Martin Luther king Jr. once said, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” This leads the reader to understand that oppression is not the main problem the main problem is silence, because when people stay silent they do not stop those who oppress others they are just bystander. They are part of the problem because they are not part of a solution. Just like in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, lots of people were being accused of being witches and all the people who were not accused stayed silent for their wellbeing and of their family. One family in particular stayed silent and reaped the consequences for that silence. The proctor family, being John proctor and Elizabeth proctor. They stayed silent …show more content…
A lecher is someone who has committed adultery. In the novel it said:
Danforth: (...) Is your husband a lecher!
Elizabeth, faintly: No, sir. (...)
Proctor: Elizabeth, tell the truth! (...) Elizabeth I have confessed it!
Elizabeth: Oh, God (...)
Proctor: She only thought to save my name” (miller 113)
In the scene Danforth asks Elizabeth is john had ever committed adultery. Elizabeth lied to the court that John was not a lecher, when she clearly knew he was a lecher. This lie was Elizabeth’s first lie and it was to save her husband's name. She said it “faintly” as if she felt bad for] but still said it to save her husband. When john said, “I have confessed it” this makes the fact that she lied certain. Elizabeth then said. “Oh God” because she realized that she just sentenced John for lying to the court which is a great offense. At the end of the quote John makes one more thing certain when he said, “She only thought to save my name”. Elizabeth stayed silent by lying because she did not speak the truth to keep her husband’s name how it was and not ruin it. Likewise, near the end of the play, when the judge Danforth went to John's cell and asked him to make and sign a confession