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Lying In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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Lying comes naturally because it keeps telling others the truth knowing the relationship between two people may suffer. In The Crucible written in 1953 by Arthur Miller, characters are prone to lie not just to themselves, but also to their own friends. The Salem Witch Trials prosecuted around eighty people to death for suspecting them befriending the devil. Miller shows the major consequence for lying results in death. Characters in The Crucible lie in hopes of saving themselves from mass hysteria and the possibility of death. In Act One, Parris questions Abigail about him finding the girls' dancing in the woods. She replies, “We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And …show more content…

Abigail and John Proctor involve themselves into a secret relationship behind his wife. John, labeled by the court, commits the crime of adultery. Proctor initiates, ". . . I think it is not easy to prove she's fraud, and the town gone so silly. She told it in a room alone- I have no proof for it." Proctor never reveals an honest confession until now. He admits to Elizabeth he cheated on her which she suspected during the time. Elizabeth pleads with John to tell the truth at court to stop the innocent deaths of people and turn in the real problem- Abigail. By going to the court with hard proof, John's crime of adultery goes public. Interviewing each individual, Reverend Hale goes from person to person to find the Christian value in each. Hale discovers John skipped many church services. Excusing his absences, Proctor quickly replies, "Mr. Hale I never knew I must account to that man for I come to church or stay at home. My wife were sick this winter." However, the truth behind that lie reveals his dislike for Parris, the minister of the church. He complains Parris uses his position in the town at his advantage. Elizabeth, who believes lying does no good, lies later in court to save her husband's life. Danforth, who took charge in the court, questions, "Look at me! To your own knowledge has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a

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148 Words | 1 Pages

Either way he was in trouble already. If Elizabeth had told the truth he would be hung either way for the affair. Danforth say to Elizabeth, “Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery?,” (p.521). Elizabeth choose to lie to save John’s reputacion.

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589 Words | 3 Pages

In order for his statement to be trusted by the court, Elizabeth Proctor is brought in to testify with her husband, and prove his truthfulness. Seeing as that Elizabeth has never lied during their marriage, John believes that she will support his confession, by stating the truth. After signing the witchcraft confession statement, and after being notified that it will be nailed to the church for the town of Salem to see, John Proctor begins to beg and cry not to hang his confession on the church, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot

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834 Words | 4 Pages

John Proctor, although he hides for some time of the affair he had with Abigail, faces the truth unlike anyone else. He is also willing to go against the court as well as religious figures when he sees that they are blind to the truth of the situation regarding the accusations of witchcraft. Elizabeth also sticks to the truth with the exception for when she lies to protect John from accusations of adultery. John wanted her to confess that he was an adulterer, but she didnt. One of the more courageous moments in the play is when Giles Corey is put to death in a violent manner and he retains his truthfulness until the very end.

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690 Words | 3 Pages

Reverend Parris begins to question Abigail about what they were doing in the woods. Betty still could not wake so Reverend Parris sent for Hale. Hale specializes witchcraft things. Hale believe that there is something supernaturally wrong with Betty. When Reverend Parris questions Abigail it he brings up that Abigail was let go by the Proctors and has been re-hired in months.

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1316 Words | 6 Pages

Proctor refuses to admit that he knows the truth about Abigail, so the girls continue to make false accusations and more people are charged with witchcraft. Proctor asks Mary Warren, “Is it true? There be fourteen women arrested? No, sir. There be thirty-nine now.”

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564 Words | 3 Pages

“No, sir.” Elizabeth says, the proctor realizes what she has done and says "Elizabeth, I have confessed it." (Miller 113) John Proctor, here, blatantly admits to being unfaithful. “It” being his affair with Abigail Williams. After denying it for months and arguing with Elizabeth, he finally comes clean to what he has done.

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735 Words | 3 Pages

When he finds himself alone with Abigail, he urges her to “Put [the affair] out of mind,” because he is aware that if anyone found out he would be ruined (22). Proctor is considered a powerful person in the community and he will do anything to keep it that way. Although he is not aware of the consequences of his actions, or rather lack of actions, Proctor’s silence prevents a black mark on Abigail’s reputation and allows her crying out to be taken seriously. Even later, after he sees the witch hunt get out of hand, Elizabeth presses John to tell the courts that Abigail is dishonest he responds with “I’ll think on it,” (53). The reason John does not want to come forward is because he is apprehensive of the town’s reaction and knows that by attempting to out Abigail he is putting himself at risk.

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764 Words | 4 Pages

How far can lying really go? The Crucible, which is a play written by Arthur Miller is based on the story of the Salem Witch Trials. This play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Abigail was definitely responsible for all the bad things that happened, she was very manipulative, evil, and jealous. She started telling little lies at first

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422 Words | 2 Pages

Act Ⅲ of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible illustrates that lies can quickly spiral out of control and hurt people even if that wasn’t the initial intention. Lying is generally the response of someone is looking for self protection or to protect someone else. Children often lie to their parents because they feel the need to protect themselves and telling the truth could be detrimental to their protection (Smiley 1). More often than not, lies spiral out of control because they become too complex, as the lie typically needs to be covered up from another lie, which needs to be covered up by an additional lie and so on. Miller portrays that lies frequently become too complex and cause damage to the liar and the people involved mainly through Abigail

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1095 Words | 5 Pages

The Crucible - Conflict Analysis John Proctor Internal: John Proctor’s most eminent internal conflict is over the sin he has committed, adultery. Proctor cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, and this makes Proctor feel incredibly guilty because in the town, he is “respected and even feared” (19). He tried very hard, and succeeded, with keeping this moral crime to himself. He still walked about Salem as if he was “an untroubled soul,” (21) however, avoiding the sin again would be a difficult task. Abigail flirts with him, in attempt to have him for one last night, and it’s obvious Proctor has an arduous time pushing her away.

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838 Words | 4 Pages

Nearly everyone has lied at least once in our lifetime, but for what reason? The concept of lying is nothing new in fact, everyone lies are all very different. Most of time, lie has a motivation behind it. Everyone and even including the characters from “The Crucible” have different reasons for lying depends on their own purpose/goal. The decision to lie isn't without a purpose, it always has a motivation for goal in mind as with the connections between Bhattacharjee’s article “Why We Lie: The Science behind our complicated relationship with the truth” and the characters from “The Crucible”share/support the concept of lying for a purpose.

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1051 Words | 5 Pages

He idolized his wife’s honesty, claiming that Elizabeth could never lie. When she is prosecuted and pressed on the issue of Proctor’s involvement with Abigail, she lies to the court that Proctor was never in an affair. Her small lie brands him as a sinner trying to topple the court. Proctor’s faith in her ability was ultimately what sends him to the gallows. The final nail in the coffin, though, was in act four.

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1911 Words | 8 Pages

In The Crucible, Reverend Parris confronts his niece after the girls are caught dancing in the midnight woods, insisting that he saw them running naked through the trees (Miller 10). As the events escalate and the court becomes involved, John Proctor, a man affected by the grave accusations of the girls, reveals that they were dancing naked in the forest, and Parris blatantly lies in response, asserting to Danforth that “I can only say, sir, that I never found any of them naked” (Miller 97). Parris dreads that the truth of his niece’s participation in the dancing and nudity could permanently damage his hard-earned image as minister. Constantly fearing that he is criticized and persecuted in all aspects of life, Reverend Parris lies in order to preserve his high position in Salem’s society. In order to maintain status, people who want to stay in power will often take any measures they deem necessary.

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819 Words | 4 Pages

Also, in attempt to tell the truth about Abigail, John Proctor admits to cheating on his wife with Abigail, but Elizabeth lets her fear assist her in lying. John Proctor tells everyone in the court, previous to Elizabeth arriving, “she [has] never lied” (III.891.). With everyone now knowing that she does not lie, it makes her trustworthy and believable. Deputy Danforth then brings Elizabeth in to confirm what

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1159 Words | 5 Pages

John Proctor never settles for keeping his opinion or what he thinks is right to himself. He knows telling Danforth that he is guilty for adultery won’t help his cause but it shows his desperation to win the case in order protect his wife, Elizabeth. John Proctor was sick and tired of watching Abigail win with a lie, in this case he spoke the truth knowing his consequences. John states, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!

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