Impact of Loyalty in The Crucible The deaths of thirty-seven innocent Salem community members in a three-month span resulted from the witch trials of 1692. These deaths resulted from false accusations for selfish reasons supported by an oppressive Puritan based government in the Salem area. These so-called witch trials are so famous that there have been many works of literature as well as movies based off of them. The most notable of these is Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. It is a story based on the historical facts surrounding the horrific events that unfolded in the 1692 witch trials, which pitted neighbor against neighbor in the tight-knit community of Salem, Massachusetts. Many past as well as present relationships were tested-some passed
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When the officers from the court come to the Proctor house to arrest Elizabeth, John and Elizabeth are fighting due to John being afraid to admit to the court that he had an affair with Abigail. His loyalty to Abigail as well as his integrity portrays John as extremely loyal. He physically relinquished his loyalty to Abigail in Act 1 at Betty’s bedside, but struggles to give up his emotional loyalty to her. He allowed the loyalty to his integrity interfere with the wellbeing of his family. When Proctor works up the courage to admit to his act of adultery and goes to the court to free his wife, his loyalty shifts from his integrity to family. Each is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the other. “Proctor tries to free Elizabeth by blackening his own name with a public confession of adultery.” (Abbotson 3).John attempts to ruin his reputation to free Elizabeth, displaying how loyal he is to Elizabeth because his reputation seems to be the most important thing to him at this point. Even in the court before his confession, he is attempting to free his wife without publicly confessing to his wrongdoing and trying to protect his integrity. “Proctor swears that Elizabeth dismissed Abigail as the Proctors’ servant because she knew of the affair.” (Sundstrand 3). John says, “I have known her, sir. I have known her” (Miller 110). As Proctor repeats himself, it is as if he first admits to the court and then to himself that he was an adulterer. This confession to himself shifts his loyalty from his integrity to his family. John’s loyalty to his families name causes him to give up his life rather than diminish it in any
When the officers from the court come to the Proctor house to arrest Elizabeth, John and Elizabeth are fighting due to John being afraid to admit to the court that he had an affair with Abigail. His loyalty to Abigail as well as his integrity portrays John as extremely loyal. He physically relinquished his loyalty to Abigail in Act 1 at Betty’s bedside, but struggles to give up his emotional loyalty to her. He allowed the loyalty to his integrity interfere with the wellbeing of his family. When Proctor works up the courage to admit to his act of adultery and goes to the court to free his wife, his loyalty shifts from his integrity to family. Each is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the other. “Proctor tries to free Elizabeth by blackening his own name with a public confession of adultery.” (Abbotson 3).John attempts to ruin his reputation to free Elizabeth, displaying how loyal he is to Elizabeth because his reputation seems to be the most important thing to him at this point. Even in the court before his confession, he is attempting to free his wife without publicly confessing to his wrongdoing and trying to protect his integrity. “Proctor swears that Elizabeth dismissed Abigail as the Proctors’ servant because she knew of the affair.” (Sundstrand 3). John says, “I have known her, sir. I have known her” (Miller 110). As Proctor repeats himself, it is as if he first admits to the court and then to himself that he was an adulterer. This confession to himself shifts his loyalty from his integrity to his family. John’s loyalty to his families name causes him to give up his life rather than diminish it in any