Sacrifice In The Crucible

In the play The Crucible, the theme of sacrifice is often necessary in order to restore social order. Throughout the play various characters give up something in order to respectively gain something that is more important. The word sacrifice is defined as the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone. Although characters in The Crucible are able to keep something they want in certain circumstances, they also lose things that are very important to them such as their reputation, or even themselves. One example of sacrifice occurring in the play is the very situation where John Proctor, a tormented individual, admits to having an affair with Abigail and categorizes himself as an adulterer. Proctor possesses a good name and integrity, however the moment he admits to the affair he loses his good name. Proctor feels that displaying his act of adultery in front of the

Elizabeth, a woman who has a reputation of honesty, later lies about the act of adultery committed by her husband in order to keep him alive. Elizabeth Proctor loves her husband although he may have flaws and even forgives him of one of the worst things that can occur in a marriage, adultery. Although John proctor previously told the public court that he has committed the act of adultery, Elizabeth tells of a lie to save the life of her husband. When admitting to the crime, Proctor tells the court “You can even ask my wife, a honest woman if I have committed such crime,” and she denies it. Elizabeth exclaims to the court that John is innocent and a good man of god who would never do such a thing. This is an example of Elizabeth giving up her moral of being honest in order to have the ability to keep something she loves dearly, her husband. She proves that she is a good wife by lying for her husband’s life even after he has committed