Arthur Miller was the author of the Crucible who wrote this in 1953 in response to the second red scare of communism in the United States. He used the Salem Witch Trials to compare the situation happening at home where many people were accusing others of being communists. In the play people are accused of witchcraft and given unfair trials much like what was happening in the 50’s. Because lying had more benefits than honesty, many people in the play decided to lie and confess to witchcraft in order to stay alive.
The first conflict in the book is when Betty is bedridden after Reverend Parris catches the girls dancing in the forest. Abigail is thought of as a witch and is accused of witchcraft as her cousin Betty is sick. In order to save herself
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He first tells Elizabeth that he is thinking about confessing. When asked what he is going to do he says “I want my life” and “I will have my life” which means he will confess (Miller 208). He would be willing to lie and confess to save his life then to tell the truth and be hanged. After he signs his name however he realizes the example he is making and says that he is “no Sarah Good or Tituba he is John
Proctor” because they have lied to save themselves just as he was about to do (Miller 211). He rips up the paper and says he sees “some shred of goodness” in himself as he does the right thing and will be
hanged for it (Miller 212). This relates to the universal theme as he tells the truth despite having more benefits to lie. He will not give up his good name as many others have done before him because he knows it is a lie, that there is no witchcraft.
There are more reasons to lie than to tell the truth. Lying will save you and telling the truth will kill you.
The universal theme however is that telling the truth is the right thing to do even if kills you. If everyone would have told the truth no one would have