Guilt In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Guilt is a looming cloud; a small choice with a huge consequence. In the story The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the theme present throughout the story is Evil will come back to haunt the person who commits it. Miller uses many characters to present this theme. In the story John Proctor plays a major role in the plot. He has an affair with a young girl, Abigail, while he has a wife. Whenever he is near Abby he begins to blush: “She has an arrow in you yet” (Miller 1275). Elizabeth says this to John telling him that Abigail still has a part of him. Elizabeth knows that when John sees Abigail he instantly turns red. Elizabeth also tells John that Abigail sees it too. The next time John sees Abigail, he clears the air. He tells her that he cannot

She longs for John to love her. John is ashamed about the mistake has made. John cares a lot about his name and what his name stands for. Abigail threatens his good name. He does not want his name to be soiled: “[If you tell] Abby’ll charge lechery on you Mr. Proctor” (Miller 1286). John does not want his secret to be let out, if it is then people will no longer look to him as being a model citizen. In the end when John admits his faults he feels even more guilt. He is about to lie and say that he is a witch so he will not be hanged. He knows that lying will not solve his problem and there is only one way to escape the guilt that he is feeling; and that is to die. He signs his name on the treaty before he thinks of this: “I have confessed myself! Is there no

She feels strongly that she causes John to have an affair and that it is her fault. While she is suffering from post partum depression she turns away from her husband. He did not have to cheat on her had she not been so cold: “It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (Miller 1329). She feels bad for prompting the lechery her husband commits. She feels that had she not been cold, John would have had no reason to cheat on her. The thought haunts her throughout the story. She feels that it was her own wrongdoing. Later on, Elizabeth tells a lie. She tries to save John’s name by telling a lie. She told Judge Hathorne that John had not committed adultery. John confesses to the act before Elizabeth had come in. She lies to try to save John’s name however, because of her lie she now causes John to be hanged: “I cannot judge you John, I cannot,” (Miller 1329). She tells John, that she understands his decision whether it be he stays and confesses or goes. She has sinned as much as John has. She feels that she