What attitude does
Arthur Miller take to the belief in the devil/evil spirits? Write a
paragraph response using quotations in support of your explanation.
The attitude Arthur Miller takes to the belief in the devil/evil spirits is that having society being led to recognise the existence of the devil/evil spirits is not absolute nonsense. Miller uses Reverend Hale to portray this in The Crucible by stating, "The Devil is a wily one, and, until an hour before he fell, even God thought him beautiful in Heaven." As religion and God was a highly respected matter in the times of The Crucible, it takes upon a powerful affect when Reverend Hale tells John Proctor, who was in no doubt against the belief of the Devil, that even the almighty whom their entire society had faith in had fallen for the trap of the Devil. Furthermore, Miller also believes that, "the necessity of the Devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men into a surrender to a particular church or a church-state." Abigail Williams is a character who conveys this message heavily in the play. Abigail uses the Devil as a weapon against any person that she despises even if she, herself, knows that she did not interact with the Devil. She uses her power and the society's trust in her to abuse innocent people such as John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth. Miller's attitude towards the devil is that it is easy to believe in it due to tempting and seemingly reasonable perspectives that is imprinted in the society's morals.
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