The Nature of the Ancient Political Context
The film ‘The Crucible’ largely addresses the nature of the ancient political context. In regards to political history, the film addresses the role of the judges of the court, reverend, slaves and the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts.
The Role of the Judiciary
Nicholas describes the role of the judiciary as lawmakers who came up with laws that were used to judge the members of the society. The judges also ensured that there is integrity for members of the society. Upon receiving the list of all the accused individuals in the presumed death of Betty and Ruth, the judge orders for the immediate arrest and questioning of the named individuals.
The Reverend as the Peacemaker
The reverend acts as a peacemaker in the heated political scene. The Reverend Samuel Parris intervenes and questions the girls on the occurrences in the bush, further; Reverend Hale is also called to examine the ‘demon possessed’ girl in a bid to bring the situation to normal.
The Slave, Tituba
The slave, Tituba, in the film is also portrayed as a servant as well as a victim of circumstances as Abigail points her out like the devil's worker.
The Unrealistic Account of the Legal Process
It is worth noting that the film does not address the realistic account of the legal process. The judges display partisan when dealing with the members of the society accused of witchcraft. Upon the arrest of Tituba, she is forced to confess to practicing witchcraft through punishment. Despite her innocence, the slave is forced to admit to practicing witchcraft to avoid more penalty through whipping.
False Witness
The judges further act on account of false witness from the girls, this leads to the illegal arrest of Tituba. The judges also fail to question Hale’s wife on the presumed notion that as a minister’s wife she was pure. In the twist of events through the film, the law widely deviates from the norm presented in law books. According to Nicholas, the judges are supple and work rationally based on the twist of the turnout of events as shown by the eyewitnesses, the girls. It is worth noting that the judgment made by the judges is bound to changes over time. The film satisfactorily presents a unique understanding of how the law works away from the law presented in books.
Changing Perceptions of Morality
In the recent years, there has been an increased change in the perception of morality. In the context of the film, having an affair is considered to be against the law. During the court proceeding, John opts to disclose his relationship with Abigail to disapprove of her innocence. Gender inequality also comes up as John is perceived to be innocent despite being in an affair with Abigail yet only Abigail is found to be guilty. However, in the currently evolving judicial set up, the law appraises relationship affairs and further displays lack of prejudice on the grounds of gender.
Challenges Faced by Legal Actors in the Film Industry
In the film industry, legal actors face several challenges which compromise the accuracy of their roles in the film. In this particular film, the twist of events forces the judges to work rationally to solve the cases rather than relying on the laid down protocols in the law books. For instance, the slave is pronounced guilty based on her confession; however, the judges fail to genuinely follow up on the happenings at the bush to determine the actual perpetrators. The professionalism in law faces compromise in the situation. It is worth noting that stereotyping in the film portrays the wrong side of the law. The judges have an assumption that the Reverend's wife is pure and free of charge from the accusations of witchcraft. Further, as a slave, Tituba falls as a victim of circumstances therefore the girls point her out as the main perpetrator of witchcraft.
Work Cited
Nicholas, Hytner, The Crucible [Video file]. The United States, 20’Th Century Fox (1996). Retrieved on March 14, 2018, from https://fmovies.is/film/The_Crucible
