In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem rely heavily on their reputations, which in the face of witchcraft, leads to false accusations and hysteria.
Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. In The Crucible when Abigail is trapped in a web of her own lies, she is accused of calling the Devil. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, “I never called him! Tibuta, Tibuta…” (Miller 40) All eyes turn from Abigail to Tibuta, the household slave. As a final statement to convince the others she is innocent, Abigail yells hysterically, “I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Miller 40). From this moment forwards, Abigail continues to use accusations to save her reputation, so she is treated as a victim more than a witch. Iska Alter further explains why Abigail would go to the length of full accusation of witchcraft by stating that “As
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When he was on the verge of clearing his reputation by claiming he was following the Devil, he refuses. When Danforth asks him why, he cries out “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 133). Proctor holds integrity and self-regard above the peoples’ view of him. This character trait is a stark contrast between the attitudes and behaviors of many of the people of Salem. Gerald Weales notes that Proctor was not able to gain the strength to accept death over lying about his name until Elizabeth, “absolves him of the sin of adultery.” Once she had done this, he realizes that his name, his own perception of self, is more important than anyone else’s view of