Beneficial Lies
A single lie has the power to destroy a whole reputation of integrity. Some are so profound in the art of lying that they even deceive themselves. Lying is an essential part of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, it is what causes all the hysteria in the town of Salem. When over half the town of Salem exhibit selfish characteristics, lying to themselves and others has become second nature. But why does one feel the need to lie? One engages in lying to benefit themselves or another.
Lying is used to protect oneself as well as others.Danforth, demanding an answer, yells, ‘“Is your husband a lecher!” Elizabeth: “No, sir.” Proctor: “Elizabeth, I have confessed it! She only thought to save my name”’ (393).
Elizabeth has been praised for her honesty and morality all along but now has been exposed in court. Is she two faced or does she posses a pretense? To everyone, besides the judges, it is evident she only sought to protect Proctor’s name and reputation. She values her commitment to her husband over honesty. She thought ruining his reputation would be the worst thing to happen to him, so she lied to the court, but boy was she wrong. Her little lie would only cost him his life. Act 3 is chock-full of other
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People are wired to protect themselves and improve themselves, with lying being the easiest solution. Whether we want to protect our reputation or a loved one’s, escape repercussions, or gain superiority, getting there truthfully and easily is almost impossible. Wouldn 't you take the easy way out if it was as simple as ABC? So can you blame the people of Salem for lying? That is up to the reader, but in the end did any of the characters really benefit? Next time a tiny white lie is on the tip of your tongue think of the long term consequences as the immediate benefit will eventually fade along with your integrity and
In Act 2, Elizabeth accused of witch doing. Her husband Proctor was fury and anxious to clear off her names, thus he acted unwisely. “Suddenly snatching the warrant out of Cheever’s hands ripping the warrant.” (Miller 82). Even though Proctor had fought for his wife, but his voice was meaningless from curt authority, thus Elizabeth stated, “I will fear nothing.
Zi Liu Ms. Elder College English 11 The Crucible Break Assignment ACT ONE 1. Why did the Salem settlement need a theocracy? Why had the settlers begun to turn toward individualism?
Lying has not been formally considered morally wrong or right regardless of the severity. Although it’s near impossible to go through a whole day without even stretching the truth once and decide which types of lies are okay or not. Stephanie Ericsson uses strong metaphors and personal experiences in “The Ways We Lie” to justify the use of our everyday lying. This unbiased essay will help readers decide whether it’s okay to lie on a daily basis. Ericsson starts out with saying she told the bank that her deposit was in the mail even though she hadn't written out the check (495).
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
Furthermore, telling the truth all the time has serious consequences. She postulates that lying, though a form of hedging, must have some merit. She cites a broad definition of a lie from Webster’s dictionary, and asserts that this definition includes many types of lying. She narrows in on a specific type of lie in the next section of the essay: the white lie.
He also underlines that people have personal motives to accuse other because of their biases. Another example of this is in act III, when Proctor confesses to his act of adultery in order to save his wife from death, “God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat... My wife is innocent” (102). Proctor is attempting to accuse Abigail of faking all the accusations and affiliations with the devil because he knows that Abigail longs to remove Elizabeth from his life. His admission of adultery conveys his feelings of guilt and extreme love towards his wife Elizabeth.
Proctor’s case is ultimately not believed by the court because Elizabeth did not tell the truth, therefore he will pay the consequences of his actions according to the court. The morning before his conviction, he speaks to his wife Abigail and confesses by saying “I cannot mount gibbet like a saint, it is fraud, My Honesty is broke, Elizabeth, I am no good man, nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.” (Miller 126). By this quotation in the text the reader is able to tell that Proctor, who knows is going to die, expresses his disappointment in himself and asks Elizabeth for forgiveness for his crime of adultery. This in turn shows the sporadic change of proctors situation.
All these characters have what they feel, is a logical reason for lying, but the question why do people lie to others and themselves, is something to ponder while reading the play. People lie to themselves to make them feel better about their own lives and people lie to others to cover up something they may be ashamed of. One reason people lie to themselves is to make them feel better about their own life and what they 're going through. Abigail is reprimanding the girls for saying things about witchcraft she doesn 't approve of.
Arthur Miller’s portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall “The Crucible”, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. As Abigail begins to be accused she is pressured to deter from the truth. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth.
John Proctor suffers from a sense of excessive pride throughout the entirety of the play. In Act II of The Crucible the reader sees Proctors pride when he is arguing with Elizabeth, his wife, about sin he committed with Abbigail. One line that supports this is “I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!” (Miller 58) Proctor acts as if he has done no wrong and will not have a soft heart towards his wife who is doubtful after he committed
Some people use lies to cover up or solve problems. Abigail feared being accused of witchcraft, so she accused others of witchcraft. She tried to use lies to solve her problems, but ended up creating a worse situation. Abigail’s lies had affected many of the characters.
The play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller demonstrates the implications of a society in complete chaos over an irrational fear of witchcraft in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Fear plays an immense role in the way people make their decisions, such as when the characters of Danforth and Mary Warren resort to hypocrisy when no other options remain. Danforth and Mary Warren both embody hypocrisy, as seen when Mary says she cannot lie anymore and then lies when she becomes scared for her life, and Danforth when saying lying will send a person to Hell, but then forcing people to choose between lying and death. Mary Warren exemplifies hypocrisy extraordinarily well in the scene when she and Proctor travel to the courthouse so she can confess that the girls have pretended everything and they never actually saw spirits.
This starts a spree of lying and blaming which causes multiple innocent people to be hanged for being accused of witchcraft. One lie started a moment in history people today call crazy, unacceptable, and unrepeatable. “The Crucible” is a play that explains, through a crazy but remarkable story, why lying is a sin. In the present, lying could occur more frequently that truth is told.
The Crucible: How Fear Changes People During his first Inaugural Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt once announced, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. Fear manipulates a persons rationality resulting in them behaving in ways they normally would not, especially in the story The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. The characters in The Crucible allow fear to manipulate their beliefs and actions. They all know what is right, but fear alters their mindset causing them to act differently.
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.