death isn’t attractive. It’s unpleasant, loud, and real. It demonstrates how tough it is to stand when everybody else sits down.

The play likewise puts us with a warning. Concern spreads quicker than fire. Exists leave hand. Innocent people pay. Salem’s misfortune isn’t almost witches. It’s about what takes place when individuals trade factor for panic. When the tests end, the damages is done. Depend on is gone. Next-door neighbors side-eye each other. The community’s soul is as dead as the bodies on the hangings.

Miller created * The Crucible * throughout the 1950s Red Scare. He saw politicians messing up lives by implicating others of communism. The play’s ending mirrors his rage. It asks: Just how much will we most likely to really feel secure? Will we market our morals to stay clear of problem? Proctor’s answer is a defiant “no.” But Salem’s ruins remind us that nerve often comes too late.

(what happens at the end of the crucible)

The final scene leaves us anxious. There’s no music swelling. No hope growing. Simply a cold dawn and a widow in a silent home. The crucible– an examination of warm– melted everything. What’s left? A couple of realities, heavy as stone, and the echo of a man who selected to quit lying.