Liberating the Accused

During 1692 to 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts, the Salem witch trials caused over 200 people to be accused of witchcraft, 25 of whom died. The accusations were based on fear and religious beliefs, rather than evidence, creating unjust trials. This caused many to exploit accusations for personal benefits. Arthur Miller, in The Crucible, displays Abigail Williams falsely accusing others, derived from jealousy toward Elizabeth Proctor. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor argues that the girls are fabricating witchcraft accusations against his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, to prevent her execution. 

John Proctor forces Mary Warren to testify in court that the girls have been dishonest to prove his wife’s innocence. Proctor explains that Mary now denies her previous accusations to Deputy Governor Danforth: “[s]he swears now that she never saw Satan; nor any spirit, vague or clear, that Satan may have sent to hurt her. And she declares her friends are lying now” (Miller 3.233). Mary claiming that she never truly saw the Devil or any spirits and the other girls who claimed they did are lying displays that innocent people are being wrongly punished, such as Elizabeth. Proctor utilizes Mary’s statements to expose the girls’ lies and protect innocent people from execution. Additionally, when Abigail accuses Elizabeth of owning a poppet and using it to perform witchcraft, Proctor reveals that the doll did not belong to his wife, affirming, “[y]our Honor, my wife never kept no poppets. Mary Warren confesses it was her poppet” (3.275). Proctor attempts to prove Elizabeth’s innocence by explaining that the poppet, which allegedly harmed Abigail, actually belongs to Mary, not his wife. This undermines Abigail’s evidence against Elizabeth as the poppet was never owned by Elizabeth. Proctor further displays his wife’s innocence by revealing her righteous character and exposing his own mistakes. 

John Proctor defends his wife by displaying her virtuous character while simultaneously admitting his flaws publicly to expose the motive behind the accusations. Proctor hands Danforth a signed deposition to reveal his wife’s character: “[t]he people signing it declare their good opinion of rebecca, and my wife, and Martha corey. These are all landholding farmers, members of the church. If you’ll notice, sir—they’ve known the women many years and never saw no sign they had dealings with the devil” (3.156). Proctor relies on logic and communal support from respected town members, rather than personal emotions, to reveal the accused women as deeply respected in the community and unlikely to be involved with the Devil. Moreover, Proctor exposes his affair with Abigail to highlight the truth behind the accusations by stating that Abigail “thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! and well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I have rung the doom of my good name…My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!” (3.387). Proctor reveals that Abigail’s intentions for accusing Elizabeth are not spiritual, but rather personal. She hopes to replace Elizabeth as Proctor’s wife by accusing her of witchcraft, even though Elizabeth is innocent. Proctor acknowledges his own faults in hopes of saving Elizabeth from false allegations. He strives to save his wife by debunking the girls’ lies.

In The Crucible by Authur Miller, John Proctor asserts that the girls’ accusations of his wife performing witchcraft are false to prevent her unjust execution. He forces Mary Warren to testify against her previous claims about witchcraft and reveal the girls’ lies. Procter also provides a deposition signed by respected community members certifying Elizabeth’s character and publicly reveals his forbidden connection with Abigail to prove the malicious intent behind her accusations. The Salem witch trials provided opportunities for making false accusations to fulfill personal agendas, and upholding justice required integrity and evidence. Defending the truth, even at the expense of oneself, demonstrates one’s integrity over their reputation and a fight toward the right cause. 

Work Cited

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, Penguin Books, 22 Jan. 1953.