An Unexpected Happy Ending Because of all the deaths, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is assumed to be a sad ending. In the play, the ending provides significant character development, courage, and redemption resulting in a happy ending. In the beginning of the play, John and Elizabeth Proctor have a strained relationship. John struggles with the guilt of infidelity and earning back the trust of his wife, whilst Elizabeth can barely sustain a conversation. Any conversion between the two either lacks depth and passion or is an argument pertaining to the lack of trust. However, when the novel ends, the relationship between Elizabeth and John is restored and the love the two feel for one another is emphasized. Whenever the two would discuss John’s infidelity, John would be the only one at fault. By the end of the play, Elizabeth takes equal responsibility for the incident, claiming “Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept” (Miller 1228). The dynamic of …show more content…
As Reverend Hale questions Elizabeth if she believes in witches, she chooses to stand up for herself, even if it means she is condemning herself. “I am a good woman, I know; and if you believe I may do only good work in the world, and yet be secretly bound to Satan, then I must tell you, sir, I do not believe it” (Miller 1174). Instead of expressing her belief of witches, which could benefit her during the trial, she chooses to stand up for herself and speaks her mind, which shocks both Hale and John. Through the entirety of the Salem Witch Trials, civilians would watch innocent people be accused, yet Elizabeth’s act shows that she values herself enough to stand up against the accusers. Elizabeth mustering enough courage to defend herself is a gift because it indicates someone finally standing up for themselves rather than be participants in the girls’ game of