The Sacrifice That Must Be Made In The Crucible Analysis

748 Words3 Pages

The Sacrifices That Must be Made
In The Crucible, Miller portrays the idea that even though it would be ill to their conscience, characters fork up crucial items that play a part in their lives. He displays the concept superbly through two characters. Throughout the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, people went around accusing others of even the smallest of reasons, leading the people of Salem to believe that those certain people were witches, and that their hanging is required in order to follow by God’s word. Individuals receive a false accusation and are forced to give up on what they believe, in order to preserve their self worth. In critical situations, people must sacrifice their most prized possessions for the overall greater good of others. …show more content…

He is held in contempt of court, sacrificing his freedom of life for the protection of others and for not telling the court who the witness is that claims to have heard Thomas Putnam. Putnam confesses that he had been accusing his neighbors of witchcraft in order to purchase their land. Due to his refusal, he is forced to suffer the consequences that would follow his actions, “You know well why not! He’ll lay in jail if I give his name!” (Miller 1196). Giles refuses to confess so that he can spare another person’s life and time in jail, which ends up landing himself in jail. Further down the line, Giles receives his execution; rather than being hanged like those accused of witchcraft, he is tortured by pressing, to “press” the truth out by piling rocks on a