Legal Brief: John Proctor, Salem
Statement of the Issue
After the many accusations and deaths of many innocent people, I have also been falsely accused and charged of being involved with witchcraft. Of course I deny everything because I have absolutely nothing to do with this. I am innocent, this is all a big misunderstanding. How can you believe what a bunch of teenage girls say, they are setting me up. Abigail Williams is making all of this up just for her enjoyment. I am being wrongfully charged, there is no evidence, I deserve to be set free. I don't deserve to die for something I have not done.
Statement of the Facts
Three months ago I was accused and charged of witchcraft, although there is no proof supporting these accusations. The only reason I am being put to death is because of the false accusations of Abigail Williams and her friends. Although I have proof that all of the talk of witchcraft is fake. She had confessed to me, the day after this all began, that it had nothing to do with witchcraft, they just dancing in the woods and when relevant Parris found them they took fright. These girls are just inventing things so they won’t get in trouble. They are just doing this for attention you cannot
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That is the only reason she is accused, like me she is innocent. A couple of months ago while my wife was sick I committed adultery. I had an affair with Abigail Williams, that is the reason why my wife dismissed her. Although it was a one time thing and it is over Abigail is in love with me and wants me all to herself. That is why she accused Elizabeth, to get rid of her and marry me. Abigail is not the innocent girl you all think she is, she is a liar that will do anything to get what she wants, in this case me. The only reason my wife hid this was because she wanted to protect my reputation, she didn't want to tarnish my name. But i don't care anymore I am willing to do anything to prove my innocence and my
Accused and Betrayed Throughout the late 1600’s women had been accused of being a part of witchcraft. In this time women went through many disgusting torture treatments and got charged with many different things. When a women had been accused she would be “treated” with many different types of torture until they had died or had admitted to doing witchcraft. Some of the tortures were called: “The Garotte”,” Dunking the Witch”, and “The Boots”.
Nearly anyone from the New England has heard of the famous Salem Witch Trials. A year of persecution, leading to the accusation of nearly 200 citizens of all ages. No one was safe; men, women, children, even pets stood trial and 20 were hung for the supposed crime of witchcraft (Blumberg). 1692 was a year of witch hunting. Most today blame the trials on hysteria, or perhaps a bad case of paranoia.
Abigail Williams’ Influence Is it okay for a person to lie and hurt other people just to keep him or herself safe? In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, Abigail Williams lies, a lot, to keep herself safe. Throughout the story, many people are accused of witchcraft. When a person is accused of witchcraft, it is very easy for them to get out of the accusation if they lie. The lies that are told shifts the belief of who knows witchcraft, and Abigail Williams uses those lies to gain influence over other people.
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller demonstrated that it was Abigail William’s flaws: lust, vengeance, and jealously that led her to be responsible the most for the tragedy of the witch hunts in Salem. Abigail Williams started the entire suspicion of there being active member of witchcraft throughout Salem, Massachusetts. She did this for her own benefits and used trickery to get what she wanted. Abigail was corrupt and only cared for her own desires. There are many reasons that these flaws are crucial to the outcome of the play.
The indictment of witchcraft are lies told in statements as if death is a game to play with. The whole conflicting trials in Salem, Massachusetts began with Abigail the deceiver of all the
Adolescent minds are the most intelligent kind of mind. A young brain is filled with creativity, imagination and innocence. Though the thought process of a teen is assumed to be selfish there are other factors involved. A combination of these characteristics seems almost dangerous. One would undermine a juvenile to use these qualities to manipulate the court for their own selfish wishes or pleasures.
Abigail Williams is not your typical teenage girl. She is a girl that will drink blood to kill someone, accuse people of witchcraft, and have a affair. By looking at The Crucible, one can see that Abigail Williams develops the theme of reputation, which is important because people who fear losing their reputation spread hysteria. Protecting her reputation motivates Abigail Williams to accuse others of being a witch.
If The Witch Don’t Fit, You Must Acquit In “The Crucible” 1953 written by Arthur Miller, wrote that hysteria in any place can ruin lives. The year is 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. In Salem at the time it was a modest town brimming with Puritans. In the town of Salem, little secrets, jealousy and massive hysteria spread around the town.
One of the most powerful human emotions is desire. Everyone is constantly trying to fulfill their own desires. A desire or passion may be so strong it can conflict with morality. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams, is driven to go against her moral duty and pursue John Proctor. She will stop at nothing to see her plan through.
Also, in attempt to tell the truth about Abigail, John Proctor admits to cheating on his wife with Abigail, but Elizabeth lets her fear assist her in lying. John Proctor tells everyone in the court, previous to Elizabeth arriving, “she [has] never lied” (III.891.). With everyone now knowing that she does not lie, it makes her trustworthy and believable. Deputy Danforth then brings Elizabeth in to confirm what
The Salem Witch Trials The belief of witchcraft can be traced back centuries to as early as the 1300’s. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during 1690’s in which many members of Puritan communities were accused and convicted of witchcraft. These “witch trials” were most famously noted in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Many believe this town to be the starting point for the mass hysteria which spread to many other areas of New England.
Nicole Schaefer Mr. Becker American Literature October 29, 2014 Two Women for Two Different Worlds In the novel the crucible, Elizabeth, wife of John Proctor, and Abigail Williams, mistress of John Proctor are two main roles. Elizabeth, a woman who is loyal and true, or manipulative and ruthless liar, Abigail. She pretends to see spirits and commands the other girls to pretend as well.
One common question about The Crucible is how Abigail Williams is the most evil force in the play. It is shocking when a girl talks back to authority out of disagreement, but few go as far as Abigail Williams. While she may only be 11 years old, her manipulative and vengeful personality allows her fool her Uncle and later turns a whole town against each other. She is really a master of manipulation and trickery, and she gets herself into affairs without punishment and has threaten all who oppose here. Abigail really is the devil in human form.
Women who were accused of witchcraft had the the opportunity to gain influence. Because there was not a lot of options for individuals to escape once convicted, the best action that could do to avoid execution was to confess to being a witch/wizard. “Confessing witches weren 't executed. Instead, they were kept apart from other prisoners, to be called upon in trials when their testimony might be helpful to the prosecution,”(You 're Accused). By doing this, they added credibility to the accusers and put more innocent lives in jeopardy in order preserve their own.
So what this entails is: you either tell the truth and deny that you have anything to do with witchcraft and be hung or tell a lie, which is a sin, and go to jail for an extended period of time. Those accused of witchcraft are put in front of those who have accused them and the judges and do not get to plead a case. But this was not a big problem before a group of girls started to tell