Theme of Courage in The Crucible Essay Example

Perhaps one of the most subtle features of the play is how masculinity is represented throughout, with the definition of masculinity as defined in the dictionary; ”Something traditionally considered to be characteristic of a male” such as strength, courage, and leadership. Arthur Miller explores the idea of masculinity by making the characters in his play portray the different sides of masculinity. As Eddie, who represents the delusional, dominant and power hungry of man, Marco represents the family man of respect and justice, and Rodolpho represents the more feminine side of masculinity with the idea of the ideal man being, someone who is strong, independent and someone who can provide for their family.

Arthur Miller represents masculinity as the driving force behind given motives to characters and it being the source of major conflicts. Examples can be Eddie’s courage to stand his ground, despite Eddie being assured again and again by Beatrice and Catherine that Rodolpho doesn’t have ill intentions with their future engagement with Catherine, Eddie refuses to lower his guard. One of the reasons is, Eddie does not approve that Rodolpho is ‘masculine’ enough. Eddie points out Roldolpho’s ‘feminine’ hairstyle when he says “And with wacky hair; he’s like a chorus girl or sump’m” and how high-pitched his singing voice is. Despite Eddie wanting Catherine to stay with him as a way to stay in control, his constant stubbornness by denying Catherine’s relationship with Rodolpho results in her developing to become more independent, making Eddie stray further and further away from his goal.

Eddie believes that how masculine someone is, determines the fate of their future field of work, as he explains that “I can’t cook, I can’t sing, I can’t make dresses, so I’m on the waterfront. But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldn’t be on the waterfront” making it seem like being a longshoreman requires the person to have masculine traits, which Eddie believes Rodolpho doesn’t possess many of. Arthur Miller creates this sense of contrast between the two with their varying lifestyles and backgrounds to help differentiate them apart more effectively. Rodolpho represents the kinder, softer side spectrum of masculinity compared to the ‘ideal man’ portrayed by Eddie and Marco being independent and providing income for the family.

Halfway in the play, we can see the tension between Eddie and Marco, with each of them showing off their strength and combat abilities. Eddie teaches Rodolpho how to box, then throws a punch at him as part of the teaching, making him fall to the ground, being unable to block the punch, which Marco presumably took offense to, rising from his chair. As a response to what Eddie had done, he asked Eddie, “Can you lift this chair?” Eddie responded, asking “What do you mean?” Marco shows what he meant by grasping one of the back legs of the chair, but without lifting it. Eddie now understood, tried to, but could only lift the chair a few inches. Marco however, took his turn and completely lifted it above his head, lifting it as if it were a ‘weapon’ to Eddie as everyone observed in awe. The description of lifting the chair like a ‘weapon’ is crucial to the effect given off to the audience, as that indicates Marco’s intentions and foreshadows what will happen later on. Arthur Miller uses this conflict to connect the male identity and masculine norms to violence.

Throughout the play, Eddie feels the constant need to protect his family from immigrants. Eddie is jealous of Rodolpho being with Catherine all the time and cuts them off at any chance he gets. He is so jealous, when he returned home drunk one night, he impulsively kissed Catherine, making Rodolpho tug on his arm, demanding that he stop and pay more respect to her. Eddie turned around and asked whether he wanted something, Rodolpho exclaiming  “Yes! She’ll be my wife! This is what I want. My wife!”. Eddie further added, “But what’re you gonna be?” Rodolpho, feeling defensive, responded “I show you what I be!” Eddie then challenged Rodolpho in a taunting manner, “Come on, show me! What’re you gonna be? Show me!” From all the built-up frustration, Rodolpho, tearing up from anger, cried out “Don’t say that to me!” While leaping at him in attack, Eddie easily stops his attack by pinning his arm then suddenly kissing him, Catherine, shocked by what Eddie is doing, shouted “Eddie! Let go, ya hear me! I’ll kill you! Leggo of him!” Eddie lets him go, tearing in laughter. While Eddie walks away, he threatens Rodolpho that he has till tomorrow to leave his home, alone. At this point of the play, Eddie, representing the aggressive and blunt side of masculinity, has asserted his dominance over both Catherine and Rodolpho, proving that he’s physically capable of taking any two of them down and showing his status within the home. Eddie, at this point, had completely torn his relationship between him and Catherine.

Reaching the end of the play, Eddie had reached his breaking point. After going back to Alfieri for advice numerous times and getting the same response of ‘nothing can be done,’ he finally decided to call the immigration bureau to remove the two immigrant brothers out and as a last-ditch effort to ‘reconnect’ with Catherine. As Marco is being dragged out by the authorities, he publicly confronts Eddie, yelling “That one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!” which ruined Eddie’s reputation as he had broken the Omerta by ratting out someone. Marco, using the word ‘killed’ not as in a literal sense that Eddie was the one to have committed the action, but as an exaggerated way to say that his actions could’ve caused his children’s death as he can no longer work and provide income for his family. After Marco is bailed out of the prison, he confronts Eddie where they both fight to the death with Marco emerging as the victor. This fight represented how, in a traditional sense, conflicts are settled in a competitive manner using means of violence, with the conqueror gaining the satisfaction of regaining their honor. Arthur Miller uses this dramatic and violent finale as a way to convey to the audience the rawest, unfiltered kind of masculinity and how it links with violence.

In conclusion, out of all the things I’ve covered, I believe that Eddie is the most intriguing representation of masculinity in comparison to others mentioned as we as the audience have had the most opportunity to see him develop as a character. His role as the tragic hero, at the beginning, being the nobleman allowing strangers into his home but halfway being seen as the villain of the story by the people who had known him till the very end and despised by those who loved him most.