“The Crucible” is a 1953 play criticizing the events of the Salem witch trials that happened in 1692. Many characters betray each other for selfish reasons. This play is a metaphor for the Red Scare where many Americans were accused of being spies. Arthur Miller uses guilt to show Salem’s disloyalty and backstabbing ways. As characters begin to feel guilty, they lie. Miller suggests that guilt can make people go to extreme lengths only to save themselves. Between the two characters Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor, Miller is showing that guilt brings out selfish habits of a character.
Elizabeth Proctor is an honest and smart woman married to John Proctor. Throughout this play we have seen Elizabeth as being forgiving and loving. For example, Proctor had cheated on her and had an affair with Abigail. Elizabeth was very angry at this but then forgave Proctor. Although Elizabeth’s actions are normally calm, Miller shows how guilt changes her actions. Elizabeth had realized she is at fault and had lied to save her husband from being hung. “Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!” said Danforth. Elizabeth
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Abigail and Elizabeth are two different characters with different personalities but Miller criticized how they both do selfish things when they are guilty. Elizabeth lied to save her husband when telling the truth would have helped the town. Abigail also lied to get herself out of a certain situation like with the accusations and the scene in the court. Both of these characters motivation, John Proctor, drove them to the extreme to earn the man they both love. These two characters did not like each other, in fact Abigail was screaming in the woods “death to goody Proctor.” Elizabeth saw Abigail as a liar and vengeful girl who did not deserve a man like