Deceit And Lies In The Crucible, By Arthur Miller

Improved Essays
In the play “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller we see many themes and lessons in

the story. The main theme is focussed on deceit and lying and how lies can lead down a dark

road which results in the ruin of many. The Crucible is a fictional play based on the Salem Witch

Trials which occurred between February 1692 and May 1693 and resulted in over 150 people

being accused of witchcraft and 20 executed. The story focusses on the story of John Proctor

and Abigail Williams, his niece, and how lies, jealousy, revenge, and deep seated feuds caused

a community to turn on each other in a vicious circle of accusations and misunderstandings.

The characters in the play who lie significantly are Abigail, John Proctor, and Mary Warren
…show more content…
For example we read “But we never conjured spirits” (Miller, 170). Before this Abigail was being

questioned about what happened the previous night, and after this she continues to lie. This

shows that she is willing to lie even to close family. Miller perhaps wanted us to see how it takes

a simple lie to lead to a thousands lies. On page 48 we find the following: “... I saw Sarah Good

with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Pg.

189), this is when we see Abigail start to wildly accuse people and direct the conversation away

from herself. Abigail has many reasons to lie, but wild accusations makes her one of the most

significant liers in the story.

John Proctor tells significant lies in the story, although not as vicious or evil
…show more content…
We see that she accuses, much like the accusers in the story, the lowest common denominator:

a poor, elderly, beggar who has no home and no husband. This

again, shows the message Arthur Miller would like us to see, that lies come from the evil and

Lies and deceit is the main theme of the story, we have many examples Arthur Miller

has kindly given us. The main liars that have contributed greatly to the tragedy of the Salem

Witch Trials are Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Mary Warren whom have made significant

lies that either hurt themselves or hurt others in order to protect themselves or others. This

theme is consistent with hints along the story and as Noorbakhsh Hooti wrote “It could be

argued that Proctor’s tragedy comes into being due to his very first choice of adultery with

Abigail. All subsequent events in Proctor’s life can be traced back to this original choice, which

gradually leads him to his tragic fate.” The message of the story is really to understand that all it

takes is one action or a simple lie to lead you down a road of ruin, and Arthur Miller displays this

through the three characters I

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Grant Carr Mrs. Siplivy 10/31/15 The Crucible Essay John Proctor is a farmer, who lives in the town where all the accusations are taking place. John is Elizabeth Proctor’s husband and is stringent man. Nevertheless, he has sinned within his marriage.…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the whole play, we figure out that Abigail and the other girls were lying throughout the whole play. It seems like their main goal was to get Goody Proctor (Elizabeth) hanged. Elizabeth Elizabeth shows, and values, honesty. “(She had suddenly lost all faith in him.)” This quote shows that when John never told her about he affair, she didn't trust him anymore.…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The girls push her to the point where she turns on Proctor in order to save herself from being accused. “You’re the Devil’s man!” (Miller 110) She knows she’s doing an evil sin by accusing John Proctor and by taking back what she confessed. Abigail sure did a great job at manipulating her in doing bad things, while John was only trying to help her do good things.…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    You mistake yourself, uncle” (Miller 140)! John Proctor, Elizabeth’s husband, tells everyone that Elizabeth never lies and Abigail says that no one was naked, but she later tells us that someone was. Also, Abigail uses her manipulative ways to make it seem like Rev. Parrish is confused. Another example of this is when Elizabeth sent a claim to Judge Danforth stating that she was pregnant (Miller 181) and when Abigail says, “I never sold myself! I’m a good girl!…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Crucible, Arthur Miller has many characters who can shoulder the blame for the wickedness that occurred in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. The character most to blame is Abigail Williams, whose character flaws are lust, envy, and vengefulness. These flaws are what causes the people of Salem to be accused, and spark the events of the Salem Witch Trials. The flaws that Abigail possess are also three of the main “7 Deadly Sins”. Abigail Williams shows lust as she longs for the love of John Proctor and the affair she had with him.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, expressed many different characters with dissimilar intentions and motivations in great length. These dramatic emotions tied along with greed and desire allowed this playwright to come to life and create an overall exhilarating read for the audience. Most characters in this play have important roles that demonstrate their true incentive in what they will get out of this huge mess of hysteria. The character of Abigail is very interesting to touch upon.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    introduction Hook : ABIGAIL IS A LIAR!!!!!!!! Background information : from my background knowledge i know that she is very young and she easily gets around and she's also not to be trusted Thesis : if anyone were to be the one to blame for the ending i would blame abigail Claim 1 : had affair with john proctor Evidence 1 : proctor idiots to his wife elizabeth to having an affair with abigail on page 54 and 55 Evidence 2 : proctor also says that he was in a room alone with abigail for a short time before more people come to join them on page 54 Claim 2 : abigail is a faker Evidence 1 : in the book abigail fakes as if the devil is in the room and as if mary warren was trying to hurt her to turn attention off of her onto someone else…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is about a small group of girls who accuses most of the adults in village on the account of witchcraft. The witch trials took place in a small town called Salem, Massachusetts, in the year of 1692. In the book you can choose a number of people who are responsible for the witchcraft trails that took placed, but the character that stands out the most is John Proctor. Arthur Miller demonstrates to the world that because of John’s characters flaws of Stubbornness, Guilt and Pride he can be considered the reason for the witch trails in Salem to still take place. These flaws contribute to Proctor because with these fatal flaws he can be responsible of innocent people being killed even himself as the tragic hero.…

    • 1564 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible: A Play About A Twisted Lie The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play regarding the Salem witch trial, a grim period of time in the United States’ history. The play talks about a group of young girls that create a lie that affects an entire community of people and leads to what we know as the Salem witch trials. Throughout the story Abigail manipulates the girls into not telling the truth while Reverend Hale tries to control the situation. Throughout the story as people begin to be accused and the situation worsens the characters are brought to show their real selves. Abigail and Reverend Hale grow and devolve in moral stature as a result of new information and selfish acts.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the author uses the main character John Proctor to portray courage in times of adversity while others cower. Miller uses Proctor's character shows that standing for what you believe in is the right thing to do, even if personal sacrifices have to be made. With all the different trials that the characters have to overcome with many of the towns people in jail and the trial of Salem, Miller shows how to be courageous during hard times and how there will always be people that will cower. John proctor shows great courage in the play when he sacrifices his life and reputation for the one he loves. In Act 3, Scene 3 the townspeople are in the courtroom to determine what will happen to the ones accused, While Proctors trying to convince the people that his wife is a good woman and she does not lie, he has Mary Warren to back him, but that backfires when all the girls turn against Mary, saying she was the cause of the witchcraft in the court, Proctor being…

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reputation has been a factor of society that determines image and actions towards an individual that prompts secrecy either towards themselves or towards society, in order to maintain that reputation. Puritan beliefs and social structure heavily depended on a good name in order to have respect and success within a community. Maintaining a good reputation allows for safety and prohibits an individual from acting outside the rules of society. This is shown in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” where reputation influenced individuals to commit certain actions that lead to multiple accusations of witchcraft and a remorseful outcome. John Proctor is known in town as a great honest man, but because of his former mistake of having an affair with Abigail…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Everyone lies. Various scenarios prompt people to deceive others, to protect one’s self, to protect one’s family, and to protect one’s reputation. A lie is a statement used for the purpose of deception for one’s reputation or name. In Salem, Massachusetts, one’s name and reputation means everything because if one has a bad name, he or she will not receive trust or respect. This play suggests that lying is vital at certain times and that many people hope to achieve an exceptional reputation through lying.…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many people experience downfalls in their lives. Some may be worse than others and cost them their life. The sudden realization is not enough to recover. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the story starts out with young girls dancing in the forest in Salem Massachusetts. The town accuses one of them of being a witch and from there it is chaos.…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Truth In The Crucible

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ruble of the Truth Dumbledore once said, "The truth, it is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution” (J.K. Rowling). People will find throughout their lives what is true is what decides their fate. The truth keeps people wondering, scared, awake, confused, and even alive (or not). In the past what people said is what built the future, but what is not true will eventually show in the repercussions of choices they make. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, truth is a factor that people cannot control; therefore, it seems to decides the fate of the prosecuted and the people around them.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The only reason Abigail lied was so that she could possibly have Proctor. That was her motive. It was obvious that Abigail still loved Proctor so it is definitely easy to identify that she was just trying to get Proctor to…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays