Noah Roberts C. Young ENG3U1 3/26/2018 Misuse of Authority: Will the Crucible Crumble A difficult choice to make is whether maintaining ones morals is more important than aiding another. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, many of the characters face a misuse of authority and have a choice to make which is either to break their morals so they can help others, or stand by them and watch what happens to the people that they protect. Elizabeth, the wife of John Proctor, faces pressure from the court and in the end she breaks her morals to protect John. Elizabeth is not alone in this, since Reverend Hale is also facing a misuse of authority when he is visiting the jail. He breaks his morals as a Christian, by breaking one of the Ten Commandments in an attempt to stop further bloodshed. When faced with a misuse of authority, people abandon their morals to help others. …show more content…
Elizabeth breaks her morals when she is being pressured by Danforth, in trying to protect John. In the court room, Danforth is questioning Elizabeth by intimidating her by getting in her face and pressuring her in order to expose what she knows about the affair. Before Elizabeth is questioned, John says she is an honest woman: Proctor: In her life, sir, she have never lied…. Danforth: Look at me. Elizabeth: Aye, sir. Abigail Williams-She breaks off. Danforth: What of Abigail Williams? Elizabeth: I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad. Danforth: Your husband-did he turn from you? Elizabeth, in agony: my husband-is a goodly man, sir. Danforth: Then he did not turn from you. Elizabeth, starting to glance at Proctor: He- Danforth, reaches out and holds her face, then: Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak. Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! (Miller