In 1692, the theocratic town of Salem fell apart. Neighbors began accusing one another of Devil-worship and the illegal act of witchcraft. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, reenacts the horror that took place in this Puritan society. One dark night, a group of girls went out into the forest to perform a ceremony. The leading antagonist, Abigail Williams, drank blood as a charm to kill the wife of John Proctor, the protagonist with whom she was infatuated. Reverend Parris discovers the girls who blame the night’s events on one of the women in their party, knowing that witchcraft is punishable by death. After this first accusation, more and more began to occur. Arthur Miller conveys the struggle of justice through integrity with accusations of Giles Corey, John Proctor, and the evil Abigail Williams. Giles …show more content…
When Giles’ wife is accused of witchery, when Giles mistakenly says that she reads many books, he is devastated. He gathers evidence as to why people who dislike him would lie and have his wife accused of witchery. When Giles presents this evidence to the court, Danforth and Hathorne command Giles to tell them the name of the man from whom he obtained this evidence. Giles firmly says, “I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife's name once and I’ll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute,” (Miller 90). Giles is deliberately defying the court and therefore is arrested for his actions. This is an intense scene in the storyline because his defiance protects the life of an innocent man. Giles represents goodness through his silence, which the reader hopes can lead to a