The late 1600s in New England was a time period rife with harsh patriarchal rules and imprudent orthodoxy, which led to a dominating societal hysteria, culminating in the Salem Witch Trials- a compilation of hearings and prosecutions of mainly female citizens accused of witchcraft. Both social and personal injustice, in the forms of adultery and abuse of judicial power, were prevalent during this Puritan era because the accused wanted to save themselves from execution but remain a true Christian. These fallacious legal proceedings and the strict lives of Puritans are ostensibly described by Arthur Miller in The Crucible. Through his simple, old-fashioned writing, Miller elicits sympathy for the defenseless victims of these injustices, one of whom is Elizabeth Proctor.
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Elizabeth, the wife of the protagonist John Proctor, was the epitome of an ardent Puritan woman. She was morally composed, extremely loyal to her husband and her religion, bore sons and took care of her family. Being the quite opposite, John Proctor committed adultery with his adolescent helper- Abigail Williams-when his wife was ill. Elizabeth, aware of her husband’s affair, dreaded the atrocious methods Abigail could employ to take her place. Miller tries to evoke sympathy for Elizabeth because of the injustice she faced despite her acquiescence and righteousness. Miller portrays Elizabeth’s insecurities when she states “the noose, the noose is up!” which she cries as soon as she hears of her accusation (Miller 60). Knowing that it was Abigail who accused her of witchcraft, this image of the ‘noose’ highlights Elizabeth’s fear for death because this false accusation could lead to her execution by court. Therefore, Miller utilizes lethal imagery to portray Elizabeth’s fright to effectively elicit sympathy for her from the
Elizabeth, the wife of the protagonist John Proctor, was the epitome of an ardent Puritan woman. She was morally composed, extremely loyal to her husband and her religion, bore sons and took care of her family. Being the quite opposite, John Proctor committed adultery with his adolescent helper- Abigail Williams-when his wife was ill. Elizabeth, aware of her husband’s affair, dreaded the atrocious methods Abigail could employ to take her place. Miller tries to evoke sympathy for Elizabeth because of the injustice she faced despite her acquiescence and righteousness. Miller portrays Elizabeth’s insecurities when she states “the noose, the noose is up!” which she cries as soon as she hears of her accusation (Miller 60). Knowing that it was Abigail who accused her of witchcraft, this image of the ‘noose’ highlights Elizabeth’s fear for death because this false accusation could lead to her execution by court. Therefore, Miller utilizes lethal imagery to portray Elizabeth’s fright to effectively elicit sympathy for her from the