Introduction
Arthur Miller was motivated to compose The Crucible because of what transpired in America in the 1950s. Suspicion of witchery and an association with the Devil rose in the 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts. The accusations and apprehension are similar to the time of McCarthyism in the United States of America. Joseph McCarthy (the senator of West Virginia) targeted Democrats with unsubstantiated and extensive allegations of communist participation, resulting in the Republicans taking over Congress and the Presidency. Miller was one of the people who were taken as communists and questioned about other people thought to be communists. Miller refused to name anybody because he understood individuals have the right to uphold whatever they believe in. The Political communist hunt and the Salem witch trials were quite the same since people that were accused were instantly termed communists or witches without a trial or any other form of formal court proceedings. Miller thought that this was a great thing to write about since he had experienced it firsthand.
The play ‘The Crucible’ takes place in a small town propagandizing witchcraft with resentment and ravenousness as the main reasons. Following the Salem Witch Trials, the author wanted to highlight the unfairness and the illegal hanging of various people that took place during this time. Miller used indirect depiction to show how the kind of church ministers, public officials, and everyday citizens lived in the village of Salem. A better part of the play focuses on the non-secular government that was ruled by clergy officials like Reverend Parris. This paper intends to describe how various characters (Reverend Parris, Abigail, John Proctor & Elizabeth) in the play told lies, their motives for lying, and the consequences of their deceits.
Reverend Parris
The character Reverend Parris in ‘The Crucible’ is based on an actual person: Reverend Samuel Parris. Parris was the minister of Salem Village in 1689, and he was involved in the real witch trials just as mirrored by Arthur Miller in the play. Some historical authors even term him the main cause of the ordeal in the community, citing sermons in which he described, with great certainty, the presence of the Devil in Salem. Parris went so far as to write a sermon titled “Christ Knows How Many Devils There Are,” in which he declared that “horrible witchcraft broke out here a few weeks past,” this instilled fear in his congregation.
His preaching was a confirmation of the existence of witches in Salem; therefore, when the accusations about the witches began, people quickly believed it because the reverend had earlier mentioned them in his sermons. He was among the people in the community whose words were almost law and taken with no doubt. He was clergy and so people easily believed he said; therefore, his contribution to the witch hunt court proceedings had a great impact on the judge’s decision. Parris even invited Reverend Hale to be one of the judges in the court cases.
Although he was supposed to be a righteous man, the author of ‘The Crucible’ portrays Parries as a selfish person who could lie to protect his interest. Miller revealed Parris’ wickedness in various scenarios some of which were based on his real life as a preacher in Salem in 1692. In the play, Parris sees himself as a righteous man leading the Salem community to serve God. However, as seen in the play, he does not seem to practice what he teaches because his actions are driven by personal interest and love for material things he was gaining from the church. People who closely interacted with him, like John Proctor, however, knew who he truly was.
Some of his actions led parishioners, including the Proctor family to discontinue going to church. Many people did not like his sermons. They termed his preaching as condemning. Throughout the play, his main concern is maintaining his reputation. He even told Abigail that he has worked very hard to make the people of Salem believe in him and that he wanted his status quo to remain that way. His efforts to protect his reputation resulted in the telling of several lies just to avoid being involved in the witchcraft scandal. Act 1, Parris to Abigail: ‘I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now, when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character’.
At the beginning of the play, Parris caught several girls, including his daughter Betty and his niece Abigail in the woods performing rituals. His daughter even fell sick as a result of the rituals to a point of collapsing. He even watches as Abigail begins to name various people as witches. He knew that his niece was the one involved in witchcraft but did not tell the truth because he did not want his reputation to be ruined. Act 1, Parris to Hale: “I think l ought to say that I—I saw a kettle in the grass where they were dancing”. He lied about what he saw because he did not want to be associated with witchcraft.
Towards the end of the play, when people have been hanged and others receive prison sentences, Parris still had a chance to tell the truth and save John from being executed. However, up to this point, he still was worried that telling the truth would turn the community against him and result in his execution since he had known the fact the whole time. Although Parris seemed to want to save John Proctor from the hangman, his main aim was to save himself. He had sensed if John was hanged, the people might get angry and turn on him, for John was a good man except for the affair he had with Abigail. Even after Abigail steals his money and runs away, he never admits fault, making his character even more frustrating to behold.
Parris was one person who had a good chance to solve the confusion that ensued in Salem by confirming that Abigail was the witch and not all the people she mentioned. Never telling the truth is a lie and so his lies led innocent people to their deaths. Lying to protect his name destroyed the entire community of Salem. He rejected and betrayed the people who trusted him to lead them to righteousness. His character indicates how greed and selfishness could wreck the lives of people.
Abigail
Abigail is only a teenager at 17 years; she is an orphan brought up by Salem preacher Reverend Parris. A lot has happened to her, from losing her parents to working as a maid and having an affair with a married man. It seems that the author is trying to make the reader understand the mindset of Abigail, which might explain why she chose to mess with innocent people. She lacked parental love since her parents died when she was young, Parris he uncle was not affectionate and this could explain why she would go to the extent she did just to be loved.
Miller pictures Abigail as a precocious, defiant, dangerous, and inventive teenager who is a quick thinker and has a freeway with words. Her character is revealed in the confusion she creates in Salem; everything about mentioning the witches and casting hysteria across the community begins and ends with her. The chain of lies naming various people as witches in Salem began with Abigail. At the beginning of the play, Parris caught Abigail, his daughter Betty other girls in the bush performing rituals, naked and dancing. Tituba confirmed that indeed they were performing a ritual trying to cast a spell on Elizabeth the wife of John Proctor, whom Abigail was in love with. Abigail wanted to kill Elizabeth so she could have John all to herself.
Elizabeth had uncovered the illicit affair between John and Abigail, who worked as her maid and fired her. Abigail to Proctor: “And you must. You are no wintry man. I know you, John. I know you. I cannot sleep for dreamin’; I cannot dream, but I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through some door”. Abigail did not stop lusting after John hence her move to cast an evil spell on Elizabeth.
Nonetheless, Abigail denied those claims stating they were only dancing; she also convinced the other girls to stick to her lies so that they may not be found guilty of witchcraft. Act 1: Abigail to girls, “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” The girls chose to stick to the lies to avoid the consequences of being a witch.
Therefore, Abigail and the other girls pretended to be possessed by spirits that other people could not see. In that pretense, they began mentioning names of people they believed practiced witchcraft. Act 1, Abigail to Hale and other people: “I want to open myself! I want the light of God. I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him: I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kissed His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” Betty: “I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil! I saw Alice Barrow with the Devil! I saw Martha Bellows with the Devil!” As a result, many people were arrested and taken to court accused of witchcraft.
As seen in the play, Abigail had taken advantage of being young and coming from an influential family of Reverend Parris to convince the judge and the community with her lies. She and the other girls convinced the judge that they were telling the truth while in reality, they were telling pure lies. The people and the judge perceived her as innocent and truthful, while in the real sense, she was a deceitful bad person. At only seventeen years, she had already had an affair with a married and wanted to kill his wife to have them to herself.
Her initial plan was to cast a spell on Elizabeth, kill her and take her place in John’s life. Though this backfired, she did not quit and ended up accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. She told the court that Elizabeth was a witch and that she tried to kill her. In the end, her lies destroyed the whole Salem community. She then realized that she could not live in the same area with the people she hurt. She stole her uncle’s fortune and ran away to England, where people alleged that she began prostitution. Her lies run throughout the play; according to how Miller pictures her, she is among the main characters in the play and plays a significant role in the turnout of events. It was her deceit that led people to their deaths and left others in prison.
John Proctor
In ‘The Crucible’, the author Miller portrays John Proctor as a tragic hero. In the Salem community’s ethical standards, Proctor qualifies to be an upright, reasonable and honest man. The author mirrored John as a person who stood for the truth; for instance, he was among the people who fought against injustices in the community. Act 1, Proctor to other people, including Reverend Parris: “I have trouble enough without I come five miles to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God anymore”. John was even bold to tell Parris the truth about the impact of his sermons and his selfishness.
The only mistake he seems to have made is to have an extramarital affair with Abigail. The affair is pictured as the main source of the confusion happening in Salem. John’s relationship with Abigail plays a significant role at the beginning of the witch hunt and even influences the outcome of the witch-hunt cases. It was their love for Proctor that made Abigail engage in rituals to curse a spell on Elizabeth. When Abigail was caught in witchcraft she decided to mention other individuals as witches. When Elizabeth, Proctor’s wife, relieves Abigail of her duties as a maid after she realizes the affair, Abigail becomes vengeful and wants to eliminate Elizabeth to have the proctor all to herself.
When Proctor arrives at Parris’ house after hearing that Betty was sick, he senses that Abigail has something to do with what is happening. He briefly talks to Abigail about what is happening and realizes that she is in for revenge. Act 1, Proctor to Abigail: “Ah, you’re wicked yet, aren’t y! You’ll clap in the stocks before you’re twenty”. Act 2, John to Elizabeth: “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. If the girl’s a saint now, I think it is not easy to prove she’s a fraud, and the town went so silly. She told it to me in a room alone—I have no proof for it”. John had no courage to expose Abigail because he feared she would reveal their affair, which he had tried very hard to hide from the public.
When his wife was arrested, Proctor realized how far Abigail was willing to go to achieve her aim, he then decided to come out and tell the court that she was lying. Act 3, John to Danforth and the court: “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well, she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. However, it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands. I know you must see it now”. Although he was given a chance to speak before the court, the judges did not seem to believe him and needed someone else to support his testimony. He told the court that his wife would confirm his story. He vowed that Elizabeth had never lied and that she would confirm his statement. When the court called Elizabeth, she did not want to expose her husband’s affair and so her words did concur with what John had told the court.
Having known the truth the entire time and failing to reveal it to hide his affair with Abigail, John’s actions are directly associated with the deaths of those who were hanged. Although for a better part of the play he hides the affair, he later realizes that nothing can prevent Abigail’s instigation of his confession to their affair. He eventually admits to the affair and his guilt publicly when he realizes that his wife, who was pregnant, could receive a death sentence. At the end of the play, his confession clears his wife, Elizabeth of all the charges while he is sentenced to death.
Though the author pictured him as a man of integrity who stood for the truth, the one mistake he made destroyed the whole community and eventually resulted in his death. Though an upright man with only one mistake, he is the biggest loser in this play because he loses his life and leaves his family shuttered. His hanging caused a lot of sympathy in the community and this is when the people of Salem realized what the judges had committed a grave injustice.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth was the wife of John Proctor, the author of the play portrays her as a submissive wife committed to her marriage and her vows to her husband. She is a woman who values and protects family secrets. Though she found out that her husband was having an affair with her maid, she decided to keep this secret to herself. The only action she takes is to send Abigail away; however, her move does not deter Abigail from wanting John. Elizabeth’s loyalty and respect for John make her makes a vulnerable woman. Abigail takes advantage of Elizabeth’s soft personality and goes as far as performing rituals to cast a spell on Elizabeth to have Proctor all to herself.
Abigail also accused Elizabeth of being one of the witches that caused hysteria in Salem. Act 2, Elizabeth to John: “She wants me dead, John, you know it! It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names: why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name—I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She’d dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John.” Elizabeth is annoyed when Abigail mentions her as one of the witches.
Elizabeth was arrested along with many Salem citizens; however, the judge is lenient with her because she is pregnant. Elizabeth’s ordeal touches her husband eventually at the end of the play he decides to tell the truth to save her. She is among the people who told a lie in Salem when the truth was needed to save people’s lives. Elizabeth’s role in everything that transpired in Salem is significant, especially when she is invited to the court to testify. She was called to court to give a statement to confirm whether John or Abigail was telling the truth. Her testimony would have saved many live who those who had been accused wrongly. Before her entrance, the judge had asked John the same questions and only needed Elizabeth to confirm. John had vowed to the judge that Elizabeth would tell the truth because she had never told any lie since he knew her.
The judge asked her to accuse her husband of Lechery. However, she hesitated to respond to the question, which was no surprise to many. She was fighting a dilemma; she needed to make a decision that she knew would influence her life and the lives of others. To the question of lechery put before her, Elizabeth decided not to tell the truth and answered no. Act 3, Danforth to Elizabeth: “Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher? Elizabeth to Danforth: No, sir.” She cited various reasons for not telling the truth, her major one being the respect she had for her husband.
She felt that it was John’s responsibility to reveal his sin on his own. Further, Elizabeth believed that she was part of the reason John decided to cheat on her with Abigail. Because of her love and respect for John, she allowed him to decide when he would let the community know of his adultery. Elizabeth’s testimony could have been the saving grace those who were in custody needed. It was what John needed to come clean about what Abigail had done; however, since she never told the truth, John’s words were dismissed by the court. The people were then judged solely on what the girls had said. Elizabeth’s lie condemned many people to be hanged and others to serve time in prison. Act 4, Elizabeth to John: “I cannot judge you, John. I cannot! I am not your judge, I cannot be, do as you will, do as you will!” Even with her arrest, Elizabeth stood with her husband till the end.
Because of the role she played in determining the fate of the innocent people of Salem, many historical authors have referred to her as a weak woman. The critics of her character argue that she feared her husband and that is why she lied to protect him even when she knew that the truth would have saved lives. Additionally, even when she is pushed to the core by her husband’s lover and accused of being a witch, she does not expose the truth. She was willing to spend time in jail with her pregnancy than expose her husband. Elizabeth’s weakness seems to empower Abigail to continue with her deceit. However, other people who read the play Crucible are amazed by her loyalty to her husband and their marriage and she is willing to spend time in jail than expose the menace in their relationship.
Conclusion
‘The Crucible’ is a play written mirroring real events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts 1692. The play is all about an era where the community is hunting and killing witches. The author reveals a great confusion in Salem; though the people had embraced Christianity, believed in God, and some quoted bible verses often, they still believed that witches were out to get them. To further show the extent of the crisis in the community, the author shows the involvement of clergymen like Reverend Parris in believing in the existence of the devil. It was through the fear and the belief that witches existence that a web of lies ensued in Salem. Abigail begins this web when she is caught performing rituals. Reverend Parris, John Proctor, and Elizabeth, among other people in the community, are all caught in the when of lies. Due to their desire to protect their specific interests in the community, they continue the chain of lies instead of coming out and stopping Abigail. The deceit lead to many people being arrested and as a result, several were hanged while others were jailed. John Proctor was among those who suffered death consequence of these lies.
The author also portrays a community that relied on unprofessional to judge the cases. The judges only relied on hearsay and not evidence in convicting people to death. It is sarcastic how the people of Salem believed in God while the church clergy was the judges who sentenced people to death for witchcraft. Instead, they would have prayed to God to intervene and bring the community light. Miller has demonstrated in the play Crucible that a small lie that means no harm, to begin with, can destroy a whole nation, just like a lie from Abigail a teenage girl, resulted in a web of lies and destroyed a whole society.
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