Crime And Consequences In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Imagine being killed for a crime you did not commit. Unjust people out of fear, shame, or pride will perpetuate and defend their mistakes. The Crucible written by Arthur Miller takes place during the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams, a very naughty teen, is caught with her friends dancing naked in the woods during the nighttime. These acts are considered signs of witchcraft. The group of girls starts pointing fingers around the town saying that many people are witches to defend their misbehavior in the woods. In the end, many people die because of the girls’ nonsense. Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, and John Proctor portray the idea that guilty people will bolster and guard their mistakes. Abigail Williams is a prime example of a person who will go the extra mile to cover up her mistakes. Abigail Williams kills people because she fears the consequences of lying. She is a twisted girl who is found naked in the woods with many other girls one night. Abby is the …show more content…
Mary Warren is a young girl who is caught in the woods with the other girls. She and her clan of friends start accusing others of witchery because they do not want to get in trouble for being in the woods. John Proctor knows that the girls are lying and convinces Mary to confess to the judges. While conversing with John about it, she becomes very nervous and tells him, “I cannot, they’ll turn on me” (Miller 1287). Mary is more concerned with her friendships or being hanged than the innocent people in her town that are being killed for witchcraft. She fears that the girls will turn on her for telling the truth to the court. If the girls turn on her, then she risks being hanged. This situation shows how Mary is defending and guarding a mistake that she has made. Mary ends up telling the judges that she was a part of a big lie and that she never felt the devil come upon her. In court Mary explains to the