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What are morals? The idea of morality is being able to distinguish the difference between right and wrong and good and bad behaviour. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible illustrates the idea of one having to fight with their morals when put in a conflict that they must attempt to escape from. When one makes false accusations for selfish reasons, it harmfully makes an impact on the people around them. Once one goes against their moral beliefs by committing the crime of adultery, it causes complications in relationships with the people who are closest to them. Lastly, as soon as an individual goes against their values and tells a lie, it negatively affects the people closest to them instead of achieving their anticipated goal. When people do not follow …show more content…
their morals and carry out unacceptable actions for their own personal gain, it negatively affects the important people around them. Falsely accusing others for one’s own benefit can create problems for the significant people around them. Abigail Williams falsely accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft for her own selfish reasons. She only thinks about being with John Proctor and to do this, she knows she must remove Elizabeth from the picture, so that she can have John to herself. When Elizabeth finds out that she has been accused, she immediately comes to the conclusion that Abigail has accused her in hopes of getting rid of her: It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names; why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name – I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She’d dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John. (Miller 61) Elizabeth knows that Abigail does not have her best interest at heart and knows that Abigail would put Elizabeth’s life in danger just so she can get what she desires. Abigail could have called out many other names of women who had a more obvious connection to witchcraft, but she chose to call out the wife of the man she wants to be with. Elizabeth has done nothing to show any signs of herself being a witch, which makes her believe that Abigail is the only person that would want her to be killed. Abigail knows that Elizabeth has not done anything to prove that she is a witch, but she still ignores her morals and decides to make a bad decision by lying about Elizabeth’s accusation. She completely disregards her knowing of right and wrong and makes her decisions selfishly based upon the outcome for herself. Due to the fact that Abigail is only thinking about herself, she puts many lives around her in danger so that her desires can be met. Elizabeth had received a warrant where she was charged of witchcraft because of Abigail’s accusation. This puts Elizabeth’s life in danger and puts a heavy load of responsibility on John’s back because he wants to save his wife. Not only are Elizabeth and John’s lives affected with this dilemma, but they have children as well that would more than likely be worried as to where their mother has gone. With Elizabeth charged, this act situates a dilemma in the Proctor family, “John – I think I must go with them…When the children wake, speak nothing of witchcraft – it will frighten them” (Miller 77). Abigail’s actions have caused madness in the Proctor family where Elizabeth is now in the position of having to fight for her life. This shows how Abigail had done this through selfishness of wanting to rid of Elizabeth so she can have John to herself. To add on, she did not think about the consequences that her actions would have caused because she did not put in any care into her mind about how this would affect the other people around her. Ironically, Abigail wanting to this for John, has actually put John into a difficult position in his life where he must try to win the court over to prove his wife’s innocence. Overall, when one makes false accusations about others for their own selfish reasons, it causes difficulties for the individuals around them. Individuals who commit the crime of adultery deal with complications in their important relationships later on. When Abigail Williams worked for the Proctors, John fancied her and had an intimate relationship with her. He cheated on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail and then he and Abigail had become very close with one another. John wanted to forget about what happened but the damage had already been done: I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now! (Miller 22) When John tries to tell Abigail that he does not love her and is not coming for her anymore, Abigail attempts to convince him otherwise.
Abigail states the facts of the situation and proves the close relationship that she and John had. John saw Abigail differently at the time and ignored his morals regarding the right thing to do. He chose to see Abigail and be alone with her where he made bad decisions and committed the crime of adultery. John Proctor executed immoral actions which created problems for his relationship with Elizabeth. During a private conversation between John and Elizabeth, John lets the information that he was alone in a room with Abigail slip out during one of their arguments. Not taking into account of what he said, Elizabeth notices and questions him on it. Earlier, from when John admitted to his meetings alone with Abigail, Elizabeth gets angry with him and insecure about herself in comparison with Abigail, “You’ll tear it free – when you come to know that I will be your only wife, or no wife at all! She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well! (Miller 62) There is tension in the air between the two, causing their relationship to become more distant. John’s actions with Abigail have caused the bond with his wife to be problematic and lacking of trust. To add on, Elizabeth strictly points out her opinion on this, claiming that she does not tolerate cheating and that she will be his only wife or no wife of his at all. This puts their relationship at stake because it causes John to be required to make the right decision if he wants to hold onto Elizabeth in his life. He has to deal with the consequences to his immoral actions and try to earn back Elizabeth’s trust to get their relationship back on track again. As a result, when one commits adultery, it causes close relationships to escalate to a problematic
state. In conclusion, when individuals ignore their morals during situations with intolerable actions, it causes difficulties with the people closest to them. When one falsely accuses others for their own gain, it creates a negative influence on the people around them. Once an individual commits the crime of adultery for their satisfaction, it results in unnecessary challenges in their closest relationships. Finally, the instant a person tells a lie going against their moral beliefs, it negatively affects the people closest to them causing new problems for them. In conclusion, having a sense of what is right and wrong is beneficial to keep one from committing unacceptable actions that could have a negative influence on the people around them creating unnecessary problems in close relationships.
Moral ambiguity is lack of sense in ethical decision-making. This means morally ambiguous characters are difficult to classify as either good or evil, as they contain strong aspects of both. These types of characters generally have real problems, causing their inner conflicts, which also makes them sympathetic. Stories that have morally ambiguous characters usually create built-in tension, because there is always the question of whether their conniving nature will be able to take hold, causing them to fail in their pursuit. In the play The Crucible, an example of a morally ambiguous character is Mary Warren.
John Proctor and Reverend Hale are similar as they have both detected the corruption beneath the witchcraft accusations and attempt to prevent false testimonies and innocent people being hanged. John Proctor easily realizes the truth of the witchcraft trials because of his affair with Abigail Williams, one of the leading culprits of the hysteria in Salem. Abby exclaims that “Elizabeth hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman” (Miller 12). Abigail feels this way, not because Elizabeth has mistreated her, but instead because Elizabeth is Proctor’s wife, a nuisance to Abigail and Proctor’s relationship. Additionally, after Elizabeth found out about the affair, she fired Abigail, thus ridding Abigail
Before the play takes place, Abigail Williams and John Proctor had an affair while Abigail was working as a servant in their home. Eventually, John confessed and apologized to Elizabeth, pledging his faithfulness to her. Nonetheless, at the time the play takes place, Elizabeth still hasn’t fully forgiven him, and gives him a hard time about it. Abigail confessed the pretense of her accusations to him when they were alone, and now he has no way to prove that she’s lying to the court. But because he was alone with her again, Elizabeth becomes angry with him. She still doubts her husband because she feels that if it were any other girl he had to go testify against, he would not hesitate. But, because it’s Abigail, John feels he has to think harder on making a decision. He doesn’t want his name spoiled by a counter-testimony. John feels he is now justified in becoming angry because for the seven months since his confession, he has done nothing but try to please his wife, and she still approaches him with suspicion and accusatio...
John Proctor a well-respected man in the city of Salem has a deep secret that plays a major role later on in the story. He had an intimate affair with a younger single girl named Abigail which he regrets greatly. Proctor shows his disgust when he argues with Abigail by insisting, “Abby I never give you hope to wait for me” (page168). Proctor exclaims that he surely regrets his sin and doesn’t want Abigail to think that he loves her and not his own wife. Although Proctor may still have feelings about Abigail he reassures her that he will never have emotional relationships with her ever again. He had the ultimate opportunity to get back at Abigail and stop the witch trials from happening when he meets Abigail alone in the woods; upon their encounter she confesses to John, “We were dancing in the woods last night and my uncle leaped in ...
Elizabeth still doubts her husband because she feels that if it were any other girl that he had to go testify against, he would not hesitate. But, because it’s Abigail, he feels he has to think harder on making a decision. John Proctor feels he is now justified in becoming angry because for the seven months since his confession, he has done nothing but try to please his wife, and she still approaches him with suspicion and accusations.
Crucible- a severe test, a hard trial or also could be define as a pot for melting metals. A severe trail could be as other then a physical it also could be mentally a severe trial like person verses self. In The Crucible, Miller reflects the theme that pressure can force people from there can force their morals. The characters in The Crucible have morals that they must up hold to be accepted into the town and church. It is a struggle to keep these values when there are moral hazards like desires, greed, hate, and obsession.
Throughout the entire play, Abigail is angry at John for not loving her back after the affair which preceded the play. Abigail is speaking to John, and she claims that he is still in love with her. As John rejects this idea, Abigail stills desires love from John. In Act I, Abigail says,“It’s she that put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now (Miller I).” She is using her words to manipulate John into loving her. Later in the play, she accuses John’s wife of witchcraft to get back at John. This backfires on her when John dies at the end of the play. Abigail quickly becomes an adversary of John after she harasses his family and his life. Abigail shows her anger towards John Proctor by accusing his wife and eventually hanging
Abigail commits adultery with Elizabeth’s husband who is John Proctor. In The Crucible John was thirty years of age and Abigail who was just seventeen. Even with a huge age difference Abigail seems to think she has a high level of maturity to do anything she wants. John and Elizabeth hired Abigail, until Elizabeth found out about his affair and fired Abigail. John told Abigail that he was done with the affair and that he will never touch her again. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again”. (Miller 23) Abigail would claim that John was in love with her and that she also loved him too, but John never really loved Abigail he only saw lust.
Elizabeth Proctor has many moments which show how she is changing throughout the play. When she is trying to persuade Proctor to tell the court that Abigail said the girls were not practicing witchcraft, Elizabeth blurts out, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not." Elizabeth is confessing that she believes Proctor had an affair with Abigail. She is giving him no mercy by showing that she will never forget what happened. When Elizabeth is being accused of stabbing Abigail, she instructs Proctor to go to court, and tells him "Oh, John, bring me soon!" Elizabeth is gaining trust in John. She is forgetting his act of adultery and now has faith that he will defend her. At the end of the play, when Proctor is sentenced to death, Elizabeth says that "he [has] his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" Elizabeth is admitting that John was righteous to confess his sin of lechery, and she should have pardoned him. She considers herself impure for not showing mercy, and does not want to take away from his glory. Elizabeth has transformed from an ignorant victim of adultery, to a forgiving, loving wife.
Abigail accuses innocent people of witchcraft, including John’s wife, Elizabeth. She does this so her and John would be together and Elizabeth wouldn’t be in his life, even after John told Abigail he does not love her. He faces this crucible throughout the play and changes his demeanor towards Abigail. John becomes infuriated and he wants to expose Abigail for making false accusations of witchcraft, although it might include his confession of adultery. John eventually confesses his sin of adultery but refuses for it to be made public and posted on the church door, resulting in his
Her relationship with John Proctor and her animosity to Goody Proctor also interest is as they are reasons why Elizabeth Proctor was accused as a witch and later the death of John. Abigail loved John but John only lusted because of strains in his marriage. When Elizabeth expelled Abigail, John gave up. This is shown when Abigail asked John."Give me a word,John. A soft word." John replies,"I will cut of my hand before I'll ever reach for you again." Abigail cannot have John, this caused bitterness and hatred towards Elizabeth. She says," She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me, She is a cold, snivelling woman..."
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
Conscience is the awareness of right and wrong. In The Crucible, the idea of conscience in strongly emphasized. Miller himself said,
Naturally, Elizabeth feels guilty as well. She tells John, “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” Elizabeth feels as though she is to blame for John committing adultery. She is a mother and, of course, Elizabeth will be consumed with taking care of their children, cooking, cleaning, etc. At first, Elizabeth does not recognize John pulling away from her and turning towards Abigail. Soon after Elizabeth finds out John committed adultery with Abby, she fires her. Later on in the novel Elizabeth is accused of being a witch and John goes to court to prove Abigail is lying.
“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society” -Theodore Roosevelt. When one has no morals it is dangerous to live in a society. Why? Because morals are the rules that help you differentiate between the good doings and the bad doings. But what if one has morals that are dangerous? They can harm society without even thinking twice. Someone who is smart, but has no proper morals can lead a society to disaster such as the society in The Crucible, by American playwright, Arthur Miller, is about a Puritan village in Massachusetts Bay during the Salem witch trials. The puritans are people who had very censored moral beliefs. People in the village get accused of being witches or coming in contact with the devil, which is immoral and has to be punished, consequently ending with the hangings or imprisonment of the accused. Three characters in The Crucible each reflect one moral stage in “Kohlberg’s