Lies In The Crucible

Spencer Davis

Mr. DeMello

American Literature

3/16/2023

The Crucible Essay Rough Draft

Intro Paragraph: Truth/Lies

From 1692-1693, 25 people lost their lives as a result of the Salem Witch Trials. These trials were fueled by lies and misinformation. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, details the severe effects of the Salem Witch trials on a Massachusetts Bay Colony in the late 1600s. Fear and hysteria are some of the primary themes that the story uses to underscore the significance and impact of concealed truth and misinformation in the screenplay. The characters throughout the story are shown struggling to tell the truth and reveal the lies and discerning them from each other. It shows the effect that manipulating the truth and spreading

This common lying ruined relationships and only caused further damage and confusion in their community. One example of a character speaking out against this and pointing out these effects is when John Proctor says, "I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it." (Miller 131) In the quote, John Proctor accepts his own faults and lies so he does not judge others for theirs. He knows that all people are not without sin and promotes the integrity and honesty of people. On the other hand, Abigail Williams does the opposite in this quote, "I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (Miller 12) In this quote, you can see how people can use this easily diverted fear and hysteria to, with ease, shift the blame off of her and make the opposer scared to tell the real truth. She is deceiving and lies to promote her own agenda, without regard for how it affects others and the community as a whole. Lies are very integral to the story of how things happen in this, but the truth is just as important to the

People who held their integrity and the truth were destroyed, not giving up or losing their honor all until their untimely death. John Proctor, who searched for the real truth throughout the story, said this to Mary Warren when she would not reveal the truth. "We are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow!" (Miller 76) John Proctor is saying that no matter what lies we use to cover ourselves and the truth, we will always be who we are, so there is no reason to hide the truth now, because eventually it will come back to you. He even later recognizes his own sin and lies, "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man." (Miller 126) In this quote we can see how important it was to him to be a person of integrity and honesty. It broke him to hold his affair a secret, and up until his death, it was just as important to him. He would not lie to save his own life. He is a good example of how lies can destroy people and societies, someone will always be held at fault, whether it was the right person or