Homework Task 2

Arthur Miller rejects the idea and takes sceptical attitude toward the devil and spirits. This is shown predominately through a passage where he states, “…The necessity of the devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men in to a surrender to a particular church or church-state.” (38) This displays Miller’s attitude toward the devil and spirits as he admits to thinking the Devil is only used as a scaring device to lure people to surrender to certain churches. “Better minds than Hale’s were - and still are – convinced that there is a society of spirits beyond our ken.”(37). Miller talks in first person using certain words to suggest he is not including himself in the phrase that people are still convinced about a society of spirits outside our knowledge. Arthur also gives note that the Devil and other evil spirits are difficult to believe as true through political influences, “Our difficulty in believing the political inspiration of the devil is due in great part to the fact that he is called up and damned not only by our social antagonists but by our own side…” Therefore, sufficient evidence is provided to concur that Miller did not believe in the idea of a devil or evil spirits.