In The Crucible, Arthur Miller details how a lack of religious tolerance can be destructive to human rights and ultimately to society itself. He does this through various situations in the play where characters are forced to decide whether their reputation or personal gain is more important. A lack of religious tolerance is what instigates the whole plot of the play. Throughout the play the reader can see how characters are more focused on themselves rather than others because they are terrified of what other characters may think of them. If the townspeople were more tolerant of mistakes the characters made, they wouldn't have to hide their faults and live in constant fear of being discovered.

In Salem, dancing is forbidden and when the girls commit this crime their reputations are ruined because the people in Salem are unable to perceive life different from that of...