Elizabeth's Guilt In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, several residents are unjustly accused of witchcraft. The accusers tended to have their own motivation behind accusing these people. For example, accusing people out of jealousy was a popular motive for the accusers. This can be seen through Ann Putnam’s accusation of Rebecca Nurse, who was accused of killing Ann Putnam’s seven infant children. Ann Putnam was jealous of Rebecca because while Ann had lost all of her children except one, Rebecca says she had “eleven children, and [is] twenty-six times a grandma” (Miller 15).

Within Act 2, the most momentous event in my eyes was the warrant sent out for Elizabeth Proctors arrest. The element that surprised me the most was not the fact Elizabeth was arrested. But the fact that girls like Abigail are so afraid to get in trouble that they will do almost anything, including blaming it on other people like Elizabeth Proctor to avoid the truth. Because of the accusations they have given out, the town has put these girls on a pedestal where they have achieved an unnecessary and strange amount of authority over women in the Salem community. The following quote from Elizabeth on page fifty-five shows her awareness of Abigail and the other girls influence in the court, “The town’s gone wild, I think.

During the affair, Abby was working for the Proctors, but was fired when Elizabeth discovered their relationship. When being questioned in court, Elizabeth tells judge Danforth, “I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her on the highroad” (Miller 113). She finds it very hard to forgive John, and this causes tension in their relationship. When she is accused of witchcraft by Abigail, John proves his love for her by going to the court to expose Abby’s intentions.

Terry Brooks, an American fictional author once said, “We are constantly being put to the test by trying circumstances and difficult people and problems not necessarily of our own making.” This quote relates to the characters in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller because of the problems that they face. Already challenged with tough decisions, the characters continue to test each other throughout the play by the ways that they lie, the ways that they make false accusations, and the ways that they ultimately die for a cause. At the beginning of the play, Abigail Williams places her life before others, and lies to avoid trouble.

John tries incessantly to make Elizabeth, his wife, not think he did what he did. Elizabeth believes John is “not open with” her(Miller 167 textbook). She is suspicious of him regardless of the fact she doesn’t know he is guilty for sure. John and Elizabeth make up later in the story, but unlike Elizabeth, Abigail doesn’t get back together with

To be a hero in any shape or form, one must possess certain attributes which prove their morality, courage, and altruism. However, individuals exist who attempt to be heroic or are perceived to be heroic when in reality, they do not meet these aforementioned qualifications. In works of literature, such characters are referred to as antiheroes, a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is the protagonist who has been revered as a seasoned hero, being praised for his integrity, rationality in the middle of insanity, and true ethics. Yet, John’s explicit flaws makes one doubt his supposed righteousness.

In The Crucible, a story written by Arthur Miller in the early 50’s, the town of Salem is exposed to a horrific witch hysteria caused by the town’s grudges, and rivalries towards each other. These events are caused by a group of girls who get caught in an awful situation, and lied about witchcraft in order to get away. With these girls new power they, and many others used this to get revenge on those who have wronged them. So the village goes around making false accusations against innocent members of the town. In total, nineteen lives were lost to the towns selfish/unfair actions.

Elizabeth was right for lying to the court about John Proctor’s infidelity. Elizabeth believed it was her fault for him turning away due to the strictness she kept due to her belief that no one could truly ever love her since she was so ordinary. “I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me" (144). Elizabeth goes on to say how during the three months she was taken, she looked into herself and could not blame Proctor for being a lecher. This is because Elizabeth had sins of her own, also by being a cold wife had prompt Proctor 's lechery.

Secondly, Judge Danforth’s irrationality and ignorance brings about poor decisions on his part. One of the instances where Danforth reveals his following attitude is when he denies to even look at a deposition presented by John Proctor as described by his words “ No, no, I accept no depositions” (Miller 88). John Proctor hands him a deposition signed by Mary warren, stating that the accusations made by Abigail and the girls are false. In this regard Judge Danforth replies to John Proctor by repetitively says “No” thereby emphasizing his adamant view on this subject.

As I’m sure you are already aware, Elizabeth has been accused of bearing a pact with Lucifer, and she has been taken to the jail upon your word. I know just as well as you do, she is innocent of the evils you have claimed. She is joined by many others you have falsely accused. The calamity you have begun will soon see a sizable number of people hanged in the name of your “divine purification”. I cannot vouch for the purity of this village, but I know that the evils at play here are motivated by your own vendetta against my wife, and not by the wicked hand of some Antichrist.

While they were talking, Elizabeth finds out that John was alone with Abigail for a moment. She starts to get a little jealous and loses some of his trust. Whenever Elizabeth and John talk about Abigail their relationship is awkward and uncomfortable. They get into an argument where Elizabeth wants to help, but John doesn't listen to her. When Mary Warren comes in, she gives Elizabeth a poppet she sewed at work.

In this passage, Ezekiel Cheever responds to John Proctor’s curiosity about what a needle in a poppet signifies and why his wife Elizabeth is being accused of using witchcraft against Abigail Williams. Cheever’s response explains his knowledge of how Abigail was afflicted, his possession of strong evidence against Elizabeth Proctor as a court official, and both his and the town of Salem’s tendency to turn to superstition to explain mysterious events. As Cheever explains how Abigail was afflicted by the needles from the poppet, he utilizes a simile when he states that Abigail fell to the floor, after being stabbed, “like a struck beast” (74). Cheever says this to emphasize the abruptness and intensity of the situation and how significant it is that there is no visual perception of anyone

A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning, it is done manipulatively, and it is done on purpose to target people’s ignorance and stupidity. The statement being claimed might appear to be truthful or accurate, but due to an error on the claim it is not considered to be truthful nor accurate. There are various types of logical fallacies, and they are structured to help you identify misleading statements and recognize that there is an error in the information. The trial of Elizabeth Proctor does fit into the idea of logical fallacy.

Deputy Governor of Massachusetts, Judge Danforth, is a presiding judge of the Salem witch trials, and although he ultimately doubts the truthfulness of the girls, he is able to force others to defend themselves against charges that they are in opposition to the court. In the climate of hysteria surrounding the witch trials, power resides with those who can maintain the court’s absolute authority, as he emphasizes to Francis Nurse, “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between”(94). Danforth sustains his position based on the idea that the court is infallible but compromises his religious and legal beliefs as a result. When Mary Warren supports John Proctor by testifying that the girls were not engaged in witchcraft, Danforth and Parris question if Proctor desires to subvert the court(88). Danforth desires to maintain the power, authority and integrity of the court, even though he questions Abigail’s truthfulness, examining her sincerity, “Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when--”(108).

flash! Reverend Parris responds with reasonable frenzy to the possibility of heavenly powers, releasing themselves, however later he is one of the best advocates of this view. What causes this turnabout? And they talk about all of the trials they are going thru