Lying In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows us that lying can only result in horrible consequences. Not only for us, but for others as well. This can be proven by examining Abigail Williams and the girls’ affiliation with the supposed witchcraft, and John Proctor’s relationship with his wife and Abigail. The Crucible starts off in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The year is 1692, and the town is governed by theocracy due to the town’s high appreciation of God. Reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty, has gone suddenly ill. The others haven’t figured out a known cause as to why it has happened. However, the townspeople have caught the rumor of witchcraft, as proven by Abigail’s line, “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it - and I’ll be

Betty’s not witched”(Miller 10) and have spread it like wildfire. Parris speaks to Abigail about the matter, because he has seen her with several other girls including Tituba and Betty dancing in the forest. Dancing is forbidden in Salem, for fear that it conjures with spirits. Abigail responds to him with the line, “We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there’s the whole of it”(Miller 10). Parris tells Abigail that he had saw a dress lying on the ground while they were out, and then proceeds to have a talk with her about seeing someone dancing naked in the forest, Abigail tells him, “ No one was naked! You mistake yourself, uncle” (Miller 11). Abigail then lies about her affair with John Proctor to her uncle, saying that Elizabeth threw her out because “She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman” (Miller 12). She

They ask about Betty’s supposed flying, and start comparing her symptoms with Ruth’s. Parris looks to Abigail, accusing her of conjuring spirits yet again. Abigail uses Ann Putnam’s claims with Ruth to her own advantage by whispering to Parris, “Not I, sir - Tituba and Ruth” (Miller 16). Abigail then leaves Parris’ sight to go attend to Betty’s side. There, she meets up with Mercy, Mary Warren, and the other girls that had been dancing in the forest with her. They ask what Abigail had told him, and she responds with “No, he’ll be comin’ up. Listen, now; if they be questioning us, tell them we danced - I told him as much already,” and “He knows Tituba conjured Ruth’s sisters to come out of the grave” (Miller 18). When Mercy asks what more Parris knows, Abigail lets her know that he had saw her naked. Once Betty wakes up, she is frightened and calls for her mother. She tells Abigail, “You drank blood, Abby! You didn’t tell him that” (Miller 19). When Abigail tries to deny it, Betty retorts back with, “You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor” (Miller 19). This results in Abigail slapping Betty across her face to keep her quiet. Betty then dissolves back into her sobs, crying out for her mother once