Timeless Theme Present in The Crucible and in Macbeth...

One timeless theme found in many pieces of literature is the abuse of power. Many people who are in power, abuse their power, and commonly become corrupt or unjust due to the power. The essence of human nature is to crave power. Along with this craving of power in some humans is the corruptness and injustice when one comes into power or on one s path to achieving power. This is a timeless theme, as power and human nature have always existed in man s history. This theme may be observed in Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare in the early quarter of the 17th century and set in the 11th century. This can also be observed in The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in the 20th century, and taking place in the 17th century. In the†¦show more content†¦This passage shows just how low Macbeth has sunk, and how twisted his actions have become since his initial stage. As one may now conclude, power strongly corrupts Macbeth. Originally he is a virtuous man, defending his homeland from rebels, yet he slowly gets transformed by power into a ravaging terror, destroying everything in his way. In The Crucible, power as a corrupting force may be seen through many characters. The girls in the Crucible tell many lies to become officials of the court. Mary Warren, for example, evidence may be seen in a scene where Mary Warren is speaking with Parris and Elizabeth: Mary Warren: You must see, sir, it s God s work we do. So I ll be gone every day for some time. I m- I am an official of the court, they and I- She has been edging toward offstage Proctor: I ll official you! He strides to the mantel, takes down the whip hanging there. Marry Warren: I ll not stand whipping any more! (59 Miller) In this passage one may see that Mary Warren seems to believe that she has gained power in the court, and we discover later, that this power was gained through lies. Originally she was considered to be part of one of the lowest classes in the Crucible s hierarchy of society, however telling these lies and giving false evidence has promoted her directly to official of the court,