The phrase “honesty is the best policy,” applies to Arthur Miller’s history-based drama, The Crucible, in a variety of ways. The accusations throughout the story build on lie after lie after lie from those trying to protect their own name, thus putting the whole town in a state of confusion and chaos. Nobody in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts knows whom to trust anymore, after all of the false allegations made. There are three characters in particular in the story that, if they had told the truth from the commencement, the town would have been in a state of peace rather than mayhem. If Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor had been honest, many innocent lives could have been spared and Salem would not be in such …show more content…
John Proctor also lies throughout The Crucible. Although he has come clean to his wife, Elizabeth, about his love affair with Abigail, it is still a secret to the rest of the citizens of Salem. John is severely ashamed of his act of adultery, and has trouble admitting it to himself. When Elizabeth suggests early on,”I think you must tell him[Hale], John” (Miller 67), Proctor evades admitting the truth to Reverend Hale of his affair even though it could have been a valid excuse for the Proctor family’s lack of attendance at church and John’s inability to say the commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” In Act III, when John finally is forced to admit his clandestine affair with Abigail to the court, nobody believes him. Because John has waited so long to confess his affair, it just looks like a poor attempt to save him and Elizabeth from the indictments. If John had divulged the secret of his affair earlier on, people might scorn him for his sin, but he would have evaded the allegations of witchcraft. Although John Proctor and Abigail Williams are dishonest throughout the majority of The Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor remains truthful for most of the story. She does make one very grave mistake that sets the precedent for her husband’s future. When asked, “To your own knowledge,
The last thing Proctor knew to do, was admitting to having an affair with Abigail. John thought this could ruin Abigail’s credibility, while also sacrificing his own. Danforth needed proof of adultery, so he brought in Elizabeth. John said to Danforth that she will back his story because she never lies. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished, and Elizabeth lied and said no affair happened, hoping to protect John.
John knew the accusation was made only because of his affair with her. Abigail felt that if Elizabeth was out of picture, John would be fond of her once again. When Mary told John about the lies Abigail was up to, John knew he had to make things right and do anything to save his wife. He felt this way because Elizabeth was good to him through everything he has put her through emotionally. “my wife will never die for me.” (174). This quote means that Proctor refuses to let Elizabeth die because of something he did. Further on in the play, Proctor tries to convince the court that Abigail is lying about there being a devil in Salem. Even though John told the court about his affair with Abigail, they decided to believe the
He is attempting to demonstrate that he committed an error and it was just a discussion. However, Elizabeth is irate. She is astounded that she did not know about Proctor being with Abigail up until this point and is hurt since Proctor did such to her in the first place. Adultery is an extremely profound wrongdoing, and it impacts the court heavily as a piece of Proctor’s case. Before John confessed about having an affair with Abigail, he was respected heavily in Salem. Now, Elizabeth is scrutinizing Proctor's morality in light of the lies that he has advised her. In this manner, Elizabeth after seeing Proctor, says to him “John, you are not open with me. You saw her with a crowd, you said.”(Miller 55). This quote demonstrates that John, throughout the play, has been changing the stories he has been telling Elizabeth. Elizabeth and the girls decide not to deem John’s stories accurate, as they believe he is a dishonest man that does not stick to his words. Elizabeth also feels as if John may be keeping information confidential from her and is not giving her enough attention as his wife, even though John was confessing to let Elizabeth know of his secret affair with
John is a very happy prideful man until he commits adultery with Abigail Williams which at the time was John and his wife, Elizabeth Proctor’s housekeeper. Elizabeth catches Abigail sleeping with John and fires her. Abigail is jealous because she is not John’s wife so she lies and says that Elizabeth Proctor is involved in witchcraft. While Elizabeth is in jail, John tries to get Mary Warren, one of the girls that is lying about witchcraft to confess but soon betrays John and continues to lie with girls. John soon confesses about sleeping with Abigail. “A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is. . . . 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. But it is a …... vengeance. . . “. Miller, A. (n.d.). The Crucible. Retrieved December 3, 2014, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/quotes.html. Judge Danforth brings in Elizabeth Proctor to confess if John is telling the truth but she lies and says John never committed Adultery to try and save John but it is too
If honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure, then why don't people just tell the truth? In 1938, the House Un-American Committee was created by Senator Joseph McCarthy who accused government employees of being Communists. McCarthyism had targeted not only the members of the United States Government but also the entertainers and writers. Author Miller was one of those writers.He wrote “The Crucible” to show the similarities between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Trails, who both accused people of being what they weren't.People accused in the McCarthy Trails went through the same tests as people in the Salem Witch Trials.In the play “The Crucible”, the characters Mary Warren, John Proctor and Giles Corey all face a test of honesty, in which they either passed or failed.Mary Warren is unsuccessful in telling the truth, John Proctor cheated on his wife, and Giles Corey gets him and his wife sentenced to death.
Proctor 's decision to tell the court about his affair ironically demonstrates his goodness. He also spoke up for the innocent girls that had their names branded. He willingly sacrifices his good name in order to protect his wife and others who are wrongly accused. Only through his public acknowledgment of the affair does Proctor regain his wife 's trust. At the end of the play, Proctor refuses to slander himself by allowing the court to make him make a false confession. The court told him to lie, and that if he lies that he would not be sent to the gallows. He did the right decision by telling the truth about his affair with Abigail. He honestly told the truth about the affair, and that he was not part of the witchcraft. His response further exemplifies Proctor 's integrity. But John was not guilty. He had nothing to do with witchcraft, he admitted to his own mistakes. Proctor knows that if he confesses that he will be damned himself, yet again, if he agrees to confess, he will also be free from the torment from the demon inside him and set others free too. This realization, along with Elizabeth 's forgiveness, enables Proctor to forgive himself and finally regain his good name and self-respect. As the court
It is better to tell the truth then to lie while being in the moment and face the consequences for the rest of your life. Being afraid is a factor that the accusers had to face before the judges to determine their fate. Everyone within Salem was subject to the many trials that took place during that time. Abigail Williams, an adulteress establishes a relationship with John Proctor and is a compulsive liar who destroyed Elizabeth’s marriage. Elizabeth Proctor, a loving wife poured her heart into the community and sought the truth behind her husband’s betrayal. Arthur Miller’s,The Crucible was a memorable play that dictates the events that took place during the Salem Witch Trials.Living in Salem Mass. during that time was very challenging. Arthur
In society, we are blind to the lies that are taking place around us every day. Small lies, big lies, lies right in front of our face, and we are oblivious to almost all of it. This is shown really well in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Throughout the play, which takes place during the witch trials that took place in Salem, lies make up a big portion of the plot. Some of these types of lies that are used are described very well in Stephanie Ericsson’s essay The Ways We Lie. These variations of lies amplify the outrage created, through McCarthyism, and the Salem Witch trials that take place in the play The Crucible.
The Secret Life of Bees and The Crucible follow similar themes despite their different story lines. For example both books center around a main characters deceitfulness. In Lily's case she does not tell August what her real origins are, despite August knowing all along. She leaves without telling her father and helps a convict escape from the police. Along the same lines Abigail lies compulsively repeatedly placing the blame of innocent people as well as getting Judge Danforth to believe her. Both characters rely on dishonesty to get themselves out of difficult situations. Even though their is a theme of dishonesty among the characters there is also a theme of forgiveness evident. Lily forgives T. Ray for some his actions even though they
In society, we are blind to lies that are taking place around us everyday. Small lies, big lies, lies right in front of our face, and we are oblivious to almost all of it. This is shown really well in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Throughout the play, which takes place during the witch trials that took place in Salem, lies make up a big portion of the plot. Some of these types of lies that are used are described very well in Stephanie Ericsson’s essay The Ways We Lie. These variations of lies amplify the outrage created, through McCarthyism, and the Salem Witch trials that take place in the play The Crucible.
Under the assumption that John Proctor is actively search for something “honest” and noble in him at this point, he is on the course of completely escaping from his nihilism. To continue with John’s progress in this phase, his “honesty”, mentioned in the previous paragraph, can be two things. On the one hand, it would be an acknowledgement of John’s vanity and evilness of character, so avoidance of a saintly death (which would be “a pretense” for him), but confession to a lie “that was not rotten long before”, and thus subsequent punishment for his sins, therefore relief and peace through the shame and besmirching of such a confession. The sense of being finally genuine, after having suffered from the paralyzing notions of being a fraud and
In the beginning of The Crucible when John Proctor cheats on his wife, Elizabeth, John expresses a lack of willingness to accept the consequences and to be accountable. “‘Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.’ ‘Aye, but we did.’ ‘Aye, but we did not.’” (Page 15) When John is confronted by Abigail, he refuses to acknowledge his actions. In the face of her direct accusation, John denies the extent of their relationship. This highlights his unwillingness to be held accountable for his actions at the beginning of the story. “‘You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to
People are often told that lying is the wrong thing to do; it is evil, inhumane, and overall terrible. Despite this fact, lying has been shown to hand people multiple benefits. These benefits can be anything from getting out of doing house chores to looking cool in front of classmates. Because of this, many people use this form of deception to remove themselves from unwanted problems in the community. The Crucible, a play written Arthur Miller, portrays a disrupted society where people are accused of witchcraft for any abnormal activity. The accused witches are either forced to “confess” to their involvement with witchcraft or be executed in the gallows. The characters in the play display to the readers that lying provides protection towards people in different ways.
Throughout The Crucible, John Proctor showed immense courage when he stuck to his beliefs. In Act 3, John Proctor confesses to the court his affair with Abigail Williams because he doesn’t want his wife being accused of witchcraft. He further explains Abigail’s plan to kill his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, and dance with him on her grave. (Miller 873). When Proctor calls Abigail a whore, he gives the court an opportunity to end the trials. Additionally, John faces the ultimate test when he has to sign the document that would keep him alive. Proctor is unable to lie, so he shouts, “ Because it is my name!..Because I lie and sign myself to lies” (Miller 886). His action of ripping up the document further represents Proctor’s integrity and courage. Proctor knows he will never forgive himself if he agrees to confess. He chooses to be hanged over living the remaining of his life on a lie. Proctor refuses to name others and tears up the document. Overall in The Crucible, John Proctor is a firm believer in the fact that one’s name is the only thing that stays after death.
Have you ever felt so burdened or overlooked that it leads you to deception? How can one readily react to these feelings, and what can be done if we find ourselves submerged in duplicity far beyond any point of return? In order to better answer these questions, one must first look to both literature and history for demonstrations of such conceptions. Just one example of this being that of the well-known play and movie, The Crucible. As first written in 1953 by Arthur Miller, The Crucible is the powerful production and retelling of the erratic events which took place in the town of Salem during the late 1600’s. The story follows a group of young girls who, after being discovered in the woods dancing, decides it is best to charge the honest as partakers in witchcraft; and instill turmoil and distraction not just within Salem, but the entire region as well. One of the girls guilty of such accusations is that of Mary Warren; the tentative, disingenuous housemaid of John and Elizabeth Proctor, who during the progression of the story, felt ashamed of her actions and took the sand to confess not just her own, but all the girls’ fabricated behavior. However as the confession wore on and testimonies denying her statement true came forward, Mary ultimately gave to the pressure and returned to her previous actions of fraud and deception. Doings which only compliment her many viable flaws of a naive judgement, weak minded demeanor, and inability to stay true to her word; and that