The Crucible is a novel about witchcraft, lying, love, and betrayal. Throughout the community of Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s there were a series of accusations made by a small group of girls saying that they had seen sightings of witches. These accusations were false but the community did not know that, therefore they believed them. This novel tells the history of the Salem witch trials and the mass hysteria it brought upon the community.
I think that personal reputation had a big role in the mass hysteria within The Crucible. Most of the characters in novel were afraid to stand up for what they believe in because they were worried about how people would see them after. With this being so, the witchcraft accusation were dragged on too long which put many lives at stake and also caused people to lose their lives such as Giles Corey who refused to confess and asked for “More weight” as he was being killed(125). Although John Proctor did stand up for what he believe in, it was a little too late. Many people had died because the citizens in the community were all more afraid of what would happen to their reputation rather than the damage it would do to the community.
My impression of the Salem community, in the first act, was that they were very gullible. Some of the adults believed almost every word that the young girls said about witchcraft. While these accusations were incorrect, some of the adults felt that the girls were not lying. Towards the end of the act the young girls started to list off names of people that they dislike or had a grudge for. The people the girls named off were mostly women and they accused them of witchcraft. While the girls were listing off the names of the people, Putnam says “I’ll call the marshal!” (45). Putnam saying that shows that the so called neighbors could quickly turn on each other because of something that they hear but did not see.
The relationship between John and Elizabeth reflects the conflict within their community by the affair that John had with Abigail. John’s reaction to the affair he had with Abigail was the reason why she and her friends started rumors about there being witches in the Salem community. Abigail loved John but he didn’t love her back. John called Abigail a “Child-“(22). Abigail was hurt by John not returning love to her therefore she accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. By Abigail accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft, she knew that Elizabeth would possibly be killed and that will leave John as widow and she could try, again, to become his wife. All in all, I feel that John and Elizabeth’s relationship as well as John’s infidelity are the reasons for Salem the witch trials.
Elizabeth lies about John having an affair with Abigail. Elizabeth said that John did not have an affair with Abigail but he did. I think that Elizabeth lied about John’s affair to protect him and also because she loved him. This is ironic because John told Danforth that “In her life, sir, she have never lied.” but she lied (103). John and Elizabeth loved each other therefore they tried to do anything to protect each other.
I think that Elizabeth feels unloved by John because of the affair that he had with Abigail by the quote “It takes a cold wife to prompt lechery”. I also feel that Elizabeth felt that she was not the wife she should have been to John to make him not think about being unfaithful to her. Elizabeth was probably cheated on John because he cheated on her. In conclusion, Elizabeth says “I have sins of my own to count” which means that she probably had been unfaithful in the relationship as well (126).
I think that the law is not always correct as well as the government does not have best interest of its people at heart. I feel that the government thinks mainly about themselves and money. They could care less whether or not their people are happy or unhappy. As long as they are satisfied they are perfectly fine. The law is not always right because in the Salem community, the innocent people were guilty and the guilty people were innocent leaving Hale to say “Shall the worms declare his truth” (134). In conclusion, the law in the Salem community should have paid more attention to detail and acquired more facts instead of listening to a select few for their evidence.
In closing, Even though there were a few people who recognized the fraud that the young girls were committing, they did not do anything to try and cut off the spread of it until it was too late. The Crucible shows how the law is not always right and how some people can believe anything without seeing a piece of evidence.