Effects Of Lies In The Crucible

Ongoing Lies

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil said the philosopher Plato. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is a compulsive liar who has an infected soul. Throughout the piece Abigail constantly lies, making it one of the main themes and proving that a simple lie can have a long-lasting effect. Arthur Miller suggests that when dishonesty takes place it can affect more people than originally intended; as a consequence of Abigail’s lies, the other girls and numerous community members are also forced to lie.

Besides all of Abigail’s lies she somehow convinces other girls to tell untruths. Ever since Abigail has started lying Mary Warren has wanted to come clean and tell the truth before her lies started to build upon one another. “It’s on the beam! Behind the rafters” (Miller, 114). To protect Abigail’s reputation, Mercy Lewis, one of her peers started to pretend that Mary Warren has transformed into a yellow bird. In doing that, Abby, along with all of the other girls started to become frightened of this bird, acting as if it is Mary converted into a bird working her black art. The girls started to beg not to be hurt and began repeating everything Mary

says; pretending that she has put some kind of curse of them. All the while there actually was no bird and Mary was everlasting to the Earth. Abigail didn’t only get her peers to lie but she got a mother to lie also.
After one lie led to another, eventually Abigail had an influence on Elizabeth Proctor committing perjury.

In court, testifying, Elizabeth has the fate of her and her husband at stake. After her husband, John Proctor, had had an affair with Abigail, she was asked if her husband had turned from her. “No, sir” (Miller, 113). Once knowing that she had lied in court the judge exclaims “She has spoken. Remove her!” (Miller, 113). The woman who never told a lie had lied to protect her husband’s reputation not knowing that John already confessed. Only because of Abigail’s lies, Elizabeth was sent to sit in the jail cell until it became her time to hang. Abigail’s lies affected almost everyone in the town including a woman named Sarah

Good.
Immediately returning back home, Mary Warren reported to John and Elizabeth Proctor that Sarah Good has confessed to witchcraft. “He sentenced her. He must. To ameliorate it: But not Sarah Good. For Sarah Good confessed, y’see” (Miller, 56). Goody Osburn and Sarah Good have been contemplating whether or not to save themselves by lying about being involved in witchcraft or to tell the truth and face the punishment of being hung. Although being labeled as a witch the rest of Sarah’s life, she was set free and able to live. As for Goody Osburn, she did not confess, she wanted to keep her name and was eventually hung because of Abigail’s lies of seeing her spirit fly around the courtroom and the fainting of the girls. Abigail’s lies affected multiple people throughout the town of Salem.