Guilt and Responsibility in Arthur Miller's Plays

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Anthologies
Cover of the book Guilt and Responsibility in Arthur Miller's Plays by Andreas Keilbach, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andreas Keilbach ISBN: 9783640216918
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: November 21, 2008
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Andreas Keilbach
ISBN: 9783640216918
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: November 21, 2008
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Freiburg (Englisches Seminar), course: 20th Century American Drama: Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, 12 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The purpose of this term paper is to examine how the characters in Arthur Miller's plays are confronted with guilt and responsibility and how they deal with it. Furthermore, I want to demonstrate how personal, individual guilt and responsibility not only become a matter for the individual but also have an important impact on the community and the society. According to Miller, there is a really strong mutual relationship between the individual and society. He states: 'Society is inside man and man is inside society, the water is in the fish, the fish is in the water.' Miller's main protagonists always try to defend themselves against an accusation, to deny their responsibility and guilt, and to believe in their innocence. Bigsby mentions what all of the characters concerning innocence and guilt have in common: '... [They] spend much of their time rebutting charges whose justice they acknowledge even as they are rejected. They are people who try to escape the consequences of their actions, who try to declare their innocence even when that involves implying the guilt of others.' This truly applies for the plays and characters I will observe in the following. I decided to focus on two plays published in the 1940s and 1950s: All My Sons (1947) and The Crucible (1953). Their main protagonists experience confrontation with themselves which finally leads to death. Most emphasis will be laid on All My Sons as there we have a number of characters dealing with guilt and responsibility, namely Chris, Larry, Kate, and Joe Keller. In addition, I will discuss the character of Proctor in The Crucible. The dominant question in these characters becomes this one: 'How can a human being work out the interconnections among the everwidening circles of responsibility: self, family, society, the universe? According to Miller, 'to violate the codes of any circle is to sin.'

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Freiburg (Englisches Seminar), course: 20th Century American Drama: Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, 12 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The purpose of this term paper is to examine how the characters in Arthur Miller's plays are confronted with guilt and responsibility and how they deal with it. Furthermore, I want to demonstrate how personal, individual guilt and responsibility not only become a matter for the individual but also have an important impact on the community and the society. According to Miller, there is a really strong mutual relationship between the individual and society. He states: 'Society is inside man and man is inside society, the water is in the fish, the fish is in the water.' Miller's main protagonists always try to defend themselves against an accusation, to deny their responsibility and guilt, and to believe in their innocence. Bigsby mentions what all of the characters concerning innocence and guilt have in common: '... [They] spend much of their time rebutting charges whose justice they acknowledge even as they are rejected. They are people who try to escape the consequences of their actions, who try to declare their innocence even when that involves implying the guilt of others.' This truly applies for the plays and characters I will observe in the following. I decided to focus on two plays published in the 1940s and 1950s: All My Sons (1947) and The Crucible (1953). Their main protagonists experience confrontation with themselves which finally leads to death. Most emphasis will be laid on All My Sons as there we have a number of characters dealing with guilt and responsibility, namely Chris, Larry, Kate, and Joe Keller. In addition, I will discuss the character of Proctor in The Crucible. The dominant question in these characters becomes this one: 'How can a human being work out the interconnections among the everwidening circles of responsibility: self, family, society, the universe? According to Miller, 'to violate the codes of any circle is to sin.'

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Strategien und Probleme von Müllverwertung innerhalb der Westafrikanischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft ECOWAS by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Der 'Tunneleffekt' von Albert O. Hirschmann - Analyse und Erläuterung anhand von Beispielen by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Growing Up With Two Languages by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Ausarbeitung und Interpretation von § 55 des Vierten Buches aus Arthur Schophenhauers 'Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung' by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Impact and Role of Market Research in New Product Launch Process by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Heiliges und Profanes. Zur Theorie von Mircea Eliades by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book The importance of the Black Panther Party for the emancipation of Afro-Americans in the 1960/70ies by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Einführung in das erfolgreiche Sportsponsoring by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book English Language Skills Training. Theory and Practice by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Der Beitrag sozialraumorientierter Sozialer Arbeit zur Schaffung menschenwürdiger Lebensbedingungen in Deutschland by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Zenobia von Palmyra. Eine Frau kämpft gegen die Römer by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Entstehung und steuerliche Behandlung eines Sanierungsgewinns beim Debt-Equity-Swap by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Feng Jicai - 'Der Beichtbericht' aus 'Hundert Einzelschicksale aus jenen zehn Jahren' by Andreas Keilbach
Cover of the book Die systemische Beratung anhand eines unterrichtsbezogenen Fallbeispiels by Andreas Keilbach
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy