Abigail's Lies In The Crucible

The town of Salem was in a hysterical state. Citizens, gullible to the word of a young girl of seventeen, were in a panic. Like the citizens of the town, the court clutched to any word stated from any individual in the town. It was the word of witchcraft. The court picked off innocent people like flies in the suspicion that they been involved with some evil satanic power, and in an attempt to save themselves, they confessed to a lie, that they have committed witchcraft and pacted with the devil. In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the motif of the story is that of self preservation, of name and reputation as well as purity. Only some of the accused held on to the truth, and even though those who had confessed were saved from certain

Danforth listened to every word of Abigail’s lies and believed them as if it were the word of a saint. “Child, I do not mistrust you-” (Danforth, 1080). The court began to dig itself into a hole when the officials chose to trust Abigail. When they realize that they were entirely wrong, rather than saving the still living, they do not appeal. They preserve the accusations in an attempt to hold an uprising back. “You’ll confess yourself?...God be praised... Proctor will confess!” (Hathorne, 1099). The court members are willing to sacrifice dozens of people in order to hold authority to their names and the court. “I will not receive a single plea... the village expects to see them die this morning.” (Danforth, 1095). Danforth has no interest in the lives of Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, or any other accused individual. He cares only for him and his

Ultimately, her attempts to preserve her husband’s life is the very thing that gets them both an appointment in the gallows. “She only thought to save my name!” (Proctor, 1083). To the point that she cares for him, after all of the three months of imprisonment and torture John cared more himself more than for his wife. He wanted to preserve himself. “I will have my life.” (Proctor, 1099). He cared for his life, an in attempt to preserve it nearly confessed to a lie. It ended up going in the other direction when the court decided to try an make an example of him, and tried to receive evidence eligible to make the public see the witchcraft trials as a truth. “Damn the village! I confess to God, and God has seen my name on this! It is enough!” To Proctor, his name meant more to him than the beat of his own heart. He did not confess past that, and lost his life for it, preserving his history