Essay About Lies In The Crucible

PRESENTATION, POWER > LIES

In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, conflict arrives when a group of girls teams up with the leader Abigail Willams. Abigail Williams starts the accusation that there are witches in the town of Salem and tons of people take advantage of the situation and start accusing people of being a witch. Towards the middle of the novel, before the scene, John Proctor uses his final card to try to overpower Abigail in the court which works but then Elizabeth gets called into the courtroom for reassurance for Judge Danforth and so is being interrogated by Judge Danforth, to see if she would ever lie. In the end, Elizabeth lies and says no because she thought she was saving her husband’s life from execution. But after this scene,

Elizabeth presents herself as a bit humble and weak, while Abigail is presented as confident and powerful. John Proctor wants to present himself as powerful although is viewed as helpless and weak. All of this affects how they got their solution resolved or not. Miller wrote, “Elizabeth, faintly: No, sir” (113). This quote shows that Elizabeth is presenting herself as weak, by the way, she “faintly” responds. Miller also wrote, “Proctor, trembling, his life collapsing about him: I have known her, sir. I have known her” (110). Because of this moment, John has shown his hopelessness to Danforth, and Danforth believed him, which empowered him at the moment, and if that moment kept on going he would’ve had a different outcome. Miller also wrote, “Abigail: If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!” (111). This moment demonstrates how powerful Abigail is because even though she is refusing to do an action ordered by the judge and lies multiple times, Danforth still stuck on to her like some

Her being weak and lying affected not her but John. Elizabeth lied about John not committing adultery to Judge Danforth, which resulted in her being taken away and John being executed. Miller wrote, “Proctor, trembling, his life collapsing about him: I have known her, sir. I have known her” (110). Because of this moment, Judge Danforth believed John for a bit instead of Abigail. Later on, Elizabeth is called into the room as evidence to make sure what John said was true and Miller wrote, “Elizabeth, faintly: No, sir” (113). This quote shows that she is not that confident in her answer, since she answers it “faintly”, which wouldn’t make her a confident character, which when you are being confident would make you seem full of power. Miller also wrote, “Danforth: She has spoken. Remove her!” (113). This quote shows that Judge Danforth has ordered to take Elizabeth away because he has gotten a different answer from John which was that he admitted he did commit adultery, while Elizabeth said he would never do such a thing because he is a good man. This great lie could’ve worked although it was the way Elizabeth presented herself, as a humble woman, which in the situation would be considered