The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller’s book, The Crucible, tells the story of the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. Many still consider this as one of the greatest tragedies in American history, as many innocent people lost their lives as a result of false accusations. In this novel, the characters Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Parris all contribute a significant amount to the continuation of this disaster. Miller describes Abigail Williams as a teenage girl with an “endless capacity for dissembling.” As a result of her attachment to John Proctor, the protagonist, after their brief affair, Abigail tries her hardest to condemn Elizabeth Proctor as a witch. She does so using her wit and persuasiveness to convince the other girls in the town to cry wolf about seeing many women in Salem with the Devil. She frequently alters her story to fit her needs at the moment, proving that has more concern for saving face than she does for the truth. She goes so far as to place a needle into her own stomach so as to plant evidence that Goody Proctor uses witchcraft against her. In the end of the

The irony in his character comes from the fact that he believes that he serves justice when in reality, he only encourages lies and deception. When presented with the signatures of townspeople who believe that Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, and Elizabeth Proctor have good character, he requests the questioning of every person who signed the petition. In a similar manner, when told by Giles Corey that Thomas Putnam condemned his neighbors in attempts to take their land, Danforth asks Corey for his source of this information so that the he can arrest the witness. In the final scene, the Judge gives Proctor the opportunity to lie to save his life. However, he refuses to accept Proctor’s confession unless he signs it. Danforth does so because he wants to make an example out of John