Sure, you don't expect or want rain, but it's not the polar opposite of getting married. In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect. The classic example of an incorrect use of irony is in Alanis Morisette's song 'Ironic' when she says that 'rain on your wedding day' is an example of irony. In the next few sections, I'll take a look at a group of broad themes in The Crucible, including irony, hysteria, reputation, and power.įirst off, what is irony? Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen).

If you can show that you understand the themes of a work of literature, you've clearly mastered the material on a deeper level. What is the writer attempting to convey to the viewer? The Crucible's themes have lent the play artistic longevity because they're more or less universal to the human experience across time. If you hope to write an awesome essay on The Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. Themes tell us what the purpose of the work is. They're also revealed though events in the plot. In the case of a play like The Crucible, themes are revealed mainly through the dialogue of the characters. Themes can be expressed in many different ways. A theme is a central topic that is addressed by a work of literature. What’s a Theme? Why Are Themes Important?īefore I get into the nitty-gritty of how The Crucible themes are expressed, let's do a quick overview of what themes are and why they matter.

Read on for an overview of what a theme is, a list of important themes in The Crucible with specific act-by-act details, and a summary of how to use this information in your essays and other assignments. But these themes aren't always easy to explain or dissect in the context of the play, and they can be even harder to develop into essays. The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period.

The crucible miller