In the well-known play The Crucible, the themes of lies and deception are strong and always present, and it even shows the radical argument that no kind of deception can ever be ethically justified. At the heart of the play is the idea that lies and deception can be used to manipulate and control others, leading to tragic consequences. The characters in the play, whether knowingly or unknowingly, engage in acts of deceit, concealment, and seld-deception, highlighting the destructive power of falsehood and the importance of telling the truth. Through its portrayal of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible raises important questions about the nature of truth, justice, and morality, and highlights the dangers of allowing fear and hysteria to cloud one's judgment. But what even is the definition of a lie? Within a lie, one “must believe that they are saying something that is not true” (Mahon). Although this sounds simple, things get more difficult when focusing on deception. Deception, as opposed to lying, is not restricted to statements. Kantian ethics, a set of universal moral principles …show more content…
They all do in some way. The judge, lieutenant governor, and ministers lie to themselves and everybody else in the town by saying that they serve the cause of God's justice. John Proctor lies to himself about the nature of his relationship with Abigail Williams, initially believing that he can put his affair with her behind him and move on with his life; similarly, Elizabeth Proctor also lies to herself about the state of her marriage and the extent to which her own suspicions and doubts may have contributed to John's infidelity. Abigail lies to herself in the first act and tries to convince others that while in the woods, they only danced and did not partake in anything similar to witchcraft, and Reverend Parris lies about his knowledge of Abigail’s actions and his own involvement in order to protect his reputation and