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Theme Of Guilt In The Crucible

Decent Essays
Guilt is often one of the hardest emotions for a person to overcome. Guilt is one of the few emotions that can hurt someone long after their integrity was damaged. Lying about something or someone, majority of the time makes a person ask themselves “ Did I make the right choice.” However, guilt can be a blessing and a curse. Guilt can show someone the truth behind their actions and make them act upon it. In contrast of that sporadically it makes situations worse. For example in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible one of the main characters John Proctor feels as if he would feel too guilty if he signed his paper confessing his satanic works.He refuses to have this paper hanged on the church door, his emotions overtake him and he rips the document into two halves. Contradicting that statement, Abigail Williams a teenage girl, blames her use of witchcraft on a clueless slave named Tituba and she has no disregard for her actions. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller seems to prove that habitually people would rather hold other people accountable for their actions other than themselves. The first example and the one I believe to be the most valid in proving my point is when Reverend Hale thinks upon his actions during ACT IV. Hale talks about how the men and women will never lie about their accusations and says “ I have sought a Christian way, for damnation’s doubled on a minister who counsels men to lie.” (Miller 533) What this quote shows is that Reverend Hale is starting to
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