Noah Roberts C. Young ENG3U1 3/26/2018 Misuse of Authority: Will the Crucible Crumble A difficult choice to make is whether maintaining ones morals is more important than aiding another. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, many of the characters face a misuse of authority and have a choice to make which is either to break their morals so they can help others, or stand by them and watch what happens to the people that they protect. Elizabeth, the wife of John Proctor, faces pressure from the court and in the end she breaks her morals to protect John. Elizabeth is not alone in this, since Reverend Hale is also facing a misuse of authority when he is visiting the jail. He breaks his morals as a Christian, by breaking one of the Ten Commandments in an attempt to stop further bloodshed. When faced with a misuse of authority, people abandon their morals to help others. …show more content…
Elizabeth breaks her morals when she is being pressured by Danforth, in trying to protect John. In the court room, Danforth is questioning Elizabeth by intimidating her by getting in her face and pressuring her in order to expose what she knows about the affair. Before Elizabeth is questioned, John says she is an honest woman: Proctor: In her life, sir, she have never lied…. Danforth: Look at me. Elizabeth: Aye, sir. Abigail Williams-She breaks off. Danforth: What of Abigail Williams? Elizabeth: I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad. Danforth: Your husband-did he turn from you? Elizabeth, in agony: my husband-is a goodly man, sir. Danforth: Then he did not turn from you. Elizabeth, starting to glance at Proctor: He- Danforth, reaches out and holds her face, then: Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak. Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! (Miller
“Let you look for the goodness in me, and judge me not.” John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth Proctor both endure a crucible or severe moral test. Elizabeth is put to the test various times during the play including when she was asked if her husband is a adulterer. John Proctor makes the descion to admit he had relations with Abigail williams.
The Crucible Essay The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, is based on the fears of the many accused and accusers. Many lies were formed out of fear of death. Some of the many decisions based on fear can be justified and others can’t. While in court, Elizabeth lied to protect her husband’s name.
He hopes to save Elizabeth by confessing his lechery and to expose Abigail. He thinks Danforth and Hathorne will believe him because he has a high reputation in the community. They do not believe him because his wife did not validate his words. 6. How is Elizabeth’s testimony used against Proctor?
Proctor’s guilt is present when he, attempts to pay for his sins by giving his wife materialistic objects, hesitates to obey his wife's suggestion to accuse Abigail of false bewitchment, and breaks out in anger for not wanting to be judged any longer. The romantic relationship between the Proctor’s is undoubtedly extinguished, but even casual engagement cannot exist without tension since everything John Proctor says to Elizabeth is a symbol of repentance. He offers Elizabeth the possession of a cow and expresses “with a grin” that all he
Throughout the play, Elizabeth seems to be struggling to forgive her husband and let go of her anger. But towards the end, she learns to forgive Proctor for his mistakes. At the beginning of the play Elizabeth is unforgiving of Proctors mistakes. “You’ll tear it free--when you come to know that I will be your only wife or no wife at all! She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well!”
Shawn Jande Ms. Clancy American Literature B3 15 November 2015 The Crucible Analytical Essay Imagine, being accused of a crime you didn’t commit by your neighbors and friends out of jealousy, and desire. This is what many people in the town of Salem had to go through during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. People's motives such as: gaining and maintaining power, and aspirations for what other people had caused them to make irrational, and atrocious decisions. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, desire and power drive characters to create chaos in the community.
Goodness and nobility is determined by an individual’s morality and their willingness to follow a virtuous path in their life. It is also determined by the ability of an individual to acknowledge their shortcomings and become more self-aware. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a good man as he showcases righteous morals and principles. This is shown, as he ends his affair with Abigail, protects his wife and his friends’ wives, and dies to preserve his integrity and honour. First, John Proctor shows his goodness, by refusing the physical advances of Abigail, who wishes to continue their love affair.
Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife told John to do what he thinks is best, disagreeing with the ideas proposed by Reverend Hale, to confess to the court. Reverend Hale’s
In The Crucible, John Proctor the protagonist, becomes a victim of the witch trials when his wife Elizabeth, is accused of witchcraft. In order to free his wife, Proctor must convince Judge Danforth of his wife’s innocence. Judge Danforth does not sign condemnations lightly and takes meticulous inspection of his cases to determine the guilty party. He is also a highly religious man who takes matters between God and men seriously. It is because of Danforth’s dedication to the law and God that Proctor utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade him.
When he says this, he is defending his reputation and the court in fear of being exposed because part of him knows this isn’t true. Later you would think after Abigail left he would have changed but no he is just scared for his life. Act 4 states, “Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house—a dagger clattered to the ground. Silence. Danforth absorbs this.
He still tries to be heroic and noble in this scene, like the man should. John is trapped in the role of the strong one. Danforth gives Elizabeth a chance to tell the truth and she still lies because the thinks she is saving John. This could be her one chance to condemn him for betraying her. Yet she stays the weak, loyal one.
Although Elizabeth was not the best wife at some moments, she loved her husband so much that she lied for him. When questioned by Danforth if Proctor committed lechery she said faintly “No, sir” (Miller 113). Elizabeth lies for the first time to save her husband because she is loving and cares about him. Although Elizabeth is not truthful, she protects her values by doing what she feels is right for her husband. Abigail is revengeful throughout the play at Elizabeth.
John Proctor never settles for keeping his opinion or what he thinks is right to himself. He knows telling Danforth that he is guilty for adultery won’t help his cause but it shows his desperation to win the case in order protect his wife, Elizabeth. John Proctor was sick and tired of watching Abigail win with a lie, in this case he spoke the truth knowing his consequences. John states, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!
Likewise, when Elizabeth is brought before Danforth to verify Proctor’s confession, she lies to protect her husband, whom she refers to as a “goodly man,” from suspicion (Miller, 113). The affair may have caused Elizabeth to doubt Proctor but both parties still care deeply for each other and try to protect each other from harm. Even in his last moments, Proctor’s last words- “Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it!”- were directed toward Elizabeth and were full of love and care (Miller, 144). Proctor may have sinned but his regret over his affair with Abigail and the trouble he had brought upon his wife justifies his
John Proctor’s words towards Elizabeth signal irritation and annoyance. John Proctor, the main character of The Crucible, has an affair with a much younger girl, Abigail Williams, breaking his wife, Elizabeth’s trust in him. Her suspicion of him rises when he tells her he was in a room alone with Abigail. Elizabeth’s growing mistrust begins to aggravate John, which is revealed when he says, “I’ll not have your suspicion any more” (489). Elizabeth is doubtful after learning about John’s affair with Abigail and her lack of trust in her husband begins to anger him.