The Crucible
Not only does the play written by Arthur Miller called The Crucible connect to many
other historical events similar to the Salem Witch Trials, but it also reflects many parts of human
nature. There are forms of jealousy, lying or deceit, and compassion or forgiveness which can be
found throughout the text. With rising fears of witches, citizens would throw the blame to others
to save themselves from the wrath of the Church and the town government. If there was disputes
over land, for example, the person could claim that their enemy is a witch and dispose of them.
There was little to no justice for anyone who was accused of being a witch. Some people would
feel guilt for their actions and show compassion and forgiveness.
There are many forms of lying and deceit in the crucible and every character deceives
each other at one time or another. One example of this is Abigail Williams who is throwing the
blame of being a witch around and is deciding to accuse Elizabeth: “ABIGAIL: She is
blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman,
and you bend to her!”(Act I. 205). Although Abigail pretends she’s angry at Elizabeth, the more
powerful emotion is envy of Elizabeth for her marriage to John Proctor. She resorts to petty
name-calling in order to hopefully put doubt in John’s mind. In Act 2, Proctor wants to be
trusted, and he believes himself honest – but he hasn’t faced up to his ultimate deceit, his
unfaithfulness to his wife.“PROCTOR: Because it speaks deceit, and I am honest! But I'll plead
no more! I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear it
free!” (Act II, 186). Experiencing this, Elizabeth doubts him, which makes their relationship
strained and uncomfortable even seven months after his affair with Abigail ended. These forms
of lying and deceit can be witnessed in everyday life, to improve one’s position by dragging
down another.
There are forms of justice in The Crucible that help discuss human nature. Once
someone was accused of being a witch, there was little or no justice for anyone. The Putnams
are concerned about getting justice for their dead babies even though the Putnam’s “justice” is
basically just vengeance. These characters claim to be deeply religious, but their actions show
that they only believe in justice on earth and not in their Christian values. They want to be
satisfied immediately. “MRS. PUTNAM: They were murdered, Mr. Parris! And mark this proof!
Last night my Ruth were ever so close to their little spirits; I know it, sir. For how else is she
struck dumb now except some power of darkness would stop her mouth? It is a marvelous sign,
Mr. Parris!”(I.89-94;103-109) . Justice in the colony includes punishment for witchcraft crimes
as well as dancing. This is, in part, because it is a theocracy, and long before the Constitution,
with its enshrined “Separation between church and state,” was established. “MARY WARREN:
Abby, we’ve got to tell. Witchery's a hangin' error, a hangin' like they done in Boston two year
ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things!”
(I.144-147) . Mary Warren wants to confess what they have done but the other girls don’t want
to suffer the consequences, so they make sure Mary doesn’t tell. The Crucible helps discuss
human nature by the forms of justice.
Although there is lots of distrust and hate in The Crucible, there is compassion and
forgiveness as well. Proctor desperately desires forgiveness from his wife, but whether he’s
earned it or not, she struggles to let go of her hurt. She can’t be honest about her feelings of
betrayal, and her husband is heartless to think that she should just forget about it. Also, neither
has completely come to grips with is that the woman Proctor slept with now has the power to
cause either or both of them to die, “ELIZABETH: I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in
your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man,” (Act II, 87). This forgiveness is
the perfect example of how people can sometimes find good in themselves even when there is
little around them. Elizabeth shows compassion yet again when John Proctor wants to keep on
living, even if he must live dishonestly: “ELIZABETH: Do what you will. But let none be your
judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is! Forgive me, forgive me, John--I
never knew such goodness in the world!” (Act 4,214). After this, he decided to confess. There
are also hints of compassion and forgiveness in the play even when the negativity is so
overwhelming.
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the events can be reflected in human nature
and other historical events similar to the Salem Witch Trials. There are forms of jealousy, lying
or deceit, and compassion or forgiveness which can be found in different times and places in
human nature. In Salem, when a person got jealous of another, they would rid of them by calling
the person a witch. Realistically today, we get jealous of other’s statuses and belongings and
attack them in other ways. Both then and now, lying can be found and it is usually used to cover
one’s own mistakes so they don’t get caught. Lastly, even with the seemingly neverending
negativity, compassion and forgiveness can still be found inside people. It is just their decision
whether they want to go the extra length or not for another person.