The Crucible takes place in the early Puritan settlement in the New World, where accusations of witchcraft are spreading quickly. John Proctor has committed adultery with Abigail Williams, who is accusing the women in the town of being witches. In order to save his wife from being hanged, John confesses to working with the devil and confesses the affair. Moreover, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale, and she is punished with an embroidered “A” to remind her of her sin. Her daughter, Pearl, also reminds Hester of the sin she committed, while still instilling strength and purpose into Hester. The Crucible written by Arthur Miller and The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne are similar because of setting, hypocrisy, and effect of sin, but they differ on the issue of punishment and symbolism.

       The setting is a similarity between The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, as seen in the Puritan beliefs and severe punishments. The Puritan beliefs consist of strict rules that the town uses to judge others justifiably. As seen in the court of The Crucible and the clergy in The Scarlet Letter, the government system is corrupt with too many selfish authoritative figures. The court is biased and uses the girls’ word to make life-threatening decisions without factual evidence. Hester almost loses Pearl to the clergy because they are unfair and use their religious beliefs to make accusations against Hester’s and Pearl’s moral standing in the town. Similarly, hypocrisy is seen in The Crucible exemplified by Abigail Williams and John Proctor, as well as Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter. Abigail accuses the women of the exact situation, which she put herself into. Similarly, the townspeople judge Hester harshly for sin, although they promote morality in their religion. John Proctor refuses to sign his name to avoid being called a hypocrite. He wishes to die knowing the truth is out and that he is being punished for the affair. Dimmesdale believes he himself is a hypocrite for preaching the beliefs, which he has not followed. Furthermore, the effect of sin is a major theme throughout both books; this theme can be seen in the form of revenge and confession. Abigail is set on getting revenge on Elizabeth because she wants to be John’s wife. Revenge and redemption are two negative effects of sin, and both are shown in each book. Therefore, revenge in Abigail’s head is to get rid of Elizabeth by framing her for witchcraft. Roger Chillingworth is also vengeful because of his desire to make Dimmesdale’s life miserable. In the same way that John Proctor confesses his adultery to rid himself of the burden of sin, Dimmesdale also confesses his adultery. The burden of sin affects both men in the same way because guilt eats away at each of them. However, after they confess they feel the freedom from guilt, and they die shortly after. The setting, the hypocrisy, and the effect of sin all show the similarities between The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter.

        In comparison, The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter differ on the use of symbolism and punishment. Symbolism is seen in The Crucible with John’s unsigned testimony and in The Scarlet Letter with the “A;” however, it differs because John refuses the testimony and Hester accepts the letter. The “A” informs everyone Hester passes by that she has committed adultery. She accepts her punishment and tries to be a better person by doing charitable works in the town. She uses the letter to turn her life into one of good, while John Proctor uses his signature as his way out of leaving his children with the burden of his name. However, John refuses to write his name down because his signature is the only thing he has left. The punishments in each book differ, although both main characters commit the same sin. John Proctor is killed more for the accusation of witchcraft than he is tried for adultery. This severity in the penalty is due to the Puritan lifestyle. The Puritans in The Scarlet Letter use public humiliation and a letter as discipline for Hester. The severity of Hester’s punishment is not as harsh as John’s punishment. The symbolism and the penalty show the differences between The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter.

        The setting, hypocrisy, and the effect of sin are similarities in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter; however, they vary on the topics of symbolism and punishment. The setting takes place in Puritan times, where the townspeople said one thing but did the opposite. Both books include revenge and redemption as effects of sinning, specifically the sin of adultery. The “A” and the testimony, which John refuses to sign, are motifs, but they have different meanings and purposes to the plotline. The Crucible uses a harsher punishment for John than the town in The Scarlet Letter, although both characters commit adultery.