Despite these similarities, they also have major differences in their nature; since they have contrasting levels of devotion to Puritanism and to the moral principles they live by. Reverend Hale and John Proctor are both similar because they discover the malicious intentions of the accusations, and tries to avert further damage dealt by these false accusations. When John first hears about the trials, he doubts the legitimacy of the court proceedings. He even considers going to Salem to persuade the Deputy Governor from convicting innocent people. Although, he does not consider the trials to be a significant event, he eventually learns about the gravity of the situation.
The essential action of trying to convince people in the scene that she is telling the truth is to show the people in the scene that Abigail is a liar and reduce her chances of getting in trouble The essential action of kneeling down and begging mister Hale not to hang her is that Tituba wants to save her life. By kneeling down, Tituba shows that she is remorseful and shows submissiveness toward mister Hale. Tituba wants to appear as though she is helpless and that her life is in mister Hales who has the power to Hang Tituba.
Hale’s confusion gets the best of him, but shows that he does not agree with the girls’ beliefs anymore that the devil has scouted the accused. He realizes that the court is corrupt and what they are doing is unfair, in the sense that believing the girls was wrong. Quitting the court ends Hale’s confidence and shows he is doubting the validity of his own conclusions that he had made initially. The morning that was set for John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey to be hung; Reverend Hale was at the jail trying to get the accused to confess to witchcraft. Hale begs to Danforth, “If you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are striving for their confessions, that speak mercy on your part” (1223).
Proctor is now confessing, “his shame great” of when he committed adultery with Abigail (Miller 110). Although Proctor is incriminating himself, he is trying to reveal Abigail’s true character and motives to Danforth. Finally, pathos is effective at convincing Danforth Abigail’s accusations are lies because Proctor’s emotions are raw and unadulterated, so much that “Danforth seems unsteady” (Miller 111). Danforth believed Abigail was a redeemed sinner being used by God to indicate those still in the dark, but now Proctor has shed all propriety and revealed the true Abigail. Pathos is so effective here because it is what Abigail used to convince the court.
Thirdly, throughout the play Judge Danforth is gullible to Abigail’s manipulations and lies. One of the instance where Danforth’s gullibility towards Abigail is shown is when Abigail blatantly accuses Reverend Hale’s wife to be in alliance with Lucifer (The Crucible) to which he replies that “it is not possible for a minister’s wife to be associated with the devil” (the crucible). Here Abigail is proven wrong by Judge Danforth because he is certain that a minister’s family can never be approached by the devil as per the commandments. Despite this, he chooses to believe that Abigail has probably mistaken to identify the woman associated with Lucifer. This shows that he totally believes in Abigail and that, all her previous accusations are valid.
(Miller 18). Mary was afraid of Abigail Williams and didn’t tell the truth fearing that Abigail would hurt her. While, she developed as a character and made better choices for herself. Acts 3 and 4 she attempted to help John try to accuse Abigail Williams of lying about witchcraft in the court. “I-I promise you, Mr.Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not’.
Hanging all of these victims will cause attention to him, and cause people to believe that he should he honored for saving Salem. In conclusion to reading The Crucible, through Act 3, we learn that Danforth has his own ways of doing his job. To the extent of not being fair, law-abiding, and being indifferent to what the people have to say. The qualities that he lacks to demonstrate shows that he is not an effective judge by any means.
The Crucible Essay “It takes strength and courage to admit the truth.” In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller many characters make life threatening decisions to either lie or tell the truth. These choices signify rather or not the character are strong enough to admit the truth or weak and lie. Some might say the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller deals primarily with human weakness; however, the truly dominant subject is clearly courage because of John Proctor tries to tell the truth about Abigale and the girls, Elizabeth Proctor supporting her husband choice even though they have children to raise, and Giles Corey rather be pressed than lie about being a part of witchcraft.
but she also blames John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail goes to Proctor and begs for him back and also confesses to the accusations being false. Many people start going to court and confess to signing their souls over to the devil. Proctor, to save his wife’s life, tells the truth but the court does not believe him and he is hung. The Crucible does a great job in showing the prejudice and hypocrisy in real life events.
However, throughout the play, he is able to prove the audience wrong. Firstly, when Proctor is arrested, he decides to confess to practicing witchcraft. He does this because he believes it could end the trials in Salem, which could save many innocent lives of others who have been accused. Proctor tells this to his wife, saying, “I have been thinking I will confess to them, Elizabeth.” (Miller, 135).
This court, these accusations of witchcraft, are not fuelled by the desire for justice, but to exact revenge and acquire power. All of these denunciations of people as witches were lies. Had I opened my eyes and not foolishly believed these falsehoods, fallen victim to the wily Abigail’s web of lies, perhaps these people would have never been condemned? How could I allow God’s court to be a place of such injustice? I once prided myself on my intelligence and purity of spirit, but it is apparent that I am not a noble fighter against the devil but an ignorant mortal, not worthy of the post I hold.
There is no such thing as the truth, people lie and others continue to believe them. Except one, John Proctor from the beginning of the play is on the side of justice, and finding the truth. From the beginning of the play he questions the idea of witchcraft, and believes that it is just another act from Abigail Williams. An example of how Proctor is always on the side of truth is when he is in court and he confesses to having an affair with Abigail Williams. "A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now.
John Proctor denied to forget his sincerity in acknowledging his denial to deliver his life. Although he is sentenced to death and dies, he still sticks up for a trial of character, and succeeds. This piece of writing also works in an theocracy. Sworn in the name of God, both men and women, were charged and condemned of rehearsing witchcraft.
In The Crucible Thomas Putnam’s main motivations are greed and selfishness. He shows this throughout the book, by accusing people of witchcraft. Thomas Putnam’s brother in law was prevented from being elected the office of minister. “Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and honor of his family had been smirched by the village, and he meant to right matters however he could” (Miller1221). To right his name and honor from being smirched he accused many
I think it is wrong to live with a lie, than die with the truth. The Salem witch trials of 1692 were filled with lies and truths. Because no one wanted to die they lied so they could live and not have a good name, than the ones telling the truth and dying for that truth. I agree with Increase Mather when he said “It would better that ten suspected witches may escape than one innocent person be condemned.” John Proctor said “Because it is my name!